Town Board prepares for April election


CENTER — Following its regular meeting Thursday, Dec. 12, Center trustees met again Monday to pass measures to prepare for the 2020 municipal election April 7, 2020, Town Administrator Brian Lujan reported Monday.
Trustees James Sanchez, Jaime Hurtado and Archie Gallegos are up for re-election and Mayor Herman Sisneros is term-limited. Lujan was designated by the board as the official election officer. He will be in charge of accepting applications for election judges and deputy election officials.
A notice of election deadlines will be placed in the Valley Courier Dec. 31. Petitions will be available for pick-up from town hall Jan. 7 and must be returned by Jan. 31.
The board also passed the 2020 budget and certified the town mill levy.
U.S. Census
Members from the U.S. Census Bureau visited with trustees during the meeting and announced they are now hiring census takers. They also noted that it is important for those responding to the census to know they are not required to identify themselves as U.S. citizens.
It is important for all to respond to the census to better the town’s chances of receiving various forms of funding, officials said. The census will be available in both Spanish and English.
Water meters
The contractors installing water meters for the town have halted the operation until warmer weather next spring. Some 350 meters out of 850 meters were installed this fall. Lujan said contractors will start installing meters again “when the ground softens.”
New Center business owners
Former Center grocery store owner Sadie Skeff recently sold four of her family’s buildings on Worth Street in Center — the old theater, a store next to Rainbow’s End and two across the street. The new business owners plan to renovate the buildings and participate in the Downtown Inc. program.
The next Center Town Board meeting is set for Jan. 14.