Two Montezuma County officials flew to Washington, D.C., Thursday for a conference, and plan to meet with U.S. Rep Jeff Hurd.
County Commissioner Jim Candelaria and County Administrator Travis Anderson are attending the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference starting March 1, said County Public Information Officer Vicki Shaffer.
They’re two of nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials who are attending “to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents,” according to its website.
They’ll be engaging in “second-to-none policy sessions, interact with officials of the new administration and meet with members of Congress,” its website said.
Plus, on March 4, they have a meeting scheduled with Hurd.
In light of their departure, six speakers spoke during public comment at the Feb. 25 Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners meeting.
Rebecca Busic, an outspoken member of the Montezuma County Democrats, started.
“I want the public to be aware of how this slash in federal dollars is impacting Southwest Colorado,” said Busic.
She named Tri-State Generation, the Southwest Water Conservation District, the Mancos Conservation District and the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project as a few of entities in our area who had received federal funding that’s either now in limbo or revoked.
“As elected officials going to Washington, you have … power that our constituents do not,” Busic said. “Maybe you’ll even see Rep. Hurd next week, who’s representative was a no-show in Montezuma County yesterday.”
“Maybe, just maybe, he would show up to listen to you.”
M.B. McAfee echoed Busic’s sentiments, and said to “please always speak up for constituents at all levels.”
A veteran from Mancos brought up Medicaid and said he “served proudly” and was “promised when I reach an old age they’d (the government) would take care of me.”
“The man in charge” campaigned on that, he said, “and now he’s breaking it.”
Mary Dodd, another member of the Montezuma County Democrat and a new member of the Southwest Health System’s board of directors, focused on Medicaid cuts.
“The hospital is the second-largest employer in the county,” said Dodd.
Plus, having a strong hospital helps recruit and retain people in a community, she said.
“You might say you have no power and can’t do anything cause these are federal cuts, but you do,” Dodd said. “When you go to D.C. I hope you’ll follow the advice of everyone who has spoken.”
Two more individuals spoke to conclude public comment. Before the meeting adjourned, Candelaria addressed the speakers’ concerns and the D.C. trip.
“Your concerns are heard,” Candelaria said. “And we have concerns ourselves.”
Concerns like the National Conservation Area designation for the Dolores River and Payments in Lieu of Taxes, which is federal money that helps counties “offset losses in property taxes” from the “nontaxable Federal lands within their boundaries,” according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Candelaria also brought up Secure Rural Schools funding and how they receive a “dismal” 48 cents per acre from the federal government.
“We have to try to run a county on that,” he said.
As far as federal funding cuts goes, the county relies on a lot of grants too, so they “will continue to talk to federal and state partners,” said Candelaria.
