Meet the candidates for Gunnison County Commissioner

It is election season and two of the Gunnison County Commissioner seats are up for election with two candidates running for each position. The Crested Butte News will be asking the local candidates for their views on issues for the next several weeks. We have requested they keep their answers to 500 words or fewer.

If you have a burning question for the candidates, feel free to email it to editorial@crestedbuttenews.com. We are starting the questions early this year because it is expected many people will get their ballots the week of October 12-16 and send them back as soon as possible.

Remember, all qualified voters in Gunnison County get to cast a ballot for one candidate in each district.

And everyone is invited to the Crested Butte News Candidates Forum being held on Sunday, October 11 at 6 p.m. at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts. Given the public health orders, there will be limited seating in the theatre but there is opportunity to attend and watch the debate. It will be broadcast on KBUT Monday evening, October 12.

—Mark Reaman

 

Trudy Vader

District 2 candidate

I am trying to stick to Mark’s request of 500 words as best as I can. So I am going to focus on the question that addresses the priority needs in this county.

The Black Lives Matter issue is front and center in Crested Butte right now. What is your take on the issue in general and do you think the county should become involved with any sort of action or statement?

Black lives mattered to me long before there was ever a BLM, and Black lives will continue to matter to me. I believe in less government involvement in social movements and leaving it to the public.

What sort of role should the county play, if any, in terms of assisting workers to be able to live in the valley? What specific ideas on workforce housing will you bring to the table next year if elected to the board?

The county needs to play a primary role by making our county a friendly and great place to invest in diversified businesses. According to CSU’s Colorado County demographic study (7/20/20), Gunnison’s four lowest paying private employment sectors—food service, other services, recreation and entertainment—employ six out of 10 workers. These workers’ salaries average less than $30,000 a year. All four of these business sectors are linked to recreation and tourism.

While this is an issue that all ski town counties face, my opponent’s narrow focus on tourism and recreation and failure to embrace diversified small businesses and light industry have exacerbated our workforce housing issue. The lack of diversified business prevents opportunity for better paying jobs. It forces workers to endure the high impact of housing cost relative to their income. As commissioner, projects like Shady Island will not be considered a priority need. The county will not spend $1 million-plus for approximately 16 residential lots (which could easily be placed in a land bank for housing). We will not build a boat ramp and an overnight campground in a residential community. We will not compete with our privately owned campgrounds and RV parks. We will not encourage the creation of more low-paying recreation and tourism jobs.

The need for housing is out-pacing the construction of housing. And now, additional real estate pressure is occurring from remote workers moving to Gunnison. When I asked Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority executive director Jennifer Kermode what is most needed to make real progress on the workforce housing, she stated significant funding. According to the September 2020 updated Gunnison Valley Housing Plan, page 3, Constraints, “without additional land (that cost more now than which is currently being built on) and funding, few opportunities for further public/private partnerships will remain after the current housing developments are completed.” The plan has well-developed housing strategies. It has a board of smart, dedicated people committed to making solutions. The county needs to step up and help resolve the funding issue.

As commissioner, I will positively support the work of GVRHA. I will be one of their biggest cheerleaders in seeking the funding needed to accomplish the work. Traditionally funding sources are created through a mill levy or sales tax. I would like for an unorthodox method of funding to be considered. Tourism has a direct impact on workforce housing. Maintaining a quality workforce has a direct impact on sustaining a healthy tourism market. I believe the community needs to contemplate workforce housing funding through a portion of the existing lodging tax. According to the CSU demographic study, less than 60 percent of the houses in Gunnison County are occupied by owners and renters. All homes that are rented as vacation rentals for more than 30 days should be included in the workforce housing tax. This way our community does not sustain the burden of property or sales tax to address the housing crisis caused by the impact of tourism and recreation.

What is your favorite vacation spot outside of the county?

Anywhere I can ride my horse.

Favorite fruit or veggie.

I love them all.

Do you have a pet?

I have three dogs and one cat.

 

 

Jonathan Houck

District 2 candidate

The Black Lives Matter issue is front and center in Crested Butte right now. What is your take on the issue in general and do you think the county should become involved with any sort of action or statement?

