by Teresa Smith de Cherif

I interviewed Sabrina Sweeney, the Democratic Candidate for Valencia County Commissioner in District 3.  As Vice Chair of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District, I knew of and wanted to share one of the backstories that prompted her to run for office for the first time.  I also hope to illustrate her hopes and plans, if elected on November 8^th.  The opinions I express herein are mine and any errors reported herein are mine alone.  

Teresa Smith de Cherif (TSdeC):  Why run for public office?  

Sabrina Sweeney (SS):  “I’ve thought about serving the public my whole life.  My father, Ronnie Torres, was a Belen City Councilor and Mayor of Belen, for about 15 years.   He also served on the Chamber of Commerce.   My parents started the first Belen Electrical Light Parade.  Watching my parents create and organize community events that were free and available to all inspired me to want to have a beautiful community where we can raise our families.  My parents showed me it was possible.  I considered running for Belen City Council, but then our family moved to Rio Communities, and I realized that I would like to serve where I would have the resources to impact a larger change in our communities than would be possible on a city council.  I realized that I want to influence change in my local community, because I see the worrisome issues that are happening nationally, which I can’t necessarily influence, but I can have an impact in my community, where my daughters are going to grow up.  This is my home and I love it here.”

TSdeC:  Why run to be a Valencia County Commissioner?

SS:  “During the Covid-19 lockdown, I started watching meetings of the Valencia County Commission as they were livestreamed on Facebook.  I saw that the County Commission was like a City Council, on a bigger scale, for the whole county.  I began to recognize the choices the County Commissioners make directly impact my daily life.  Watching those meeting also helped me realize that I could be of most benefit to my community as a County Commissioner.   I also saw how intimidating it was for people to bring an issue to the County Commission, because not everyone is accustomed to present before a board of men that is staring back at them.   I knew that if I were on the Commission, I could  help build relationships within our communities and the Commission.  After all, women are already doing the jobs that men do, sometimes just in different spaces.  We’re already organizers, leaders, helpers, and networkers, and I love networking.  Until now, my season of life has entailed focusing on my daughters and being involved in their activities, while working very part time.  Running for office is a family decision.  I want to be exemplary for my daughters.  We can be involved in school, function and thrive at home, and make change in our community.”  

TSdeC:  What’s the backstory that finally convinced you to run now?

SS:   “One of the County Commission meetings I attended virtually was about community gardens of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District (VSWCD) in El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake.  The VSWCD was requesting funding from the County Commission to help maintain the gardens.  I wasn’t particularly fond of how the conversation developed.  I sensed the commissioners weren’t understanding or particularly interested in the gardens.  They also posed questions that were degrading, not beneficial.  They were questioning receipts for the sale of produce from the gardens, and I was thinking  ‘how many farmers market vendors keep receipts for a 25-cent cucumber?’  Surely that’s not the biggest part of the issue.  Rather, those community gardens are a safe space for the teenaged interns who learn there.  What’s more, the gardens convey a sense of pride for the communities, seeing that something positive can happen with a little help.  The VSWCD’s gardens also are an acknowledgement of the communities:  they feel seen, because they have the gardens, especially because El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake are communities that so often are overlooked.

The outgoing commissioner, whose position I hope to win on November 8^th, said, ‘No one in my community would want me to support those gardens.’  Hearing that and listening to other commissioners question the VSWCD’s Director—in the form of an interrogation—did not sit with me well.  So, after watching that meeting, I decided I am in your District, Mr. Commissioner, so I am going to call you and every County Commissioner to report that I support the gardens.  Three Commissioners returned my call, but my Commissioner did not.  That meeting made me confirm what I already thought:  I realized my County Commissioner is not there for constituents.  Before that County Commission meeting, I knew nothing about the gardens, but hearing about them got me excited, so I didn’t understand how commissioners who should be in office to influence positive change could not be excited.  Even if the commissioners cannot provide funding, they can help provide leads for help that people might be able to get elsewhere.  People should be comfortable to ask the County Commission for help.”

