On Tuesday, the city of Cortez held its election for City Council members, and though official results won’t be available until Thursday, April 11, early results show the top four candidates.
Voting closed at 7 p.m. with 1,351 ballots returned, and unofficial results show that Mayor Rachel Medina received 762 votes, Dr. April Randle 742 votes, Bill Lewis 703 votes and current Councilor Robert Dobry 654 votes.
According to voting officials, 5,537 ballots were sent out before to the election and 1,351 ballots were returned Tuesday night. Cortez City Clerk Linda Smith said that in 2022, 1,692 ballots were turned in, which was less than 2020’s total of 1,725.
Official results will be available after missing and remaining ballots are tabulated and ballot signature verification is complete.
Medina has been mayor for the past four years, and has lived in Cortez since 2016.
If reelected, Medina said she would like to see the land-use code receive a “good, comprehensive” update to help improve housing and “preserve the character of our community.”
“My approach to City Council is that I want to be known for being a good listener, because I think listening is one of the most important things we can do,” Medina said. “Listening to our citizens, listening to our staff, listening to our city manager and listening to each other. I think that's the best way to really understand and be informed because we're making lasting decisions.”
Dr. Randle said she has lived in the Four Corners area for almost her whole life, and is a physician who retired a few weeks ago.
Randle said that infrastructure is very important to the City, and she would like to see updates to the water system, road construction and maintenance, as well as preserving the work that the City has already accomplished with their debt.
“I am all about the citizens of Cortez. I look forward to looking at problems in a straightforward attitude. We have the possibility of having some very challenging times ahead of us, and I want to represent the people of Cortez for who they are, who I want them to be,” Randle said.
Lewis has lived in Cortez for eight years and has been a resident of Montezuma County for 41 years. He is a retired teacher and college administrator.
Lewis also mentioned infrastructure deficiencies, including upgrading roads, sidewalks and other maintenance issues, as well as affordable housing.
“My extensive community involvement, open-minded approach and financial expertise uniquely qualify me to serve as a dedicated advocate for our constituents. I am committed to leveraging these strengths to drive positive change and uphold the best interests of our community as your representative,” Lewis said.
Dobry is the grant administrator for the county and has lived in the community for 10 years.
Dobry said that he would like to see continued support of strong fiscal management and continuing to update the land use codes and making upgrades for the city’s infrastructure.
“I want the community to know that my main interest is in responsible fiscal management for the city,” Dobry said. “That's what I've worked on since I was appointed, and I think that I've done, and our council has done, a good job regarding that. That's the kind of leadership that the community could continue to expect from me.”
Six candidates campaigned for four open seats, and the four elected will join current members Matthew Kefauver, Lydia DeHaven and Dennis Spruell.
Mayor Pro-tem Arlina Yazzie and Councilmember David Rainey did not seek reelection and their terms end with the election of the new members.
The top three candidates will serve for four years, while the fourth will serve a two-year term.
The other two candidates who campaigned for City Council were Tai Rogers and Carly Wolf.
The new members will be sworn into City Council on Tuesday, April 23, and the vote for mayor will take place at that time.
