As a result of Town Council member Rebecca Anderson’s resignation, the Town of Pagosa Springs is accepting letters of interest for a vacant seat on the Town Council in District 1. This appointment would serve the remainder of the current term, expiring April 2018.
After serving on the Council for just over seven months following her appointment last September, Ms. Anderson changed her residence and moved outside the District 1 boundaries, thus disqualifying her for the seat she’d held. Three of the Town Council seats are elected by district residency; three seats are “at large”; the seventh Council seat is occupied by the Mayor.
Below is a map of the Town’s districts. (A larger map can be downloaded here.)
From the Town’s municipal code:
Section 2.6 – Term Limitations
There shall be no limitations on the number of terms which may be served by the Mayor or Council Members.
Section 2.7 – Qualifications for Elected Office
A) No person shall be eligible to be elected or appointed to the office of Mayor or Council Member unless he or she is:
1) A citizen of the United States of America; and
2) A registered elector of the Town; and
3) A resident of the Town, and in the case of district Council Members, a resident of his or her respective district for a period of no less than twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the election. In the case of annexation, residency within the annexed territory for the prescribed period shall satisfy the residency requirements for this Section.
B) No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be eligible to be elected or appointed to the office of Mayor or Council Member.
C) No person who is an employee of the Town may serve as Mayor or a Council Member. Any Town employee elected as Mayor or Council Member shall be deemed to have resigned as an employee on the date of taking office.
D) No person may be a candidate for both Mayor and Council Member at the same election.
E) The Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its own Members, subject to judicial review.
If you live in District 1 and are interested in serving on the Town Council, please submit a letter of interest to Town Manager Greg Schulte by April 28 at 4pm. Town Council will consider appointment to the Board on Tuesday May 2, 2017 at 5:00pm. If you are unsure of your District please contact the Town Clerk at 970-264-4151 ext 237.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.