Incumbents Hunt, Masters Unseated



TELLURIDE — The results from its first all-mail ballot election are in and the Town of Telluride has emerged with a new and decidedly different council.

“The majority of voters are ready for a change in the way things have been handled by town government,” said incumbent “Glider” Bob Saunders who, with 487 votes, led the nine-member candidate field that vied for four available seats including one vacated by a term-limited Mayor Pro-Tem Andrea Benda.

“I am very happy and just amazed that I got the highest number of votes,” said Saunders from West Virginia after being reached there by telephone. “It’s nice to have that kind of support and it reinforces what I have been trying to do during the past three years on council.”

New members joining Saunders on council include lighting designer and political activist Chris Myers, who tallied 473 votes, information technology consultant Brian Werner and former R-1 School District superintendent Ann Brady who garnered 431 and 415 votes, respectively.

“These times have been cast as being very dire, and I see it as an incredible opportunity,” said Myers, who was fielding phone calls outside the Telluride Pizza Kitchen shortly after the results came in.

“It’s time for a change in the mood in this town and the voters have asked for that,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to getting more involved in the town and helping steer Telluride in the direction the populous is looking forward toward,” said Werner from a banquette at the TPK where the mood was celebratory yet subdued.

“People are ready for change,” he said.

“I’m planning on talking to all of the people on town council and achieving a good relationship with all of them,” said Brady who was reached by telephone. Brady said that in her new role she plans on “Getting people to talk together to make good decisions on behalf of all the people who live here.”

Incumbent councilmembers Jill Masters and Lulu Hunt both lost their seats, earning 397 and 349 votes, respectively.

At La Cocina where the mood among the politically inclined took a more somber tone, Hunt said she needed more time to let the news sink in before commenting on the results.

Among the remaining contenders real estate broker and business owner Matt Hintermeister earned 390 votes, former councilmember and practicing attorney Jenny Russell, 269, and Wizard Entertainment general manager Jeffrey Taylor, 112.

“I’m glad that now people’s eyes are open and people are willing to fight for Telluride, we’re not just sitting idly by,” said an undiscouraged Taylor, also at the TPK. “I definitely plan on running again.”

“I think the people made the decision they felt they needed to make,” said Telluride Mayor Stu Fraser upon learning the council election results.

“We have a council that needs to work together,” he continued.

The voters re-elected Town Meeting Moderator Jerry Greene to that position with 501 votes, but handily defeated two proposed tax increases.

Ballot Issue 2A proposed a sales tax increase of six-tenths of one percent that would go to create a dedicated revenue stream to fund local nonprofits, special events and infrastructure improvements to the town’s parks known as the CARE Tax and failed in a 665-242 vote.

Ballot Issue 2B, which would have authorized the town to levy a three mill property tax increase in order to create a dedicated Street and Alley Fund to pay for the acquisition, construction, installation and maintenance of town roads, alleys and related facilities in perpetuity, including the bike path, failed by an even larger 711-196 margin.

“I’m always disappointed when I don’t think the town s properly funded,” said Town Manager Frank Bell of the vote. However, “The voters decided and I’m fine with that,” he continued.

In a much closer 443-414 vote the Telluride electorate chose to repeal controversial amendments to the town’s Land Use Code made by council in a 4-3 vote in April.

The ordinance, No. 1306, waived some affordable housing mitigation requirements for developers who agreed to provide the public benefit of additional commercial and office space in Planned Unit Developments located in the downtown commercial core.

As a result of the vote the LUC will revert to its previous regulations that do not allow for any decrease in affordable housing mitigation in exchange for public benefit.

Elsewhere in San Miguel County Ophir voters narrowly defeated Ballot Issue 2A that proposed a tax increase to fund general town operations, maintenance and administration costs in a 38-37 vote, but overwhelming supported up to a $500,000 increase to town debt to fund its water system in a 59-16 vote on Ballot Issue 2B.

Norwood School District R2-JT voters elected Robert Harris and Calvin Calhoun to four-year terms as school board directors.