Silver City Mayor Ken Ladner announced today that he will be running for a second term in office. The city's municipal election will be held March 6, 2018, in order to choose the mayor and two city council seats.
Ladner was elected mayor of Silver City in March of 2016, winning over 60% of the popular vote in a race against two opponents. He hails from a background of academia, holding a PhD in Chemistry and taught at WNMU for over 30 years, while also serving the community in numerous voluntary leadership positions for 35 years.
"I believe one of my strengths is in pulling people together to work on solutions for our community," Mayor Ladner said, "In addition to all the time spent learning the ropes, together with the council and city staff, we've gotten quite a number of projects either accomplished or off the ground."
"Some of these include re-vamping the downtown traffic flow with stop signs instead of lights, which has had a positive effect on public safety. New and brighter streetlights in our downtown are more welcoming and provide a greater degree of nighttime security and safety. Live streaming video from the top of "W" Mountain and City Hall allow people from all over the world to view our beautiful city and Historic Downtown. The City and Western New Mexico University are working together to create a beautiful walking corridor, complete with streetlights, between the university and downtown. There are lots of other projects that will be starting soon, or are in the planning stages, that I look forward to discussing with the community during the upcoming campaign."
"I have worked hard to increase the communication level between the city government and its citizens," Ladner said. "People know they can reach out to the mayor, and I will listen to them. The Monday Meetings with the Mayor we began last year have been well-attended, and I've learned a lot about the needs of the town by listening to people's input. Sometimes problems really do have a simple solution, and I've been able to act as a bridge between people and city hall, to get things figured out. I always try and give feedback to those who I meet with."
"I also like to keep in touch with what's going on in the business sector of our city and am a believer in ‘management by personally meeting with business owners'- so I have spent a lot of time visiting randomly with mer-chants, tourists, shoppers, and other community members."
"I have met with many civic and other community organizations and presented updates on city projects and answered questions. I've met with numerous governmental and educational entities, often delivering ‘welcome to Silver City' addresses for gatherings of visitors from around the state, nation, and world.
"Silver City attracts lots of visitors," Mayor Ladner said. "And whether they are coming for business reasons, one of our signature events, whether they're considering relocating here, or just want to enjoy our area, it's up to everyone to help these folks feel welcome. I view being an advocate for, and a representative of, our city and its citizens an important role of the mayor."
Since being elected, Mayor Ladner has completed the New Mexico Munic-ipal League certification course receiving the designation of ‘Certified Municipal Official.' Classes offer elected officials an opportunity to master the specialized knowledge required for the leaders of New Mexico's com-munities.
"I am grateful for the privilege to serve Silver City," Ladner said, "and I'd like to continue doing that for another term as mayor of Silver City."