The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Someone pointed out last week a reality of our little mountain valley. It’s the upper middle class resort town bubble problem. On a scale of 1 to 10, reality dictates that we are in the low single digits when it comes to harsh community dilemma. No one lost a home in a flood or was killed in a shopping mall this week up here.
Think about it: The big issues being tackled by our politicians over the last few weeks are whether or not to leash dogs in Mt. Crested Butte; where to put and who should pay for a rental project at Sixth and Belleview that will eventually house low-income workers who haven’t even heard of Crested Butte yet; and whether to place retail pot shops on Elk Avenue or make weed customers walk two blocks to pick up a lollipop.
In the background is noise about air service decreasing, adding some length and climbing to a beautiful mountain hike near Irwin, debating who should pay for a $100,000 ad in a Colorado tourism magazine and how the resort could have more thoughtfully made the community feel good about actually buying ski passes at a reduced base price. It’s rough out there, between the huge party and bonfire at the Four-way Stop and late leaf changing over Kebler Pass…
But just in time to put all this into perspective is the Crested Butte Town Council election. That’s right. We will have several weeks of debate, discussion and politics. The candidates can talk about how to get more people here or how to clean up the parking mess in July. They can talk leadership issues and what’s best for business. The mine or ski area expansion might come up. Potential parking garages and annexations might be discussed. But we need your help to steer the discussion and keep it interesting. Not that hours of talk over leash regulations up on the hill or how to pay for a town lawn mower in Crested Butte isn’t riveting stuff.
The fact that this year we have a mail-in ballot election with no polling place to go and cast a vote for your local town councilperson is sad. But it is this year’s reality. That being the case, we’ll be holding our Crested Butte News Candidates Forum earlier than normal so when you receive your ballot you will have some information to make an educated choice. That is where we need your help.
The forum is meant to be a place where voters and interested citizens can directly ask questions of the candidates. On Wednesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m., we will put the seven hopefuls on the stage at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts. Aaron Huckstep, Jeremy Rubingh, Jim Schmidt, Roland Mason, Josh Schumacher, Danica (Ayraud) Ramgoolam and Chris Ladoulis will have the opportunity to explain why they are running before fielding questions. But it is your chance to toss them a curveball. We really want the citizens to be the ones asking the questions at this event.
The News will be asking the candidates questions in the paper each week until the November 5 election day. If you have a question you want asked but can’t make the forum, send it to us at editorial@crestedbuttenews.com.
Elections in Crested Butte are non-partisan and usually civil. We hope this one will be no different and we are asking for your help in making it an interesting contest. It’s not always dramatic, but local politics really does matter in the valley and we need your assistance in guiding the election discussion. Thanks…
