Mt. CB asking voters to adjust council term limits this fall

Question on November ballot

By Kendra Walker

This November, the town of Mt. Crested Butte will be asking voters to consider amending the town charter to extend council term limitations. During their August 15 meeting, the town council unanimously approved the ballot question language asking to allow council members to serve for three consecutive four-year terms (12 years total) and be allowed to run again after being out of office for two years. 

The town has not had a contested council election in 15 years because there have not been more candidates than seats to be filled. Currently, a person is not eligible to run again for council after having served two consecutive four-year terms, and the hope is that the proposed adjustment to council term limits will help increase the number of qualified candidates that could run in the future. This would include council members who have previously served but were term limited. 

The council-approved ordinance accompanying the ballot question reads, “Whereas, the Town has not conducted a municipal election since 2008 due to a lack of candidates to serve on the Town Council, which has resulted in vacancies since that time being filled without elections and in some cases by appointment, which deprives the electorate of their opportunity to choose their representative on the Town Council…the Council finds that the Home Rule Charter should be amended to expand the available pool of candidates.”

Whether the Charter is amended to accomplish this goal is up to voters come November 5.