Newcomers win seats on western recreation board
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Voters in the Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District returned an incumbent and elected two new board members Tuesday. District voters also turned down a ballot measure to exempt the board from the state’s term limit laws.
Elected were current board chairman Chris Williams, John McCauley and Julie Alt.
The term limit question was defeated by the narrowest of margins, 172-170. While the results had yet to be certified Tuesday night, district official Lanie Martin said the outcome was unlikely to change. A total of 355 ballots were cast in the district, which stretches from east Dotsero and includes parts of Edwards.
Voting in Gypsum Tuesday was slow, but a steady trickle of residents came in to cast ballots. And although May elections don’t usually draw big crowds, those who did cast ballots came in with a sense of purpose.
“I try to get to these elections all the time,” Derenda Solomon said. Solomon said she based her voting decisions on candidate profiles she had read in the paper. While not voting with a specific candidate or agenda in mind, Solomon said “It’s important to get out.”
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Carolyn Fiveash said she was voting for her grandchildren. “What I’ve seen from the district so far has been great,” she said. “I want to see us keep going in the same direction.”
Marty Lich, who was running for a spot on the Gypsum Fire District Board, also cast an enthusiastic vote for recreation. Lich said this and other district elections are a chance for residents to express their views.
“What I want my ballot to say is that hockey is vitally important to our community,” Lich said.
District employees Jeff Sweet and Scott Ruff volunteered to be election judges in Gypsum. Sweet, who was working his second district election, said it’s somewhat disappointing when voters don’t turn out in force. “But it hopefully shows we’re doing a good job,” he said.
