“Why even have an RR-I zone?”
The city hands out variances like candy, regularly punching holes in the zoning code.
Kathleen Sloan
Kathleen Sloan has been a local-government reporter for 17 years, covering counties and cities in three states—New Mexico, Iowa and Florida. She has also covered the arts for various publications in Virginia, New Mexico and Iowa. Sloan worked for the Truth or Consequences Herald newspaper from 2006 to 2013; it closed December 2019. She returned to T or C in 2019 and founded the online newspaper, the Sierra County Sun, with Diana Tittle taking the helm as editor during the last year and a half of operation. The Sun closed December 2021, concurrent with Sloan retiring. SierraCountySun.org is still an open website, with hundreds of past articles still available. Sloan is now a board member of the not-for-profit organization, the Sierra County Public-Interest Journalism Project, which supported the Sun and is currently sponsoring the Sierra County Citizen, another free and open website. Sloan is volunteering as a citizen journalist, covering the T or C beat. She can be reached at kathleen.sloan@gmail.com or 575-297-4146.
Special election on police building’s financing just got really complicated
The people are bound to be confused by the March 4 special election. That may be the point. Low-information voters may pass higher tax and debt measures without knowing it.
Otto Rigan’s sculptures speak to us in the universal language of forms
A sculptor with a career in creating art for public spaces is making his home here--a new light in the area.
Any qualified, savvy volunteers out there who want to be a flood-control director?
Five "directors" will be appointed to run the new flood-control taxing district that was approved by Sierra Countians Nov. 5. These volunteer directors will serve about a year, until the electorate can choose their representatives during local elections, November 2025.
Will spaceport GRT go to new capital projects?
The uses of the spaceport gross receipts tax keeps growing and expanding, as does the spaceport's need for it. Will local taxes forever subsidize the spaceport? Dona Ana County's especially?
Five city managers in five years—T or C city commission needs to change its selection process
If the city commission doesn't sharply define city problems, it can't seek or hire a city manager with the needed qualities to address them.
Lower property taxes for Sierra Countians, Villagers and Elephant Butteans—sorry TorCeans
You'll have a little more cash for stocking stuffers after paying taxes this year, unless your property is in T or C.
Gift horses that made water and wastewater projects possible
Thank goodness the city was not brought to account and punished for bad management, lack of planning and neglect of the water and wastewater infrastructure. Breaking ground on critical waterline replacement is about a year out while engineers draw up plans.
PD recruitment-retention-policy critique answered with fluff
We'd rather have evidence that spending hundreds of thousands on gas and not upping police officers' salaries is solving the police department's revolving door problem.
The city should change PD recruitment and retention practices
The city has never used the police department's .25 percent gross receipts tax as it was intended, but it should. Give the money to the officers in the form of higher salaries.
T or C asks legislators for capital outlay for four projects
T or C will seek big money for water and sewer projects from the state legislature this year, but it is also asking for $1.625 million in capital outlay from legislators representing our house and state districts for four smaller projects.
Ballot question you should question
This is the third op-ed by Sierra County Flood Commissioner Sandy Jones that I have sponsored. Jones is a governor-appointed official who oversees flood-control projects and funds them with the 1.5 mills county property owners currently pay. Will voters approve the creation of a second county flood-control taxing district?