The unofficial election results from the Town of Pagosa Springs April 5 election were announced at about 8 o’clock last night by Town Clerk April Hessman.
Good evening,
We have completed counting the ballots.
There were 1,178 ballots mailed out to active voters, with 369 returned.
Until the canvass is completed next week, the unofficial totals are as follows:
Mayor
Shari Pierce: 279 votes
Sara Cole: 40 votes
Town Council
Matt DeGuise: 238 votes
Gary Williams: 219 votes
Madeline Bergon: 266 votes
Ballot Question A
Yes: 188 votes
No: 179 votes
Nearly all of the 369 voters (367) weighed in on the ballot question, with about 51% voting ‘Yes’. The wording of Ballot Question A was as follows:
“Commencing June 1, 2022, the Town of Pagosa Springs shall collect a Workforce Housing Fee from Short-Term Rentals (STRs) located within Town limits, amounting to at least $150 per month for each permitted bedroom, except no Workforce Housing Fee shall be due when an STR owner resides full-time on the STR property at least nine (9) months of the year. All Workforce Housing Fees shall be dedicated to the creation and sustainability of workforce housing aimed at households earning no more than 100% of Area Median Income.”
This wording will be incorporated into the Town’s Home Rule Charter, and the Town Council and staff will determine the details regarding the collection of the fees and the use of the generated funds.
The group that petitioned Ballot Question A onto the April 5 ballot — through the citizens initiative process — estimated that the fee will generate approximately $600,000 annually, to be used exclusively to support workforce housing projects.
The only contest among the candidates was between Shari Pierce, who petitioned onto the ballot, and Sara Cole, who ran as a write-in candidate. The three Council candidates were running for three vacant seats, so all three will be seated at the Thursday, April 7 Council meeting.
Because Ms. Pierce was been serving as a Council member, and will now be moving to the Mayor’s seat, there will be one vacancy on the Council, which will need to be filled by appointment.