Interviewer’s Note:  I witnessed the same Commissioner be quite dismissive, saying “We have requests from all kinds of community organizations and can’t give money to all,”  a disingenuous remark, because the County actually has a legal agreement with the VSWCD to support the District’s community gardens in El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake.  The gardens  initially were a County project, developed by a former Valencia County Planner.  When he left, the County asked the VSWCD to take on the project, and that is how we came to owning and managing the community gardens, on behalf of the people of our District.

TSdeC:  So, did that moment push your button, making you want to step up?

SS:  “Yes, so that whole encounter about the VSWCD’s community gardens made me see that if I want to see change, then I need to influence change, and I’m willing and able to take on this position.  I decided to run for a seat at the County Commission table.  I want to and I’m passionate about it.

I love to help to diffuse situations, and that’s what we need in our local government bodies—people willing to see issues from all sides and be able to recognize others and look in the mirror, too, coming together in ways that are beneficial to all.  We can show grace when we show others that we all have our parts in many situations.  I suggested to the commissioners that they smile, be friendly, and perhaps more accommodating, more inviting than they have been, so that when people are at the County Commission to ask for help or to present an issue, the commissioners will be more approachable, serving constituents in a respectful manner.”

TSdeC:   Our country is so divided now, and the bigger picture before us is one of constant arguing.  Too often people model that national behavior down to the local and even personal level.  So, I would like to know if you think it is possible to work in a nonpartisan or bipartisan manner, if you look at the objectives of the county commission and stick to those?  

SS:  “Yes. I personally would love to see local positions become nonpartisan, because at the level of local community commissions and boards, your goals should not have anything to do with party affiliation.  Rather, the focus should be how can I make the place where I live run better for the community, a place where people want to be?”

TSdeC:  I think I hearing from you today that your personal life embodies bringing people together from various walks of life?  

SS:  “Absolutely.  I’m a Democrat, but my local senator and representative are Republicans, so when I wanted to see capital outlay funds brought to our area, to the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District, so the District could safely open its Rio Abajo Conservation Area, which is near where I live (in Rio Communities), I set up a meeting for my local senator to see it.  I let Senator Josh Sanchez know the good it would do, and he was able to come through and get the funds provided.  That’s bipartisan.  By the way, not only did I contact him, but I contacted all the senators and house representatives of the area, because opening a beautiful conservation area affects them and the place where they spend their time.”

TSdeC:  What do you think about the plans for a hospital in Valencia County?  

SS:  “I am in favor of the hospital.  I was born at the old Belen Hospital, and my mom remembers when the County was asked to fund it, and initially denied that request. My mom never thought a community would vote against its own interests.  I’ve gone to the workshops of the County Commission on developing the RFP (request for proposal) for the hospital.   I observed the Commissioners were discussing the mandatory criteria list for the location of the hospital.  I went with the intention of observing and soaking up the information but saw that one of the criteria was that the hospital be no more than 5 miles from I-25, meaning it would have to be in Belen or Los Lunas.  Another criterion was that the hospital had to be no more than 5 minutes from the county centroid, the most populous area, which meant it had to be in Los Lunas.  I thought that the other commissioners should remove those two criteria, because the criteria would permit the Commissioners to choose the hospital location, but not in a transparent manner.  Only 1 man at the workshop stood up, Del Conroy, who said the criteria translate to the hospital being on the west side of Los Lunas.  I said to myself, ‘here I go,’ stood up, and remarked ‘If your intentions are what you say, and you don’t want to make the decision of where to place the hospital, then you have to remove those 2 criteria, because the hospital company would be locked into placing it in Los Lunas, if you don’t, and you do say you want the hospital company to make the choice of its location.’  Commissioner Jhonathan Aragon agreed with me and moved to remove the two criteria;  Commissioner David Hyder seconded.  Commissioner Joseph Bizzell voted to approve the motion, it carried, so the Commissioners removed those criteria.  

Another matter about the hospital is that the County Commission did not want to publish  a notice that the hospital could be placed on donated land.  If land were donated for the hospital, the County would not have to buy land from the $50 million earmarked for the hospital.  So, if I am elected, we’ll advertise in the local paper a call for donated land, saving the $50 million for actual construction costs, and looking out for taxpayer dollars.”

