Public Safety: Job 1
- Public Safety is the most important job of county government. That means having excellent Fire, Police and Public Utilities Departments, and maintaining all county roads and facilities properly. Our Fire, Police and Public Utilities Departments have extra responsibilities because of the presence of Los Alamos National laboratory. We were very well served by the members of these departments during the Cerro Grande and Las Conchas fires and evacuations. We need to make sure their pay and benefits will keep them happy to work here, and we should do what we can to make it possible for them to own homes in this county.
Infrastructure
- Although Los Alamos collects substantial Gross Receipts Taxes (GRT) from Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as other businesses, maintaining infrastructure for the Lab and the town is a substantial and continuing expense. A lot of the original infrastructure, for example the White Rock sewage treatment plant, is nearing the end of its lifetime. We need to plan and budget replacements for such facilities, using the most efficient technology available.
- Roads should be planned to accommodate peak automobile traffic loads, but make room for all the alternate forms of transportation including walking and bicycling. Trinity can be made a much safer and prettier way through our town, that will invite people to stay and do more business here. We need to find ways for people to cross Trinity more safely. Pedestrian underpasses and/or overpasses could help, as well as a traffic light at 20th Street to allow access to Ashley pond from the south side of Trinity.