Vacant District 2 seat on Farmington City Council draws two more applicants
The vacant District 2 seat on the Farmington City Council drew two more hopefuls before the application deadline closed on Jan. 31, bringing the total number of people who applied for the position to 12.
Only 10 applicants will be considered for the seat, however, as one of applicants, Brandon Ashley, has withdrawn from consideration, while another, Alexander Chambers, was deemed ineligible because voter registration information showed he lives in another district in the city, according to assistant city manager Shaña Reeves.
Andrew Caldwell and Luke Renner were the final two applicants for the seat, joining a field of eight other folks who had applied earlier. The other applicants include Herman Buck, Robert Fitz, Nathan Thompson, Charles Kittle, Olena Erickson, Richmond Brannen, Stewart Logan and Travis Johnson.
This is the second time in the past several months that Chambers has been declared ineligible for a city office. The Farmington restaurateur had announced his intention to run for Mayor in the November election against incumbent Nate Duckett. But San Juan County Clerk Tanya Shelby ruled him ineligible in August after discovering his voter registration showed his home address as being in Kirtland.
Chambers said in August he had submitted a new voter registration application with his change of address to Farmington in February and had given it to a postal worker, but he assumed the paperwork had gotten lost before it reached the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office, where his registration officially would have been changed.
Chambers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his disqualification from The Daily Times on Feb. 6.
More: Vacant Farmington City Council seat adds 4 new applicants to crowded field of 10
Caldwell, a Farmington High School graduate, is the owner of and property manager for Celsus Vita Investment Properties, and formerly served as the shop manager for Western Tool Crib. He also has owned a tools manufacturing and metal fabrication firm, and served as a foreman for a custom homebuilder.
In his application, Caldwell said he has spent many years managing successful businesses while considering input from customers, employees, suppliers and owners. He said he is very good at taking input from multiple parties and facilitating amicable outcomes.
“I work well with others, listen well and stay on task,” he wrote. “ … I am invested in this community and can be a part of positive change and progress as it continues to grow.”
Renner is a professor and chairman of the digital media arts program at San Juan College. A Bloomfield High School graduate, he has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Fort Lewis College and a master’s degree in management and marketing from New Mexico Highlands University. He formerly worked in television news and for the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs department in public relations and marketing.
In his application, Renner said his having grown up in San Juan County, his TV news experience and his time working for the city of Farmington have familiarized him with many of the issues the city faces.
The various applicants for the position are vying for the seat formerly occupied by Sean Sharer, who resigned in December when he moved out of the district. The term expires on Dec. 31, 2025.
The mayor, who is responsible for nominating Sharer’s successor, has said the city staff will arrange interviews for him with all the applicants, and he hopes to nominate someone for the position in time for the March 26 City Council meeting. Councilors then would vote on whether to accept that nomination.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Farmington City Council seat will be filled by one of 10 applicants
