A couple of years ago, residents of Sunland Park burned Bill Richardson campaign T-shirts in front of television cameras.
They were protesting the governor’s push for a settlement to a long standing battle between Sunland Park and Doña Ana County over control of the area’s water. Many felt the settlement he backed gave too much to the county and developers and nothing to the city.
How times have changed.
The county and city worked out an agreement most viewed as beneficial after former Sunland Park Councilor Dolores Saldaña-Caviness and Las Crucen Bill McCamley joined the county commission in 2004. A joint authority now oversees development in the Santa Teresa area along the border, and the two governments are working well together.
Now Sunland Park Mayor Jesus “Ruben” Segura and Caviness, along with State Sen. Mary Kay Papen and State Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, are hosting a fundraiser for Richardson on June 14 at the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
Papen and Garcia are among the more conservative Democrats in the state and have also been at odds with Richardson at times. In the last session, a higher percentage of Papen’s capital outlay money was vetoed by the governor than that of most Democrats.
Segura said the situation is now different.
“As that moment in time, the people of Sunland Park and elected officials were concerned,” he said of the T-shirt incident. “We have mended our ways. We have to recognize and realize that we can work together.”