Five people have announced their candidacy for four open trustee positions in Mancos this election season.
Trustee Cindy Simpson and Mayor Pro Tem Fred Brooks will both be running for their second terms. Newcomers Steve Kennedy, Brent McWhirter and Betsy Harrison are also in the running. On Tuesday, the candidates’ positions on the ballot were chosen in a random drawing, which put Kennedy at the top.
Six people submitted valid candidate petitions before the deadline on Jan. 22, but the sixth, Peter Brind’Amour, withdrew his candidacy later that week, citing family responsibilities. After Tuesday’s drawing, the candidates will appear in the following order on Mancos residents’ ballots: Kennedy, Brooks, Harrison, Simpson and McWhirter.
Trustees Lorraine Becker and Michele Black, whose terms expire this year, have chosen not to run again.
Only Harrison and Brooks attended the drawing, which was conducted by Town Administrator Heather Alvarez and Mancos Marshal Jason Spruell. Mayor Queenie Barz also attended the event, which Alvarez said was optional for election candidates. But all the candidates are scheduled to appear for an orientation on Feb. 14, to be held at 5:15 p.m. in the town hall.
“We have a board meeting that day, so I’m hoping the candidates will come for orientation and then stay for the workshop and the board meeting,” Alvarez said.
She added that she hoped the meeting would give the new candidates a glimpse of what serving on the town board would be like. Some are already familiarizing themselves with the process. Kennedy came to the board’s Jan. 24 meeting to ask about plans for the Main Street bridge project.
The Mancos municipal election will be held on April 3 by mail-in ballot.
Each of the candidates has answered a series of questions about their plans for Mancos’s town board. Their answers will be published in upcoming issues of The Journal.