New Mt. CB council sworn in November 19

Council will decide mayor and mayor pro tem

By Kendra Walker 

The newly elected and re-elected Mt. Crested Butte town council members will be sworn in during the town council’s regular meeting on November 19. These members include Nicholas Kempin, Bruce Nation, Valeda Scribner and Bobbie Sferra. 

During the council’s November 6 meeting, town attorney Gerald Dahl explained the procedure for electing the mayor and mayor pro tem at the upcoming meeting. The mayor and mayor pro tem will serve for two years. Kempin has served as the Mt. Crested Butte mayor since April 2022.

Once the new members are sworn in, each member will express their interest or disinterest to be mayor, said Dahl. The council will conduct a secret ballot, announce the results of the person with the highest votes and then make a motion to elect them as mayor. “It is not required to be unanimous,” said Dahl, but it must pass with a majority council vote. 

Then the elected mayor may run the rest of the meeting and the same procedure will take place for the mayor pro tem. The mayor pro tem presides over meetings and serves on the mayor’s behalf when the mayor is unavailable.  

The council will also appoint members to fill open committee and board positions at the November 19 meeting.

On November 6, town staff and the rest of the council recognized outgoing members Michael Bacani, Janet Farmer and Dwayne Lehnertz for their years of service. 

“Looking at our council photos on the wall, I’m realizing how long we’ve had this core group together,” said Kempin. “You have made a difference in your community and I just want to thank you for your time and dedication. It’s meant a lot to me and to the town.”

“It’s been an honor and pleasure working with and for the three of you,” said town manager Carlos Velado. “My thanks to you, not only as a manager and employee, but as a citizen of the town.”