City Council

Image of Las Cruces City Councilors

Meetings

  • 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month

Check the calendar schedule for exceptions to holidays. All meetings are streamed live on City of Las Cruces Television (CLC-TV) and are archived. The council also holds work sessions for the purpose of studying problems and having deeper discussions about issues. Instructions may be given to the city manager at work sessions, but no official action by council may be taken.

The city council holds other types of meetings throughout the year. Further, individual councilors represent the City on local, regional, and sometimes national, boards that serve the public interest. 

Agendas & Minutes

The agenda of each meeting includes time for citizen comments at the discretion of the mayor.  Agendas and minutes are available on CLC-TV.  Agendas are also available online as well as in the lobby of city hall.  Past Council Minutes can be found here.

Members

The Las Cruces City Council is comprised of seven members, people from all walks of life who devote their time to public service as elected officials. City councilors serve alternating four-year terms.

Ken Miyagishima, Mayor

headshot of mayor Ken Miyagishima

Kasandra Gandara

Portrait of Kasandra Gandara

Tessa Abeyta-Stuve

headshot of councilor stuve

Gabriel Vasquez

Gabriel Vasquez

Johana Bencomo

headshot of councilor bencomo

Gill Sorg

Portrait of Gill Sorg

Yvonne Flores

headshot of Councillor Yvonne Flores

Government

The City of Las Cruces is a home-rule city governed by its charter and has a council-manager form of government. The role of the City Council is to develop a long-term vision for the City and to seek input from and communicate with residents, businesses and other stakeholders. The powers of the City Council lie in its action as a public body.

The City Council is charged with making policy, approving the City budget and the employment of the city manager. The council and its individual members do not address personnel issues other than those related specifically to the city manager. The City Council works with the city manager to shape the strategic direction of the City based on specific goals (PDF). The City Council is also responsible for issuing and selling municipal bonds, purchasing and selling property, and setting the City’s tax rate.

Elections

City councilors are elected by the voters in their respective districts and must reside in the districts they represent. Once elected, Council members choose the Mayor Pro-Tem from among the elected members. All city council seats carry four-year terms. Councilors have no term limits and the city council determines the annual salary of councilors and the mayor by ordinance.

Council members also receive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits. Council members may also qualify for public employee retirement benefits.

Anyone interested in holding city council office may call the City Clerk’s Office for details at 575-541-2115 or visit the Municipal Elections page for more information.

2020 Legislative Priorities

For a list of proposed legislative priorities for the coming year, please click here.