2021 Santa Fe City Election: District 4

With less than a month until the Nov. 2 municipal election, campaign season is in full swing and two candidates have tossed their hats in the ring to represent the Southside. The District 4 seat is occupied by Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler, who hopes for a promotion to the mayoral chair, challenging incumbent Mayor Alan Webber and newcomer Alexis Martinez Johnson.

In SFR’s final pop quiz of the municipal election season, the two District 4 candidates took their best shot at answering some tough questions about the city. Early voting began this week at the county clerk’s office.

SFR asked candidates not to seek any outside help. Both kindly agreed to participate honestly. For the other pop quizzes and more information on how to register to vote and cast a ballot, visit sfreporter.com/elections.

Questions

1. The city recently extended the contract for the Midtown Emergency Shelter that was established in March of 2020. What is this shelter’s name and when does the contract expire?
2. What’s the cost of admission to the Genoveva Chavez Community Center for an adult?
3. Of Santa Fe’s lowest income residents, 77% are cost-burdened. What does the term cost-burdened mean?
4. True or False: Two properties with short-term rental permits cannot be within 100 feet of each other.
5. Name two of Santa Fe’s sister cities.

Answers

1. The Midtown Emergency Shelter is also known as Consuelo’s Place. The contract ends on June 30, 2022.
2. $7.00
3. Residents who are cost-burdened spend over 30% of their income on rent.
4. False. They can’t be within 50 feet of each other.
5. Zhangjiajie, China; Holguin, Cuba; Sorrento, Italy; Tsuyama, Japan; Parral, Mexico; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Icheon, South Korea; Santa Fe de la Vega & Granada, Spain; Bukhara, Uzbekistan; Livingstone, Zambia.

Amanda Chavez

Score: 1 / 5

Chavez recently started as the director of special education with the Santa Fe Public Schools district. A former member of the Planning Commission, this is Chavez’s first run for public office.

1. The shelter is the St Elizabeth’s shelter and I’m not sure when the contract expires.
2. I take my kids swimming there. I know it was around $4 [for a child] and I want to say it was seven for an adult but I’m not positive.
3. That means that their rent consumes most of their pay. I forget what percentage it is—there’s a percentage that the cost of their home is consuming a certain percentage of their family income. [SFR asks Chavez if she wanted to guess on that percentage, she says 80%.]
4. True.
5. Española and Las Vegas.

Rebecca Romero

Score: 2 / 5

Romero works as a management analyst with the state’s Department of Health. This is her first time seeking elected office.

1. I believe [the contract] is extended until the end of the fiscal year of 2022, which would have put it at 6/30, but I don’t know if it would have gone into July. But I think it’s 2022. And I don’t know the name of it. I call it the Midtown shelter, I’m not even sure if that’s the correct name.
2. I believe it’s $7.
3. That they’re not making enough money to be able to pay everything. They’re able to pay everything but they don’t have any extra money to do anything.
4. I’m going to say false. You said 100 feet? Can we change it to true, I think that’s true.
5. I know this one and I’m having to draw a blank, give me a second...I know there’s one in Mexico. I have family that travel to Mexico all the time, and they bring back stuff that looks like it could be here in Santa Fe...I’m gonna have to call them and ask them what’s the name of the city that they go to.