Four for the future of the Crested Butte council

In Crested Butte, there is a unique town council election at the moment. Usually three council seats and the mayor are up every two years. This time, the mayor’s seat and four council seats are open. With only Leah Williams trying to stay onboard the ship as the new captain, change is likely. First, a shout-out to those who have served and are leaving. Mayor Alan Bernholtz has done a good job in the role. Especially since deciding not to run for re-election, Bernholtz has been forthright, has run meetings with respect and humor and made no bones about where he stands on issues. I can appreciate all those attributes and despite being on opposite sides of the issues at times, I sincerely thank him. Leah will be moving from a council seat to the mayor’s position and she’ll be great. It seems that sometimes she gets caught up more in process than passion and she probably (never say never) won’t jump through fire like her predecessor but she will do a fine job in the center seat. Billy Rankin set the “green” tone of the council the last four years and that tone has been firmly established. Just about everyone running in the election has promised to continue down Rankin’s green path. Skip Berkshire was good at being the contrarian and looking at all sides of an issue. It was an important role. I’ll miss that at meetings along with some of the more quotable quotes to come out of the council. And thanks to Margot Levy for stepping in to fill a seat in a turbulent time. Nice work all.
Last Sunday’s candidate’s forum showed that pretty much everyone running for council is thoughtful and sincere in their love for Crested Butte. Everyone spoke well and came to the table with ideas. While Jay Harris and Guy Ciulla did not attend the forum due to previous family commitments, they were missed during the broad discussion. Fair or not, their absence certainly weighed in the following…

Looking for a good cross section of the town to sit at the table and represent its residents should be a goal of Crested Butte voters. There is a lot happening at the moment so voting for someone on a single-issue stance is pretty short sighted for the future of this town.
Maybe it’s not exactly like John Wirsing suggested—the Village People, but it helps to have differing opinions and valid discussions over important issues. In that vein, the electorate should consider voting for candidates Wirsing, Roland Mason, Jim Schmidt and Phoebe Wilson.
They represent a cross section of young and not so young. Of hourly employees and business owners. Of renters and homeowners. They bring perspectives of raising kids in Crested Butte, figuring out how to make a living here and all seem to enjoy residing and playing in the valley. They bring both experience and fresh ideas. They represent various views on the major topics of Foothills, Snodgrass and Sixth Street Station but all seem open to listening. They all agree that “green” is good, historic preservation important and economic revitalization needed in town.
Wirsing projects an air of light-hearted confidence and appears ready to listen to all sides before making a decision. But he appears not afraid to make decisions instead of studying something to death. That’s important. Mason would bring experience in that he grew up here. He and his family have lived the ups and downs of the economy and have done what it takes to stay in the valley. He appears to have a long view of issues and for example can remember the opposition over the North Face lift by people he now sees smiling as they ride it. Like Wirsing, he appears to have a level head and he gets it. He wouldn’t react to spur of the moment flashes but instead would take a good, deliberative look at what is in front of him. Schmidt would bring a different kind of experience to the council. His decades in Crested Butte and years on previous councils would bring needed institutional knowledge to the board. He has been involved in pubic service in the valley for a long time and that experience can help guide a relatively young council. Plus he wants solar panels and little hydropower plants all over the place and that’s interesting. Wilson went through the town ringer with her husband when they tried to open their business. After months and months of dealing, they realized their dream and now operate a successful business in Crested Butte. At the forum, it was apparent she had done her homework on the issues and given great thought to the problems and concerns facing the incoming council. She wasn’t afraid to veer from the pack. That’s a good trait.  
All the other candidates would obviously feel comfortable in a council seat. I would be comfortable having a drink and discussing issues with any of them. But only four get to be elected this time around. Wirsing, Mason, Schmidt and Wilson would represent a variety of demographics and bring a good cross section of opinion to the council. There’s nothing wrong with that…in fact, there is something quite right with it.
Your ballots can be mailed back to the county or dropped off at the Crested Butte Town Hall before November 3. Good luck.