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Jimmy Wagner Faces Challenger for MRGCD Board Seat |
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Written by Jeff Radford
Corrales Comment
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Sunday, 10 May 2009 |
Corrales’ representation on the board of directors of the Middle Rio
Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) may be in jeopardy as politicking
heats up for the June 2 board elections.
Villagers have taken it for granted that somebody from Corrales —with
the last name Wagner— will look after their interests on the MRGCD
board. Gus Wagner, and now his son Jimmy, have occupied the Sandoval
County seat for more than 30 years.
But that could change in the shake-up elections in June.
Wagner faces challenger Derrick J. Lente of Sandia Pueblo in what some
observers see as an attempt by Pueblo irrigators to gain control of the
seven-member board.
Four seats on the board will be filled by the upcoming elections: one
for Sandoval County, two for Bernalillo County and one for Socorro
County.
One of the Bernalillo County seats is now held by the controversial
water rights broker Bill Turner who has long been a harsh critic of
MRGCD management. The challenger in that race is Karen Dunning who
lives in the North Valley. Another candidate who had signed up for that
race, James Beasley, has withdrawn.
Incumbent Jim Roberts is seeking re-election for the other Bernalillo
County seat, and he faces Adrian Oglesby in the June election.
Running to represent Socorro County are four candidates: Cecilia Rosacker-McCord, Glen Duggins, Chris Sichler and Joe M. Lopez.
Currently, the at-large position on the MRGCD board is filled by an Isleta Pueblo member.
The election comes amid heightened public concern over operations of
the Conservancy District following broadcast reports of lucrative
“double-dipping” by retired-and-then-rehired MRGCD Executive
Director Subhas Shah.
That controversy earlier this spring follows months of bitter feuding
between Turner and other members of the board who sought to unseat him
for conflicts of interest and other concerns.
Then in the 2009 session of the State Legislature, numerous bills were
introduced to substantially change the way the MRGCD operates. None of
the bills passed.
Contacted April 16, Jimmy Wagner said he can understand why some
observers believe an attempt is under way by Pueblo members to wrest
control of the MRGCD board.
“The tribes have become politically active, and that’s good. But
we need to ensure that residents of Corrales, Bernalillo, Peña Blanca,
Algodones and Sile continue to be represented on the MRGCD’s board, and
that all valley residents get their fair share of water.
“We have to make sure that our small, local growers throughout Sandoval County survive, and that our bosque is preserved.
“The MRGCD is under attack. If it is destroyed, we could lose
agriculture and the bosque that is so dear to us. We can’t let that
happen,” Wagner said.
Corrales Comment will publish candidate profiles for the Sandoval County position on the MRGCD board next month. |
