The Montezuma County Republican Central Committee selected Gerald Koppenhafer to succeed the late Commissioner Joel Stevenson.
Koppenhafer, a veterinarian and president of Montezuma Valley Irrigation Co., previously served two terms as Montezuma County commissioner.
He will represent District 3 in Mancos until the general election in November.
He was up against eight other candidates: Wesley Sheek, Queenie Barz, Kelly Belt, Blake Mitchell, Ted Neergard, Kirk Underwood and Terry Hoecker.
“I’m just glad to see that many people come out,” Koppenhafer told The Journal after his selection. “It’s really great that that many people want to be involved.”
Candidates engaged in eight-question individual Q&A sessions.
The committee’s 29 members in attendance Thursday evening deliberated for about an hour, and only one vote was necessary, said Allen Maez, chairman of the committee.
He said the applicants were strong, making the task difficult.
“We learned a lot from some people who stepped up,” he told The Journal.
Koppenhafer will be sworn in Feb. 1 by Judge Douglas Walker of the 22nd Judicial District, and will begin to serve his term at the Board of County Commissioners meeting immediately after.
Questions and a summary of Koppenhafer’s answers, are as follows:
Question: The position of county commissioner is a demanding job. As a commissioner, are you available to attend meetings on evenings and weekends, as well as travel out of the area to conferences and other office functions? What could potentially prevent you from doing so?
Answer: Only unforeseen circumstances like illness would hinder Koppenhafer’s ability to perform the job, he said. During his previous tenure as commissioner, he attended almost every meeting, he said.
Question: While the assessment rate on property has decreased, and Kinder Morgan production has declined, the county has experienced a significant decrease in tax revenue. What would you propose to either increase tax revenue or cut services in order to balance the county budget?
Koppenhafer said he believed in making budget cuts where possible before increasing taxes.
Question: What is your experience with county Planning and Zoning?
Answer: Koppenhafer helped develop the land use code.
Question: With increased demands on water resources and land use in Montezuma County, how would you ensure water resources are protected, the use of public lands is fair and balanced between user groups, and development is managed, all while ensuring the protection of private property rights?
Answer: Koppenhafer said he believes private property rights are “No.1.” As for water, he said he believed there should be enough available to sustain development.
“You can’t have development without the water,” he said.
When it comes to use of public land, Koppenhafer said the county should try to influence agencies that oversee it to ensure multiple use.
Question: If there was one aspect of our county government you would change, what would it be?
Answer: The biggest thing, Koppenhafer said, is increasing involvement.
“The only time that people want to get involved is if there's some impact right next to them,” he said. “Otherwise, they're not concerned. They don't care.”
Question: Please share your past experience in the areas of management finance facilities and maintenance that helped you prepare for the position of county commissioner.
Answer: Koppenhafer started Montezuma Veterinary Clinic, and after leaving that practice, took to managing a private practice and delved into agriculture. He’s been self-employed for most of his life and put himself through veterinary school, he said.
Question: COVID has been on everyone’s mind the last few years. How would you balance the desires of your constituents, the citizens regarding masking, vaccination, quarantine, against the pressure on the health department from the state?
Answer: Koppenhafer questioned how effective masks and vaccines can be. Although he said he was vaccinated, he doesn’t believe in mandates. He’s not against vaccination, he said, stating “anything that will help you, you probably should be trying to do.”
“I think a lot of the things that have happened in this country with this disease has prolonged our suffering from it, not got it down,” he said.
No vaccine, he said, guarantees 100% protection against a virus, but he said that he believes vaccines can “help cut down how severe your case is.”
He said he thinks there is “lots of controversy now about whether you should keep getting more and more injections of it.”
“Eventually, I think everybody in this country is going to experience it somewhere along the line,” he said.
Question: Agriculture is an important industry in the county. Recreation is an economic boost to the county as well. Both of these industries rely heavily on public lands, which make up approximately 75% of our county. What are your thoughts on how our public lands should be managed, and the county's role in managing them to ensure these important industries thrive?
Answer: He believes Montezuma County should continue to be an advocate for multiple use on public lands. Koppenhafer has seen local recreation increase “tremendously” over the past two decades, he said. He believes in balancing recreation with the agricultural interest of local populations, and implementing measures to help with issues like cattle management.
Under Colorado law, the Republican committee was responsible for appointing a successor from the Mancos district, and had until Friday to do so.