TSdeC:  To offer integrative health care, the hospital will need more than an Emergency Department.  It will need to have departments of internal medicine and pediatrics, as well as psychiatry.  There should be a hospital-affiliated outpatient clinic, too, with the aforementioned specialties and a mental health team.  As you know, the former administration of our state decimated mental health here.   What do you think about the need in Valencia County for comprehensive mental health care, especially considering the growing homeless population?

SS:   “I want to see a center for mental health services, including drug addiction and rehab, because we desperately need that.  As you drive around our county, you see a boom in homelessness—many of the homeless are people who may have mental health issues, trauma in their lives, and they may not have had an opportunity to get treatment, or go to rehab.  When we abandon those individuals with mental health problems, that creates a safety hazard.  We should provide a space where they can learn to function again, so they don’t escalate to become a hazard for the community.”

TSdeC:  One of the bosque fires last year apparently was started by a homeless woman with mental health issues.  That brings me to our recent Big Hole Fire, the largest bosque fire on record, which burned 75 percent of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District’s Whitfield and Stacey Conservation Areas.  Would you be interested in having County Commission members participate in a multilateral working group on wildlife fire prevention, with the VSWCD, MRGCD, NM State Forestry, NM Game and Fish, our local and county fire departments, and cities?  Such a group could formulate a plan to manage the bosque here in Valencia County.

SS:  “Yes, for fire prevention, and, if elected, I would offer to serve on such a working group.  I love when everyone can come to the table.  I want to see the invasive species in our bosque removed, like Isleta Pueblo and the VSWCD have begun to do.  I have learned that invasive species such as salt cedar blaze at a higher temperature than native trees, and they need to be removed in order to reduce the fire hazard in our valley, especially with our water issues.  I am in favor of a multilateral approach to fire prevention and bosque management, because in this time of increasing aridity that comes with drought, rising temperatures, and invasive species in a bosque that is not managed, a checkerboard approach will not work, it won’t be effective.  But, together we can pinpoint what will work the best.”

TSdeC:  Let’s talk for a moment about trash.  Along the ditch banks in our valley and up on the mesas in the often-overlooked areas of El Cerro Mission, Meadow Lake, and Monterrey Park, there is trash all over the place, and people want help mitigating the problem.  Let me illustrate.  This past summer,  someone dumped a boat in the irrigation ditch near my old place in El Cerro and thought that was perfectly fine.  What did MRGCD do?  MRGCD took the boat out of the ditch and put it on land abutting the irrigation ditch.  Soon after, lots of mattresses were piled on top of the boat, our area’s newest trash heap.  So, do you have any innovative approaches to trash and environmental cleanup? 

SS:  “First, our dumps could be covered so wind would not carry trash all over the county.  Maybe in a public-private collaboration or through grants, the County could pay  people to pick up large items, on a fee basis.  For people below the poverty line who can’t pay the contracted trash collection service, maybe the County can underwrite their trash pickup.   We could bring back Toss no Más, as a community service requirement and great way to get people outside, restoring a sense of pride in our communities.  We could also place dumpsters once per month and on a regular cycle, so people will have a reliable place for their trash.  Regularly placed dumpsters could be easier for our county residents to keep a handle on their trash.”  

TSdeC:  Could potential County underwriting of some trash disposal include coupons that people at x % below the poverty level would be given for free trash disposal at our County transfer stations?   

SS:  “Absolutely.  I saw a guy charged $60 to dump a regular load of trash at the transfer station, when we only paid $20 to dump an entire truckload of debris.   Maybe we should give small entrepreneurs discounts at our dumps to incentivize trash cleanup businesses.  That would provide oversight and more incentive to follow the law, when the price is right.  If we also extend the hours that the transfer stations are open, working families could more readily access them.”

TSdeC:  Our county is experiencing horrible crime, including murder, high-speed chases that result in death, drug trafficking, production of methamphetamines, abuse of children and the elderly, and more. How on a county level could you contribute to reducing crime?  

