New Year, New Possibilities

Hopes & Wisdom for Santa Fe’s Families

By Jen Paul Schroer

This time of year always brings a familiar softness—a season filled with tradition, reflection, and the quiet hope that accompanies a fresh start. I feel it more deeply each year as my kids grow. It seems like just yesterday I was nine months pregnant with Aviva, resting and waiting, only for her to arrive early on a cold Sunday afternoon in January. Now she is turning six, and I’m reminded how quickly time moves and how precious these seasons with our children truly are.

Just a few weeks ago, she lost two teeth and looked up at me with complete seriousness to ask, “Is the Tooth Fairy real?” It was one of those small moments that catches you by surprise—the kind that reminds you how quickly childhood unfolds, how their questions shift from magical to practical almost overnight. And it made me think about the world she is growing into, and the hopes we carry as parents for the city that surrounds her.

As I prepared to write this New Year’s message, I asked my daughter, “What do you hope for Santa Fe?” She answered without hesitation. “I hope people are more kind,” she said. “And that people help each other more.”

Her words brought me back to the heart of community. It is built day by day through small acts of care—and local government is one of the ways we organize that care. It helps us pool resources, coordinate efforts, and take on challenges that none of us could solve alone.

Santa Fe is a place where history, culture, and community run deep. Long before it became the oldest state capital in the nation, these lands were home to indigenous communities who lived, learned, worked, created, and raised their families here for thousands of years. That deep and continuing presence enriches Santa Fe and reminds us of our shared responsibility to care for this place with intention and respect.

Today, Santa Fe is not only a world-renowned tourism destination; it is also a community filled with remarkable resources for families. We have Santa Fe Community College supporting lifelong learners and career pathways. We have arts and music organizations like the Queen Bee Music Association, Dragonfly Art Studios, and the Santa Fe Children’s Museum nurturing creativity and confidence. We have the Santa Fe Teen Center offering a place for young people to connect, explore, and grow. And countless nonprofits, educators, coaches, mentors, and volunteers pour their hearts into making this city vibrant for every generation.

As Santa Fe prepares for 2026, mayor-elect Michael Garcia has gathered his transition team and now steps into a profound responsibility for our city’s future. Recent charter changes mean the mayor now votes only to break ties, so our strong mayor–council system will rely more than ever on thoughtful collaboration. Together, the council and mayor will share responsibility for setting priorities, overseeing services, and ensuring that our city government reflects the values and needs of our community.

Santa Fe is at a meaningful point of transition. With a new mayor and a strengthened council, the structure of our city government asks us—more than before—to lean into collaboration. We are a community of artists, educators, longtime families, recent transplants, faith communities, nonprofits, and small-business owners. No single perspective defines us. Our shared future will be shaped not only by policy decisions, but by how openly we listen to one another. Families, especially, bring a grounded perspective—one rooted in daily realities and long-term hope.

And families know these needs well:

We hope for a Southside that feels just as safe, welcoming, and well-resourced for working families as the Plaza feels polished and inviting for our visitors.

We look forward to smoother roads as we drive kids to school, dance rehearsals, drum lessons, basketball practice, and everything in between—especially along Cerrillos, Old Airport Road, and Agua Fria.

We imagine parks and public spaces that are clean, vibrant, and ready for every season of childhood; places where kids can swing in the crisp air on snowy mornings, skateboard after school, picnic in summer, or start a spontaneous game of tag.

We value public facilities—our libraries, rec centers, and gathering places—and hope they continue to feel accessible, welcoming, and well cared for, like the Genoveva Chavez Community Center.

We look toward a compassionate, coordinated approach to homelessness that supports dignity, strengthens community health, and helps keep families and neighborhoods safe.

We hope for an economy that grows with our children; one that creates good jobs and opportunities so future generations can build their lives here and choose Santa Fe as their lifelong home.

And we hope our tax dollars are stewarded wisely, building long-term stability and opportunity for the generations who will inherit this remarkable city.

These are the fundamentals. The everyday things that determine whether a city is not just beautiful, but genuinely livable. When they work well, the rest of Santa Fe’s magic has room to flourish: its creativity, its cultural richness, its economy, its thriving nonprofit community, its educators and artists and youth programs, its sense of place and belonging.

Raising a child here reshapes the way you see the city. The places I once passed without much thought—playgrounds, libraries, trails, after-school arts programs—have become markers of the world Aviva is growing into. Her curiosity and joy make me pay attention in a new way. When she asks why a road is bumpy, or why a park gate is broken, or why someone is sleeping outside in the cold, I am reminded that our children absorb everything. Their questions become ours. Their futures depend on the choices we make today.

As we enter this new year, Tumbleweeds hopes to elevate the voices of those who know Santa Fe most intimately: parents, caregivers, and families. These everyday realities—roads, parks, safety, housing, opportunities—are exactly what our next mayor and council need to understand from you.

What hopes and wisdom would you share with Santa Fe’s next mayor?
What changes or improvements would help make this a better city for your children to grow, learn, and thrive?

Your hopes—large or small—are part of the fabric of this city. Maybe you dream of safer crosswalks near your child’s school. Maybe you hope for more teen programming, improved mental health resources, cleaner parks, or more career opportunities so your children can envision staying in Santa Fe when they grow up. Whatever it is, your voice matters.

Please send your thoughts to editor@tumbleweedsmag.com. Throughout the year, we’ll share the ideas and perspectives offered by families across Northern New Mexico.

Let’s begin 2026 with the spirit Aviva wished for—more kindness, more helping, more community. Together, we can build a Santa Fe that honors its past, embraces its complexities, and creates new possibilities for generations to come.

Jen Paul Schroer is a dedicated community leader with a proven track record of driving positive change. As a three-time Senate-confirmed cabinet secretary, trade association CEO, and chamber of commerce executive director, Jen has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. As a wife and mother of two, Jen is deeply committed to improving the local community and supporting the economic well-being of families as the editor and owner of Tumbleweeds magazine and other ventures.