MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

August 2026

What an incredible month it has been for Ruidoso. Hosting IRONMAN was one of the proudest moments in our Village’s recent history, and it confirmed something many of us have believed for a long time: Ruidoso is becoming a true outdoor active destination. Events like this don’t just bring visitors to town for a weekend, they change the shape of our community, showcase our mountains, trails, and lake to the world, and remind us why people fall in love with this place. 

Nearly 1,800 athletes came to Ruidoso to swim, bike, and run through our beautiful terrain, and they left talking about our hospitality as much as our scenery. None of that happens without people. More than 600 volunteers from Ruidoso and Lincoln County stepped up to marshal courses, hand out water, direct traffic, and cheer athletes across the finish line. That kind of turnout says everything about the character of this community. 

I also want to recognize our Village departments and staff, who worked extra hours and weekends, closing and reopening roads, coordinating public safety, and handling the countless logistics that make an event of this scale possible. Your work often goes unseen, but it did not go unnoticed, and this event would not have been the success it was without you. 

A special thank you goes to Eddie Ryan, who first reached out to IRONMAN more than two years ago to start this conversation. His vision and persistence are the reason Ruidoso got this opportunity in the first place, and I’m grateful for the work he put in to bring it home. I also want to thank the Village Council for supporting this initiative from the start. Their belief in what this event could do for Ruidoso was a game changer. 

The good news doesn’t stop here. IRONMAN will be back in Ruidoso in 2027 and 2028, and this October we’re excited to welcome the XTERRA World Championships to the Village. Our reputation as a destination for world-class outdoor competition is only growing, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. 

You may have noticed new speed cameras recently installed in Paradise Canyon and on Junction Road. I want to be clear about why they’re there. Traffic studies have shown that speeding is a real and ongoing issue in the Village, and the sole purpose of these cameras is to deter speeding and make our streets safer, not to collect or mine data from residents. 

The data captured by these cameras is not retained by the Village of Ruidoso or by Altumint, our vendor. These are not “flock” cameras, and they are not part of any broader surveillance or tracking system. They exist for one reason: to slow people down and protect our neighbors, our kids, and our streets. Please slow down, watch your speed in these areas, and help us keep our Village safe. 

As always, I invite you to tune in to Mondays with the Mayor every Monday morning from 8:00 to 10:00 AM on KRUI, 1490 AM / 99.1 FM. We love hearing from you and taking your calls and questions live on the air. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week. 

Finally, a simple reminder as we head into the rest of the summer: be good neighbors and be kind to one another. It’s the small, everyday kindnesses that make Ruidoso feel like home.