housing, wages, and government should serve the people who live here.
Not driven by outside interests, insider networks, or systems that take more than they give back.
it’s time for a change.
Here’s What’s Happening:
Real wages have not kept pace with the cost of living. The very working people who make our wonderful county work are being priced out of housing- which means little money left over to make our local economy thrive. The decisions that have maintained this have been made behind closed doors at the expense of you, your neighbors, and our entire community.
33.7% of children in Otero County live below the poverty line.
Here’s What we are going to do:
Enforce housing standards on negligent and absentee property owners, bring unused or deteriorating units back into service, and create a public land bank to stabilize long-term housing availability and costs.
Align wage standards with local cost pressures, structure county contracting to support fair pay, and create transition support for local businesses so wage growth does not destabilize employment or harm our home-grown employers.
Structure public investment, workforce training, industry, and infrastructure development so that public funds and economic activity remain in the county and build long-term capacity rather than external extraction.
Expand the commission to 5 seats so that each of our communities, particularly Chaparral and the Mescalero Apache Reservation who have so far had decisions made for them, who will have formal power and the ability to shape the decisions that shape our county and their lives.
Create community councils with the authority to set county priorities, submit proposals, and shape the agenda before commission decisions are made. Publish public records, budgets, contracts, and meeting materials in plain language, with simple search and clear summaries so residents can understand and use them without insider knowledge. County government will follow the priorities set by the community and provide public explanations for every major decision. I will lead our District in the full capacity of a County Commissioner while ensuring that every constituent and community are represented, heard, and have true input before decisions are made.
Ensure that our Sheriff’s Department as well as our County Commission and Administration are fully transparent and directly accountable to the people they serve. Overhaul our Data and Analytics, our hiring process, our public oversight, and our communications with the Public. I have a no-surprises approach when it comes to being your employee.
My name is Evan Lambert. I am running as an Independent Candidate for Otero County Commission District 2, and I will work with anyone no matter party line so long as the good work is done in and for our county. My goal isn’t to be a politician, but to work with you to fix what is broken in our beautiful county and make it a beacon of change for every other rural community. Someone has to do it, and I’m stepping up to bat- starting right here in District 2.
I’ll see you at your doorstep- and you’ll see me on the ballot this November!