Melissa Watters was appointed to the Dolores Town Board on Monday.
She fills a seat vacated by Trever Ince, who recently resigned.
Watters has lived in Dolores for 6½ years and has been a teacher for 16 years. She currently teaches at Southwest Open School in Cortez.
“As a teacher, I understand shared decision-making and achieving goals creatively within a limited budget,” Watters said.
She has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in environmental engineering, and worked in that field for seven years.
“I believe my background and experience will serve the town of Dolores well,” Watters said. “I really care about this town and am honored to serve on the board.”
Watters must run successfully in the upcoming election to retain her seat. She plans to be a candidate.
Dolores residents will elect four town trustees and the mayor in an April 3 election. The election will be conducted via mailed ballots.
The mayoral candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to a two-year term. The three trustees receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to four-year terms, and the one candidate with the next highest number of votes will receive a two-year term.
Eligible candidates must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day, are required to be registered electors and to have resided in the town of Dolores for at least 12 consecutive months before the date of the election.
Nominating petitions may be picked up at the Dolores Town Hall, 420 Central Ave., Dolores, Colorado from Jan. 2-25. The deadline for a nomination petition is 4 p.m. Jan. 22, filed at the Town Clerk’s Office, 420 Central Ave.
The four board members whose terms are up are Ginger McClellan-Swope, Duvall Truelsen, Watters and Tracy Murphy. 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 town is also seeking to hire a town manager. An interim manager will first be hired for three to six months, and a permanent one hired by August.
Qualifications include a minimum of three years of experience as a municipal manager and a bachelor’s degree in practical and applicable field.
Interested applicants should contact Lana Hancock at lana@townofdolores.com. Proposals will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26. Accepting the interim position does not preclude the interim manager from applying for and accepting the manager position.
For more information on the election or town manager position, call the Dolores Town Hall at 970-882-7720.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
