In it’s short twenty year existence, Edgewood has had five mayors. Prior to the current mayor, the main emphasis for municipal projects was developing and expanding a commercial sewer system that would allow the community to attract businesses and services the community wanted. Additionally, previous mayors all focused on community priorities: roads were paved, trails were added or improved, recreation options were added or improved, and those mayors did it with the funds available and without adding a town-imposed property tax.
Under the Mayor Bassett, the town has veered off it into the weeds.
Not a single new road has been paved.
The commercial sewer has not been an infrastructure priority.
The town’s wastewater treatment plant has been neglected and has operated in violation of safe ground water regulations for several years.
The Equestrian Center has been shut down because this mayor refuses to maintain it in accordance with the town’s earlier agreement with Santa Fe County.
No new trails have been added and trails development has languished.
Long-sought Open Space (Section 34, Section 32) are in jeopardy because needed improvements have not been made in accordance with an earlier (and already extended) agreement with Bureau of Land Management.
So what has Mayor Bassett been doing?
Spending our money on designing a residential sewer system (that no one wants)
Spending our money to run a sewer line onto his family’s private property (at taxpayer expense)
Spending our money on a hostile take-over of EPCOR water system (over widespread community objection)
Spending our money on legal fees because he
Refused to follow the law regarding the Special Election
Caused a lawsuit to be filed against the town and himself for violating the anti-donation clause, nepotism ordinance, and malfeasance in office.
Continues to pursue a costly condemnation process to try to take EPCOR against community wishes, spending move then $100K so far (on this matter alone).
Meanwhile, the citizens of Edgewood are stuck footing the bill for his misadventures and are helpless to remove him from office in any timely manner because the council extended their own terms by nearly two years without a vote of the people!
