Durango City Councilor Dean Brookie embarked on his second term as mayor of Durango on Tuesday – and his second time leading the city during a crisis.
Brookie replaces City Councilor Melissa Youssef, who served as mayor during a year marked by financial challenges and leadership transition. As the city of Durango shifts into managing the economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis, Brookie plans to use the lessons he learned as mayor during the Gold King Mine spill to help guide recovery.
“You really don’t know how big a crisis is until you get your arms around it,” Brookie said. “That’s the process we’re in. Keep calm, understand the problem, then find the resultant solutions.”
The council met Tuesday night via video conferencing to maintain social-distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Durango, five city councilors choose the mayor and mayor pro tem every April. The mayor, who serves a one-year term, is the head of the city government and leads meetings but does not have regular administrative duties or veto power.
Brookie, re-elected in 2017, said the council’s immediate priority is addressing budget shortfalls caused by the crisis. His goal is to help manage recovery so Durango doesn’t “lose our identity, but thrives on our uniqueness,” he said.
He also plans to focus on creating character districts and an urban renewal authority in Durango, and continuing council’s climate initiatives during the remainder of his term.
Although Durango has a new mayor, the city is still working through many recent challenges.
For example, the city is searching for a new permanent manager after City Council and former City Manager Ron LeBlanc parted ways in September 2019. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is investigating allegations of misappropriations of funds.
For outgoing Mayor Youssef, whose term as city councilor ends in 2021, some of those challenges count as successes.
The 2020 budget, submitted by LeBlanc, was filled with inconsistencies. Council’s thoroughness in fixing the budget and seeking help from the state rebuilt trust with the community, she said.
The council is trying to develop internal working agreements to help with decision-making and disagreements on the board. Youssef said the process helps clarify and improve council dynamics.
“I think it was a year of transition,” she said. “The next priorities will be spending adjustments based on revenue projections. For most municipalities across the country, it’s going to be back to the basics.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
