Submitted by Michael Roake, Corrales
Dear Editor and fellow Corralanos,
I urge support for Jim Fahey for Corrales mayor. He is the single candidate qualified by temperament and experience to keep Corrales the delightful Village it is. Jim alone has all the best qualities we look for in a mayor in challenging times, with a proven track record of success, consistent and pertinent governmental experience, and dedication to public service on behalf of all Corralanos, not just a handful.
Throughout his working life, Jim Fahey has been fully dedicated to public service, whether as a sea-going Navy Doc off Vietnam, through his years serving as a V.A. surgeon, to years on the Corrales Village Council and now as Mayor. Throughout his many years on the Council, he also worked on water issues as a SCAFCA Board member. The one through line, unlike his opponent, is that Jim Fahey has always worked for his community and applies that wide experience well on behalf of all Corralanos, not just the privileged few.
Jim has quietly managed our Village in challenging times, and has managed it well while keeping it on a sound financial footing by tapping grants and very low-interest loans. In terms of his administrative leadership, his staffing, training and honoring of one of the finest administrative staffs in the state of New Mexico shines. The same goes for our public safety Police and Fire Departments, maintaining our spot as the safest city in New Mexico. All the while, he keeps villagers informed, whether through his weekly Mayor’s Message, ‘zoomed’ Council Meetings, Council forums, work study efforts, active participation in public events and encouragement of community involvement through targeted committees suggested by staff and Councillors. Jim listens and is always accessible, as is also evident in Jim and the Council’s recent shepherding of the community-developed Comprehensive Plan.
Most of all, Jim gets things done. Jim rolled in to provide pivotal help to the CHS restoration drive when the Old Church needed help with crumbling walls. He and his Council completed the work on Meadowlark Road, over twenty years in the offing. He initiated safe water studies based on his wide experience on the SCAFCA Board, so critical in our drought-plagued area. He facilitates the fire department water suppression lines with Council support, as well as looking to the future by urging water quality advancements and health and safety improvements. He works hard to ensure Corrales maintains its charm and rural qualities well into the future. He does this with little drama and turmoil. He does this because he listens to Corrales.
On a grand scale, he fulfilled a public mandate for open space purchases to avoid the curse of over-development and effected necessary community-related land use. Oh, and don’t forget the gym or pickleball courts! He did all this while maintaining Corrales’ excellent financial stewardship, along with great credit ratings.
Every villager has his or her vision of Corrales. Very few want rampant development and all want to preserve what is best….going forward. But any decision must be fact-based rather than solely relying on calcified opinions. As one wit put it, “everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts.” Jim has the experience and temperament to do what is best for all Corrales, after listening to his staff, Council, experts and fellow villagers. Ultimately, he must make a decision best for all Corralanos … a decision based on facts and actual planning.
Please vote in November. Keep Corrales for All of Us: Move Forward with Fahey.