Let me start with what I believe: BLACK LIVES MATTER. I was born and raised in West Baltimore. My first 18 years of life were influenced by what I experienced daily in a racially mixed neighborhood. My experiences in education, opportunities, treatment and interaction with law enforcement showed me that the life my Black friends were living was drastically different from mine. In my late teens and early 20s, I lived in rural northern New Mexico and the experiences of indigenous and native people of color there were drastically different from what I experienced as a white non-native. I firmly believe that the issues of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community are relevant, important and urgent. I feel the most important place the county can be is making sure that our workforce, policies, training, opportunities and influence are noticeably thoughtful, inclusive and reflect the diversity of the county.

One place our influence is powerful is how and where we develop affordable workforce housing opportunities. If we want to see inclusive and representative opportunities for our BIPOC community then housing needs to be built where people work. If we want to see our BIPOC community present, involved and included then we must start with a built environment that equally serves the diversity of our community.

What sort of role should the county play, if any, in terms of assisting workers to be able to live in the valley? What specific ideas on workforce housing will you bring to the table next year if elected to the board?

As a sitting county commissioner, and contrary to some ill-informed talking points of my opponent, we are playing a significant facilitator role as well as building affordable workforce housing. In the last four years we have finished building out the county-owned opportunities in Buckhorn (14 units including deed-restricted for sale and rental units). Additionally, the county has a 76-unit project being built on county provided land in the City of Gunnison right now, today. The Paintbrush project will be 90 percent deed-restricted affordable rentals. The units will be studios up to three-bed/two-bath units and everything in between. Last legislative session, I was deeply involved in the passage of bills and programs that generated new statewide funding for affordable housing to the tune of $65 million, of which Gunnison received $1.2 million for their Lazy K affordable housing project.

Looking to a next term, I am committed to developing and delivering the next county project, in the north valley. We purchased 13 acres of land for future needs and I want to begin planning those opportunities in 2021. Despite the BOCC’s steadfast attempts to get The Corner at Brush Creek across the finish line by reducing the development density by 25 percent, the towns were not persuaded to approve it. It is now their turn to take the lead on that parcel and find a path forward to get a feasible project going and I can be counted on as a reliable partner to see it through. Of course, I will continue to lead on legislation that develops resources and funding. Workforce housing solutions also require the work, support and collaboration of the towns, CBMR, Western and our business and non-profit communities as well.

What is your favorite vacation spot outside of the county?

New Mexico.

Favorite fruit or veggie?

Roasted Green Chiles.

Do you have a pet?

Our family has two rescue dogs, Sadie and Lucy, and five chickens.

 

 

Dave Taylor

District 1 candidate

The Black Lives Matter issue is front and center in Crested Butte right now. What is your take on the issue in general and do you think the county should become involved with any sort of action or statement?

Play Ball! Hard Ball! Of course Black Lives Matter!

The Town of Crested Butte is its own municipality and has voted unanimously to openly support the Black Lives Matter concept and has painted “Black Lives Matter” on their street. Mark Reaman’s September 11, 2020 editorial “Black Lives Matter” observes: “The Crested Butte Black Lives Matter sentiment is not based on any national organization but rather on a feeling of compassion for all, equal justice under the law and inclusivity.” Bingo! This is what we all want. I stand for these values with every fiber of my being. Why then the controversy?

While I don’t read books, I do read a lot. In a Good Housekeeping article titled, “What Black Lives Matter Means (and Why it is Problematic to say All Lives Matter)” by Liz Schumer on June 4, 2020 she states: “While the intention of the phrase ‘All Lives Matter’ may be to put everyone’s life on equal footing and convey a sense of unity, responding ‘All Lives Matter’ to ‘Black Lives Matter’ is actually more divisive than unifying. That’s because it discounts and diminishes the focus on the violence and discrimination Black individuals face every day in this country.”

Why do “All Lives Matter” and “Black Lives Matter” have to be mutually exclusive? We should all have a dream where we “will not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character” (MLK slightly edited). I pray for the day when there will be no controversy over “Black Lives Matter” vs. “All Lives Matter.” Many, including me, live in the “All Lives Matter” world, not to be controversial but because we are compassionate, support equal justice and are inclusive. My message as a county commissioner would be: Treat others how you expect to be treated and promote compassion, equality and inclusivity to all.

What sort of role should the county play, if any, in terms of assisting workers to be able to live in the valley? What specific ideas on workforce housing will you bring to the table next year if elected to the board?