SS:  “Crime is a large issue here. There are break-ins regularly.  My own dad was a victim of home invasion, 3 times.  Once, a guy broke in when my dad was asleep, stole his TV, and was in the middle of stealing his car, when my dad awoke, got fired up, and tried to defend himself and his property.  He thought he was making the right choice, but he could have been killed.   I’m in favor of community policing, where officers walk around neighborhoods, to get to know the residents.  Law enforcement departments need to be doing community outreach generally, so people can be familiar with the non-emergency line and be able to call when they see something.  Those little tips help our police and sheriffs know where to go.  I also think poverty and the lack of jobs have something to do with increasing crime.  The current state of the world has parents working more and home less.  Maybe they can’t give the full attention their kids require.  They’re exhausted when they get home.  Maybe if people could work for a living wage, they could provide for their families and thrive.  If basic needs aren’t met, then how do we expect parents to discipline or help their kids navigate the world with good choices?  Parents may be doing their best, but at incredible challenges.  People ought to have some bridging help, when they get a job, still have a little buffer time on public assistance, so it’s a hand up to be able to make it, once the paychecks are coming in regularly.  It should pay to work.”

TSdeC;   Let’s talk a minute about monies available to the county from the bipartisan Infrastructure bill passed by Congress.  If you had a magic wand, what  would you do with that money?  

SS:  “I’d make sure all our roads are drivable, so that cars need less maintenance.  I would put accessible sidewalks everywhere, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so people of all abilities could get around comfortably.  I would love to see a community park catered to people of all ages, with exercise stations, a walking path that has great shade, places to sit and socialize, and a fabulous playground in the center that caters to kids of all abilities.  An example we could model would be A Park Above in Rio Rancho.   If we build such a place here, bringing people together across generational lines, that could create friendships and bonds that would provide companionship, guidance, and more—opportunities that could be otherwise missed because folks would not have come together.  It also would make the great outdoors accessible for all.”

TSdeC:  Serving on our Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District, I want to return for a moment to our Rio Abajo Conservation Area (RACA), one of our 3 conservation areas that comprise the Whitfield Complex.  RACA is in your District.   So, I am wondering if you view the Whitfield Conservation Complex as an asset to your constituents? 

SS:  “I wasn’t knowledgeable about Whitfield until about 2 years ago, when I took my daughters, their friends, and our nieces and nephews to some educational fieldtrips at Whitfield.  We had the time of our lives there, with experiences that we never had before, and that opened our eyes.  At RACA, I learned there is such an opportunity there.   It’s  such a huge asset to Rio Communities and the whole county.  RACA is a gorgeous site with so much potential.  RACA is where the funding I helped secure from Senator Sanchez will be used, demolishing old structures on the property to remove the liability, which will allow us to move forward with volunteer groups to help clear the bosque, create some walking trails, removing fire danger, educating groups, seniors, families, girl and boy scouts, 4 H, etc.  I’m ready to help get the place rocking and rolling.  I’d love to see a pond for fishing come out of the drainage dish, to control salinity and be more productive for wildlife.  RACA will invite families to spend time outdoors.   My dream is that  it be opened for all people and be accessible to people of all abilities—a  green space for all to enjoy.  In our county, nothing is catered to clients of groups like Adelante, La Vida, etc., who need disability accommodations.  Those groups spend their dollars locally, and we ought to be providing spaces that are available and safe for their clients and all communities.  Imagine how excited folks will be to access nature.”

TSdeC:   Would you like to share any other thoughts about your plans, if elected as our next County Commissioner in position 4?

SS:   “My hopes include accomplishing some changes that will not only drive development in our community but will make Valencia County a space where families are able to thrive and want to be.  I hope to encourage a diverse range of activities for people of all abilities.  I hope to inspire my daughters, knowing that It’s possible to be a mom, a wife, and an elected official.  I hope to listen to others and be their voice.  I am approachable and can help people to be a part of the change in their community, through guidance, networking, resources, and service.   I want to make the County Commission more respectable, noting that it has become more transparent with meetings being broadcast on social media simultaneously with the live meetings of the Commission.  Transparency is critical.  We don’t really have a community bulletin board, so a Virtual Community Bulletin Board sponsored by the County Commission would be another thing I’d like to advocate.”

TSdeC:  Thank you, Sabrina Sweeney, for stepping up to run for Valencia County Commission District 3.  I know that when you are elected, you’ll continue to work for Valencia County’s families, farms, and future.