(Press Staff Photo by Geoffrey Plant) Clockwise from top left: Daily Press Publisher Nick Seibel moderated Thursdays virtual candidate forum, asking questions submitted by members of the audience who tuned in via Zoom, while reporter Geoffrey Plant asked questions on behalf of the newspaper. Patrick Cohn and Gilbert Guadiana are running for county treasurer in the Democratic primary.

The two Democrats running for Grant County treasurer, Patrick Cohn and Gilbert Guadiana, participated Thursday evening in the first of at least four Daily Press primary candidate forums. The event was held live on Zoom and simulcast over Facebook, and about 22 people took part in the Zoom question-and-answer panel discussion.

All of the countys revenue, collected through property and gross receipts taxes, fees, as well as grants, loans and legislative allocations from the state or federal government, passes through the Treasurers Office. All outgoing funds also pass through the office. Input and output and record-keeping is how both candidates described the job of treasurer; the custodian of the county funds, is how Cohn put it.

Why be treasurer?

Guadiana, a Harvard graduate who once worked at Chino Mine before working in the California state Auditors Office and in Marin County government, said he wants to be treasurer in order bring his experience largely from outside New Mexico with government finances to bear, and to further my role in being a strong advocate for Grant County and ensure the successful collection of taxes.

He was born in Grant County and moved back to his birthplace in 2002 after many years living in California, and recently retired from a job in health care in Deming.

Guadiana serves on the Cobre Schools Board of Education, while Cohn serves on the Silver school board. Both men graduated from Cobre High School and got their initial secondary degrees at Western New Mexico University, before going on to obtain further credentials at other institutions.

I have supervised and managed in the banking field for 17 years, Cohn said. I have maintained an excellent rating in all positions held in my work. Being a lender, I have become very familiar with the Treasurers Office and the Assessors Office and property taxes in the county; whether it is assisting customers in retaining their current property information or getting mobile homes considered real property using the online treasurers portal, I became familiar with that already and with the staff from both offices.

Running for treasurer has always been a calling to me, Cohn continued. I believe I can make the Grant County Treasurers Office a model treasurers office for the state.

Cohn later qualified his repeated statements that he would make the Grant County Treasurers Office the best in all New Mexico counties by saying the current Treasurers Office is doing a fine job.

What would you change?

Ive attended some County Commission meetings, and noticed there is no sight of an investment policy. I believe there is a policy, but I would like to revisit that if I am elected, Cohn said, adding that he would like to revamp the policy so I could develop and implement investment strategies for sound investment to improve the return on investment. Once we have a policy, I would form a committee with the county manager, commissioners and financial director and better assess the investment policy. I dont see that happening right now.

Guadiana went more deeply into current county investment policy and recommended staying the course, though a follow-up question from Daily Press publisher and forum moderator Nick Seibel sparked an idea in Guadianas head concerning local green energy investment of county funds.

It excites me just thinking about the county investing in green energy. I think it would be [minimally] volatile, unlike fossil fuels, and it is an industry that can be viable, Guadiana said. It is an exciting prospect.

I know there is about $7 million invested by the county, and I wouldnt necessarily make any changes, knowing that investment strategies need input from people more learned on it than I am, Guadiana said.

He added that he would like to figure out how to help legislators or the attorney general give either the assessor or the treasurer some kind of discretion or policy to follow when it comes to delinquent property taxes. The issue could become a major problem as COVID-19-related economic disruptions threaten both property owners ability to pay their taxes, and the countys reliance on collecting them. The county generates about 60 percent of its revenue from property taxes, Guadiana noted.

One thing I would like to see looked at is whether the treasurer can forgive the penalties related to the delinquent payment of property taxes, Guadiana said. There are different opinions. Some say if you do it before reporting it to the state, there is no harm, no foul but that isnt written [in statute].

I would at least like the blessing of the attorney general, if not an actual legislative fix that would amend state law, Guadiana said, adding that such a move should be either universal or based on criteria like financial hardship so as not to put the county at great risk, by laying the discretionary authority of such decisions on the treasurer or the assessor.

Cohn said that forgiving tax payments, penalties and interest on late payments, or other solutions to help financially troubled taxpayers, will have to come through legislation.

Property tax caps

It is capped already, and there is only an increase of 2 percent allowed from year-to-year, in line with the infamous California Proposition 13, Guadiana said, noting that the rule caused great strain on many [governmental] entities, but gave great relief to the taxpayer in both California and New Mexico. I am glad to see that here.

I would talk to legislators to get a [further] cap on [property taxes], especially for our senior citizens, Cohn said.

Veteran tax assistance

We need communication between the Treasurers Office and the Assessors Office, all the elected officials, on how to get that corrected, so that doesnt happen to our military veterans, Cohn said, in answer to an audience question about some property owners having difficulty getting their veterans tax exemption and/or disabled veterans property tax waiver.

The documentation is pretty straightforward I am surprised there would be a dilemma like that, Guadiana said, but I know [Grant County Assessor] Raul Turrieta pretty well, and I am sure we could resolve these issues fairly quickly. Helping the person obtain the form, that would be a place to start.

I am a veteran, and I dont want to see anyone denied their $4,000 benefit, Guadiana added.

How to invest funds?

My plan and vision for the Treasurers Office would be to focus on developing and implementing sound investment policy after forming solid relationships with the county commissioners, public officials, county manager and financial director to plan a better future for Grant County, Cohn said. Investment for financial growth for the county by responsibly distributing tax dollars and investing tax money, in accordance with an investment policy. That being said, you have to have quality tax collection, maintain the financial records and improve the efficiency of the office.

The extent of the Treasurers Office [investment responsibility] is to identify things that could be a good investment opportunity, but the ultimate say is the County Commissions, Guadiana said.

But I did not

choose the deputy

Neither candidate could say who he would hire as his deputy treasurer, although both men said they would look to hire the best person for the job, regardless of whether that person came from within the county government or from without.

Next Thursday, May 7, the two candidates competing in the Democratic primary race for Grant County Commission District 5 will take part in the second of the Daily Press virtual forum events. Incumbent Commissioner Harry Browne is up against retired businessman Simon Ortiz.

That Zoom event, and all the forums, will be available online at dailypressforums.com. All forums begin at 6 p.m., and will also be available live on the Daily Press Facebook page. Archived forum videos are also available to watch on demand on Facebook.

Monday, May 11, is the date set for the Democratic Sixth Judicial Districts district attorney forum, with Deming attorney Michael Renteria and current Deputy District Attorney Norman Wheeler; and Thursday, May 14, for the forum in the hotly contested Democratic District 28 state Senate race between incumbent Sen. Gabe Ramos and educator Siah Correa Hemphill.

A forum for the Republican U.S. House primary race is also being planned, although candidates have not yet agreed to a date.

GEOFFREY PLANT

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Investments, COVID-19 tax help top treasurer's forum - Silver City Daily Press and Independent