Rivera Makes a Run

After a globetrotting career, Katherine Rivera could have lived anywhere. She returned to her hometown and has entered the race for the District 1 City Council seat.

A 1980 St. Michael’s High School graduate, Rivera earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa and retired after 34 years in operations and project management with Arrow Electronics Inc., work that took her around the world. She lives again on the same District 1 street near the Rosario Chapel where she grew up.

Since returning to Santa Fe full-time in 2008, Rivera, 61, says, “I’ve immersed myself more in what’s going on, and I feel a compelling need to see if I can help.”

Rivera frequently volunteers with cleanup groups. She’s planning to take part in one beginning 9 am Sunday, June 11, at three locations around town organized by volunteers. See more cleanup events on this Meetup page.

She lists examples of missteps by the city that she’s experienced or heard about as she canvasses the district: inattention to litter reports, long waits for graffiti removal and delays around the Hometown Heroes veteran banner program, for example.

“Maybe it’s small-town, but we sometimes find in the little day-to-day things that the city is not doing the things it is supposed to be doing,” she says.

Operations work with Arrow Electronics, she says, was focused on things like deliverables, compliance, relationships and commitments. “I think I can bring in a lot for the district in getting insight into why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

District 1 covers the city’s north side and downtown, above the Santa Fe River and east of Cerrillos Road, plus neighborhoods along the west side down to Siler Road. See a map of the City Council districts here.

The issues that matter to people in the district, Rivera says, are things like clean streets and buildings, transit and safety, and how well the city delivers on the services it promises.

“My goal is to ask some questions as to what’s happening and introduce the idea that maybe we should refresh ourselves—who we are and who we want to be—and how we show ourselves to people who visit here,” she says.

The city’s four council districts each elect two councilors to staggered four-year terms. One seat in each district will be on the Nov. 7 ballot. District 1 Councilor Renee Villarreal is not seeking a third term, and to date, four candidates, including Rivera, have declared for her seat.

Rivera joins two other District 1 candidates, Alma Castro and Brian Gutierrez, in seeking public campaign financing. Former City Attorney Geno Zamora tells SFR he will be privately funding his campaign for the District 1 seat.

To qualify for public campaign financing, Rivera, Castro, and Gutierrez must gather nominating petitions and tally 150 contributions of $5 from voters registered in the district through July 24. Online contributions to any city candidate seeking to qualify for public funds can be made here.

Candidates who aren’t after public funds have until Aug. 29 to declare.