Font ResizeLAS CRUCES - A former roller rink is an odd place to interview the person who could potentially become Las Cruces' next city manager, but there sat Assistant City Manager Robert Garza, answering questions from 14 residents.
The resident sat In a semicircle, invited to the former Tommy's Roller Rink, off of north Main Street. Garza sat in a chair stuck in the middle, and for 90 minutes Tuesday calmly fielded every question thrown at him.
"There's no doubt you know your stuff," Isaac Chavez, executive director of the Las Cruces Association of Realtors, told Garza.
Chavez later added he was impressed with Garza's candor and his ability to answer quickly. Chavez is one of a few residents who have attended the lion's share of City Council meetings in recent years.
Las Crucen Phillip Archuleta was also impressed with Garza and what he had to say.
"He's probably the best person for the job," Archuleta said. "He's always been pretty responsive to residents; he knows our community, where it's been and where it needs to go. There's no substitute for that kind of institutional knowledge and experience."
Other residents included former state Sen. Lee Rawson, businesswoman and downtown resident Emily Coss, El Paso Electric Vice President for New Mexico Affairs Clay Doyle, private attorney John Darden, Alameda Historic District resident Monty Sarvo, and Downtown Las Cruces Partnership president Greg Smith. The meeting was arranged by Councilor Miguel Silva, who had asked as many
Garza is meeting this week with six of the seven City Council members - Mayor Ken Miyagishima said Monday he doesn't need to interview Garza because he already intends to support Garza's promotion to city manager - to allow councilors the opportunity to ask their own questions and independently determine for themselves if Garza should become city manager.
"For my period with him, I decided, why not ask a group of residents to meet with Mr. Garza and let them ask anything they wanted," Silva said. "Since there wouldn't have otherwise been an opportunity for the public to meet with Mr. Garza, I thought this would be the next best thing."
Garza said he welcomed the chance to meet with the residents and answer their questions.
"The vitality of our city organization is completely dependent of each and every one of you," said Garza, waving his hand across the gathering. But his comments were also directed at any other interested resident who wasn't invited, or couldn't participate in Tuesday's interview.
Garza was asked about a wide range of issues that have affected residents and city government for years. The topics ranged from downtown revitalization, technological advances that could affect the city's utilities systems, zoning, impact fees, franchise agreements, Garza's management style, and the politics and public perceptions of city government.
"What type of management style do you have?" Coss asked Garza. "Would you consider yourself a commander or a coach?"
Garza said, "I can adjust my style depending on the circumstances. I really believe in inclusion."
If appointed city manager, Garza said he would mandate ethics and customer service training for every city employee.
Garza also addressed concerns from some of the residents that some council members are trying to micro-manage city government, and that a sense of political arrogance, or the unwillingness of the council to listen, has developed that prevents the council from effectively working with various sectors of the city - such as business and construction.
"People are feeling they are not getting the answers from city government they're looking for," Sarvo said.
Chavez added, "How do you (Garza) resolve it when politicians nit-pick about things they really don't need to be involved in."
"I can see a way of integrating the business community more into the process," Garza said. "...As for the perceptions of the council, I agree there's probably a need to regain mutual understanding of city's ethics ordinance. We need to better define in it just how far the council's ability to make policies should go."
Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452.
Help wanted
• City Council members are meeting individually with Assistant City Manager Robert Garza this week in interviews that could determine whether Garza is promoted to city manager.
• Tuesday, residents were able to meet with Garza and asked their questions about his philosophies and plans if appointed city manager.
• Garza is the only city employee being interviewed for the post.
• The council will conduct a closed meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Monday and could decide to either formally offer Garza the job or conduct a national search for a replacement for current City Manager Terrence Moore.
