Eagle voters elect three newcomers

EAGLE — A slate of three newcomers who campaigned together and echoed similar sentiments about communicating the “Eagle is open for business” message won seats on the Eagle Town Board on Tuesday.

Doug Seabury, Andy Jessen and Luis Benitez will take the oaths of office Tuesday after topping the seven candidate field for the three Town Board seats. Eagle voters also overwhelmingly passed a change in the town board’s $2 per room, per night hotel occupation tax. The change will allow the town to use open space dollars for trail improvements and amenities in addition to the purchase and maintenance of town open space.

“I am honored to have been elected and am looking forward to representing Eagle on the Town Board,” said Seabury when contacted Wednesday morning. “Eagle has so many great opportunities and I am excited to collaborate with other board members, town staff and citizens to make this one of the best small towns in Colorado,” Seabury said.

Jessen was hanging out at his business — Bonfire Brewing Company — when the results came in Tuesday night.

“I am just really excited,” he said. “Everyone ran a great campaign. It was a pleasure working with all the candidates. I got to know everyone while we were hanging out in the roundabout together and I hope they run for the board again in the future.”

Jessen said his first order of business will be to dive into the Eagle town budget and to spend some time getting acquainted with the current Town Board members and members of the town staff.

“I’m honored and I’m flattered to be serving for all the citizens of Eagle,” Benitez said. “I am really looking forward to the challenges of the work ahead of us and inspired by the other people who served on the current council. I’m looking forward to working with them and serving and can’t wait to get started.”

A total of 787 ballots were cast in Tuesday’s election, representing a 19 percent turnout.