The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Trying to get more people to run
By Kendra Walker
The Mt. Crested Butte town council has reserved a ballot question for this November election asking voters to change council term limits. Given the town has not had a competitive election since 2008, the council’s intent with changing term limits is to help widen the pool of qualified candidates. However, the council is still nailing down the ballot language before submitting a finalized ballot question to the Gunnison County Clerk and Recorder in August.
During their June 20 meeting, the council considered and discussed two options presented by town attorney Gerald Dahl.
The first option proposes to retain the town’s current two-term limitation (eight years total) but permit a candidate to run again after being out of office for one full election cycle (two years). The second option proposes to allow council members to serve for three consecutive years (12 years total) and run again after being out of office for two years.
Councilmember Roman Kolodziej was in favor of the second option. “Until we actually have an election that’s contested, I think we need to be aggressive with this.”
Councilmember Michael Bacani was in favor of the first option. “I think it has a better chance of passing. When you see a three year’s extension and also the sitting out for two terms, it gets complicated. I’m thinking from a messaging point of view and ease of understanding for the voter.”
Councilmember Steve Morris agreed, “I like the ease to it, staying with two terms but you’re eligible after you step out for two years.”
Councilmember Alec Lindeman suggested councilors taking off four years instead of two if their terms are extended to three.
Kolodziej made a motion for the second option, to propose ballot language that extends terms to three consecutive terms and allows council members to run again after taking two years off. The motion failed, with Bacani and councilmembers Dwayne Lehnertz, Janet Farmer and Morris voting against.
“We are asking for quite a bit more by pushing it to three consecutive terms,” said Morris. “Any other information that’s going to be there will be confused and turn to a no. Realistically, my gut says that asking for three terms will not pass. I’m just trying to look at how a person will interpret the ballot,” he said.
Mayor Nicholas Kempin asked Dahl if the ballot language could include additional explanatory language. Dahl confirmed they could build in some language that explains the town’s reasoning for changing the term limits.
“I don’t think we’ve discussed the language flexibility before so that is interesting to me as a way to help achieve the goal we’re trying to get, which is more people able to run for council,” said Kempin.
Morris said he could get behind three consecutive terms but wanted to see the possible accompanying language explaining the town’s reasoning. “I am open to it, but I have to read that and be convinced,” he said.
Bacani made a motion to approve the first option, allowing council members to serve for two consecutive terms and return to run after two years off. However, that motion failed as well in a 4-3 vote, with Lindeman, Kolodziej, Morris and Kempin voting against.
Still split between the two options, the council directed Dahl to draft additional explanatory language for the council’s review at an upcoming meeting.
