Vail Daily letter: Some responses
Eagle County surveyor
Vail, CO Colorado
In response to Doris Bailey’s Letter to the Editor:
Doris, I am glad to hear that your nephew, my opponent in the election for county surveyor, is such a good family man. But I’m much more concerned about his qualifications for the county surveyor position.
First of all, I explained at the candidates forum on Oct. 14 that I did not say that the position of county surveyor should be abolished. The reporter and I were discussing the failed statewide ballot question that would have eliminated the position and the 2006 home rule election which would have eliminated the position. Back in 2006 ,I did state that I may be the last Eagle County surveyor, if home rule had passed. I did not feel this was a big enough issue to demand a newspaper correction.
I also responded, as follows, at the candidates forum, to my opponent’s claim that he cannot efficiently serve his clients because the surveying records have to be found by visiting three different county departments, and I have failed to consolidate them and put them online:
As any competent surveyor knows, copies of monument records are maintained by the Clerk and Recorder’s office, per the monument record statute, and are available on the state’s website http://www.dora.state.co.us/aes. There is absolutely no reason to duplicate that information at taxpayer’s expense.
Support Local Journalism
BLM records are available on the BLM’s website http://www.glorecords.blm.gov.
Again, why duplicate at taxpayer’s expense?
Land Survey Plats are maintained, per the direction of the County Commissioners, in the County Engineer’s office and have been on the wish list to be digitized for several years. They will be online when the county funding is available.
By using the two website links above my opponent will be able to more efficiently serve his clients.
Lastly, as to why I am running for a position that pays $4,500 a year, doesn’t everyone enjoy doing what they are expert at? I feel fortunate that after spending my entire adult life in the surveying profession, at the local and state level, I have been in a position to mentor and instruct others. I no longer have the daily responsibility of running a private company and provide full-time dedication to the office of county surveyor.
