By CAT OZMENTLos Alamos
For almost a 12 months I’ve been laying the groundwork for a 2024 marketing campaign for County Council. For for much longer than that I’ve been getting ready to function an elected official with a purpose of building a extra equitable Los Alamos that serves all our residents. I’m extremely grateful for the passion and encouragement I’ve obtained for this endeavor. I’m heartened by the variety of individuals of various pursuits prepared to work towards shared native objectives.
However, with nice disappointment I’ve accepted that I cannot be operating for Council in 2024.
It has develop into clear to me that I have to prioritize my well being earlier than I could be an efficient public servant. Right now, I can’t predict how quickly I’ll once more be capable to decide to the consistency, engagement, and vitality required of a Los Alamos County Councilor, so I can’t in good religion take the beginnings of my marketing campaign by means of to Filing Day. I’m deeply dissatisfied, but additionally wanting forward.
After I established marketing campaign infrastructure in April 2023, just a few extraordinarily beneficiant early donors contributed to point out assist earlier than I started formal fundraising. To shut my 2024 marketing campaign, I’m donating the steadiness of my marketing campaign account to the Los Alamos non-profit Self Help, earmarked for hire and utilities help. I encourage everybody studying this to donate to the county Utilities Assistance Program or to Self Help if you’re ready and anybody needing help to hunt it in these assets.
I’ll nonetheless be concerned regionally– following Council points, partaking in coverage work, and persevering with to assist different individuals’s efforts to make Los Alamos a stronger, extra equitable group.
In the approaching months, I’ll assist candidates for Council whose values and positions prioritize people who find themselves financially precarious within the wealthiest county within the state. I’ll assist candidates who perceive the context and panorama of public coverage in Los Alamos and are prepared to point out daring management with modern and bold laws, in addition to these candidates who acknowledge and try to deal with the long-standing issues with transparency and accountability all through our native authorities.
I’m assured that the work for a forward-thinking, inclusive Los Alamos will proceed. I’m keen to stay as concerned as I’m ready and cautiously optimistic about what comes subsequent for our group.
In a associated matter: If you aren’t registered to vote or haven’t up to date your registration not too long ago, hop on over to nmvote.org and accomplish that. It solely takes a couple of minutes and is a good first step to partaking within the upcoming election.
