Mayor of Las Vegas, NM, won't run again

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) - The mayor of Las Vegas, N.M., says he won't seek a second term.

Alfonso Ortiz, who also serves as San Miguel County treasurer and is a former city councilman, won a two-year term in March. He says he never intended to serve more than two years.

The Ortiz, 70, says he hopes someone younger and more dynamic will run for mayor in 2012.

As mayor, Ortiz broke a tie in favor of raising the city's sales tax — a change that takes effect in January. He also has said all the city's utilities need rate hikes, and he recently endorsed a proposal to raise trash rates from $14 to $20 a month.

Ortiz says he's putting 100 percent effort into his role as mayor.

Information from: Las Vegas Optic