Candidates for four positions on the Dolores Town Board, the mayor and interim town manager were recently announced.
Board candidates and the mayor will be chosen by voters during the April 3 election, which will be by mail-in ballot. Ballots with instructions will be mailed out by mid-March to registered voters.
Candidates for town trustee as listed on the ballot are restaurant owner Duvall Truelsen, registered nurse Leigh Sand, manicurist Janice Heman, teacher Melissa Watters, school counselor Jennifer Stark, child-care center owner Debra Jorgensen, museum curator Tracy Murphy, construction worker Brian Rantz, brew pub worker Tobie Baker, writer Janneli Miller and accountant Timothy Mueller.
Candidates for mayor as listed on the ballot are local firefighter and EMT Gerald “Jerry” Whited and Southwest Open School teacher Chad Wheelus.
Placement on the ballot was done by randomly picking names out of a box.
“This is the most candidates for one election I’ve seen in 15 years,” said town manager Lana Hancock.
The mayoral candidate receiving the highest number of votes will serve a two-year term. The three trustees receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to serve four-year terms, and the one candidate with the next highest number of votes will receive a two-year term.
The four board members whose current terms are up are Ginger McClellan-Swope, Duvall Truelsen, Melissa Waters and Tracy Murphy. Waters and Murphy were appointed to fill vacancies, and must successfully run in the election to retain their seats.
The mayor’s position, currently held by Santiago Lopez, is also up for election. Board members James Biard’s and Isabel Boyce’s terms expire in April 2020.
The board also is in the process of hiring a new interim town manager. Hancock is stepping down as the current manager and will continue as the town’s clerk and treasurer. After reviewing many town manager applications, the board unanimously approved three finalists who will be interviewed. The names of finalists are David C. Stahl Sr., of Erie Colorado; Julian (Jay) Ruybalid, of Los Lunas, New Mexico; and J. David Fraser, of Boulder City, Nevada.
Interviews will be conducted Feb. 21 and 22 by the board at special meetings in executive session, which are not open to the public. The new manager will be hired in February or March, and will be on interim status until a permanent hire is chosen.
For more information on the election, call the Dolores Town Hall at 970-882-7720.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
