Between addressing the ever-present need for affordable housing, toeing the line on divisive issues such as homelessness and Downtown’s Next Step, and ensuring essential services, programs and projects align with the city’s mission, vision and values, city councilors have their work cut out for them.
Residents who believe they are up to the task have until Feb. 4 to become a candidate in the race for Durango City Council, which has three seats up for grabs April 1.
Councilor Melissa Youssef is wrapping up her second and final term on the council. Meanwhile, Mayor Jessika Buell and Councilor Olivier Bosmans are approaching the end of their first terms.
Buell told The Durango Herald on Friday she plans to run for reelection. Bosmans said on Tuesday he has not yet decided if he will seek a second term.
Among the issues newly sworn-in councilors are likely to face include the possible construction of a new city hall and police station; whether to pursue a pedestrian safety and walkability project, known as Downtown’s Next Steps; and the merging of Visit Durango with the city of Durango; among others.
In order to become a candidate, residents must complete an official candidate affidavit with the city clerk’s office, said City Clerk Faye Harmer. From there, prospective candidates have until 3 p.m. Feb. 4 to gather at least 25 signatures from registered electors of the city of Durango. Once the city verifies those signatures, the petitioner becomes a verified candidate.
Candidates are encouraged to collect more than 25 signatures, because signors’ names, addresses and apartment numbers must exactly match the information on the Colorado Secretary of State’s voter registry, and sometimes mistakes can happen.
The petition window for gathering signatures opened Wednesday, Jan. 15, and ends 3 p.m. Feb. 4. Harmer said a prospective candidate does not have to complete their candidate affidavit right away, but the longer they wait to do so, the less overall time they have to gather signatures and become eligible for the race.
Councilors seeking reelection must follow the same process, she said.
Just one prospective candidate had completed his candidate affidavit as of Wednesday morning, although several people have met with Harmer to learn more about the process, she said.
Durango resident Charles Elias, 41, who goes by his middle name, Chris, said he is running for local office to help the community of Durango.
Elias said he is living the retired life and wants to help the community. He knows people in many industries such as rafting and cycling, and he wants to represent the people who are the “lifeblood” of Durango.
He moved to Durango from Tulsa in 2006 to attend Fort Lewis College. He dropped out his senior year, having received all he needed from the college, he said.
After college, he worked as a butcher at Sunnyside Market before moving to California where he started a Cannabis business, THC Design, and then to Oklahoma to start another cannabis business, Heartland Farms, he said. The former business did not fare well, but the latter business is thriving, he said.
cburney@durangoherald.com