ISSUES AND IDEAS
ISSUES
AND Priorities
Community Safety
All Las Crucens want to feel safe in our community. Real safety means investing in housing, quality education, and mental health services.
- Las Cruces is short thousands of housing units, and many residents have been priced out of homes. While we have built hundreds of apartments and single-family homes in partnership with a range of developers, Las Cruces needs to expand access to housing for all residents.
- LCFD’s Project LIGHT (Lessen the Incidence of Grief and Trauma) provides coordinated fire and police response to thousands of mental health crises a year, and speaks to the critical need for more resources for behavioral health systems.
- As Las Cruces grows, so do our emergency response needs. A fully staffed Fire Station 9 is a first step, but we must continue to invest in people and infrastructure that meet community needs.
Quality of Life
Thriving communities have access to high-quality health care, strong safety nets and plan for the next generation.
- Ensure access to high-quality care and prevention is foundational to community prosperity. This means accountability for health systems and support for providers in our community.
- Optimize opioid settlement funding to save lives and address addiction.
- Expand Las Cruces’ status as a welcoming city to immigrants, LGBTQ populations and people seeking reproductive care with policy and advocacy.
- Promote economic growth citywide, with extra emphasis and support for small businesses, nonprofits and housing in the metropolitan redevelopment areas.
- Support innovative shelter programs, broadly accessible spay/neuter, and education-oriented animal control.
Infrastructure
Physical surroundings like streets, sidewalks and parks make Las Cruces a livable, vibrant home.
- Invest in walkable, bikeable and safe streets, including increased shade, protected bike lanes and a network of mixed-used paths.
- Grow the fare-free, zero-emissions transit in frequency and use for Las Cruces commuters.
- Translate increased GRT revenues into neighborhood traffic calming, new recreation facilities and an expanded library system.
- Reduce Las Cruces’ impact on climate change, by reducing natural gas usage, supporting home retrofits and prioritizing active transportation and transit.
- Fund new parks and legacy park maintenance to ensure healthy families.
Las Cruces Just Beat the NIMBYs. New Mexico Should Take Notes. Reimagining Albuquerque. 5/19/2025.
Newsmakers: Addressing Affordable Housing in Las Cruces. KRWG.
For the next generation, Realize, Las Cruces. Our future depends on it. Las Cruces Sun-News. 6/4/24.
Las Cruces launches largest affordable housing project to date. Las Cruces Bulletin. 10/14/24.
SCOTUS allows harsher penalties for the unhoused. How will Las Cruces respond? Las Cruces Bulletin. 7/8/24.
Las Cruces calls on Memorial Medical Center to meet obligations under lease agreement. Las Cruces Sun-News. 8/30/24.
Las Cruces expects millions after opioid settlement as council sets planning priorities. LasdCruces Sun-News. 9/13/23.
Animal Services Center celebrates renovations, promises more to Las Cruces. Las Cruces Sun-News. 12/10/23.
Community will have a say, and a vote, on Animal Service Center Board of Directors. Las Cruces Sun-News. 10/1/23.
City of Las Cruces scores 96 on the Municipal Equality Index. https://lascruces.gov/community/community-engagement-office/lgbtq-city-liaison/
‘They’re speaking against who I am.’ Hundreds flood campus to protest, listen to anti-trans speech. Las Cruces Sun-News. 4/6/23.
City touts new pickleball courts, fire station groundbreaking. Las Cruces Bulletin. 9/18/24.
Las Cruces councilor appointed to federal board. Las Cruces Bulletin. 1/23/24.
Collaborative Growth: Inclusive city planning that emphasizes accessibility, walkability and affordable housing.
Work directly with District 5 by hosting community meetings and mapping to identify opportunities for growth.- Prioritizing new parks that broaden residents’ access to recreation,green space and the arts.
- Leveraging impact and utility connection fees to incentivize affordable housing development.
Unlocking Potential: Economic recovery that is grounded in living wages and opportunities for socioeconomic mobility, particularly with those who have been historically excluded.
- Piloting innovative programs (like guaranteed basic income and predictive scheduling) that could provide support to children and families.
- Engaging community inputs and feedback in implementing cannabis legalization to maximize investments.
Thriving Companions: Support for community animal control that will help Las Cruces establish itself as a no-kill city.
- Implementation and monitoring of trap-neuter-release (TNR) by Animal Control.
- Promoting expanded access to microchipping and low-cost spay/neuter services.
Green Futures: Action to reduce Las Cruces’ impact on climate change, including through utility use and distribution.
- Advocating for sustainable approaches for city utility customers in rate-cases and conversations with utility suppliers.
- Emphasizing and incentivizing sustainability, like solar-powered homes and electric vehicles in City operations and future growth.