I believe our county should financially support affordable housing.

The reason we do not have more affordable housing in the county is based in economics. Very simple, a private developer cannot build housing profitably in a rent-controlled scenario. Thus it takes government funds to fill the profitability gap. Controversy still exists about the building and funding of the courthouse and jail. A bond issue failed and the project was built anyway without raising taxes. Issue 6A, a mill levy increase to fund affordable housing failed. Do we as a community support allocating or redirecting existing county funds to help build affordable housing without raising taxes?

I have reviewed our county financial statements, in detail, and believe Gunnison County has the financial strength to support affordable housing without raising taxes. Can we agree with our partners to sell the Brush Creek property and use the proceeds to build housing that will benefit the entire county?

What is your favorite vacation spot outside of the county?

New Zealand. Snow ski in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon. 

Favorite fruit or veggie?

Banana.

Do you have a pet?

Yes, Norman (steer), Jenny, Herbie, Grandpa and Joan (donkeys), Lamb Chop (sheep), Fritz, Mimi, Anabelle, Sergio, Baby Boy Goat, Baby Girl Goat, (goats), Whisper, Roseanna (mini horses), Makenzie, Jace, Hatcher (pigs), Dizzy (duck), Cora (dog), Kitty Boy (cat).

 

 

Liz Smith

District 1 candidate

The Black Lives Matter movement is front and center in Crested Butte right now. What is your take on the issue in general and do you think the county should become involved with any sort of action or statement?

My sense is there’s misunderstanding about the movement, what the phrase “Black Lives Matter” means and how inclusive it is. There’s not enough column space to unpack that here. As a white person, it’s not appropriate for me to define or speak for the movement. Instead, I’m committed to listening to Black community leaders about why they have organized marches and advocated for initiatives like painting Elk Ave.

I also want to recognize how #BLM pushes beyond the boundaries of Crested Butte. Following the march in Gunnison last June, Elizabeth Cobbins, former program coordinator of multicultural affairs at Western, reached out to friends for support. I think everyone was surprised that hundreds of people turned out. In my conversations with Cobbins, she emphasized that she doesn’t see the #BLM movement as political: it’s about valuing human life. For me, the Gunnison march showed the depth of our community’s empathy when our friends and neighbors say, “Hey, I’m struggling here. Will you stand with me?” After talking with Chloe Nicole and Nunu Tilton in Crested Butte, I understand these local movements as being driven by local issues.

At the county level, we have a responsibility to support the wellbeing of all members of our community. That is why I’m advocating for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion to be formalized in our strategic plan.

What sort of role should the county play, if any, in terms of assisting workers to be able to live in the valley? What specific ideas on workforce housing will you bring to the table next year if elected to the board?

Workforce housing is essential to the vitality of our local economy and community, and there’s no silver bullet to answer our need for more of it. I support prioritizing resources for affordable housing in the county strategic plan, which has led to county-initiated successes such as the Paintbrush/Lot 22 development on the northeast side of Gunnison. Nearly 90 percent of the 76 units will be deed-restricted rentals, and we can replicate this success. I was disappointed the Brush Creek housing development didn’t come to fruition, but the county has purchased another parcel outside of Crested Butte that is essential to further housing development planning.

Ultimately, our capacity to make bigger or faster gains in workforce housing requires funding, and we benefit from partnerships across different levels of governance. HB-1322 to expand affordable housing (which Gunnison County aggressively advocated for) is a good example: the $1.2 million DOLA grant to Gunnison’s Lazy-K development in July came from this legislation. I’ve developed strong working relationships with Sen. Donovan and Reps. McCluskie and McLachlan in my former role as the co-chair for the Gunnison County Democratic Party, and I’m committed to advancing state legislation that brings essential resources to our county.

It’s been suggested to me that the county use lodging taxes from the LMD (which are earmarked for tourism and economic development) for workforce housing, but this money can’t be used for capital projects.

What is your favorite vacation spot outside of the county?

We like to camp and recreate in places like Moab when the trails become less accessible in the snow and mud seasons. However, our travel priorities have shifted since Bill, my husband, lost his brother in July. Moving forward, we know we want to spend more time with our parents and siblings in Arizona, Missouri and Germany.

Favorite fruit or veggie?

Blueberries.

Do you have a pet?

Our sweet cat Sammy.