Two longtime La Plata County residents are vying for a seat as a county commissioner in District 2, and both candidates emphasize opening La Plata County for business.
Marsha Porter-Norton, a Democrat, kicked off the race when she announced her candidacy in February 2019. She touted her years of experience leading a nonprofit, volunteering and working as a facilitator on controversial issues in the region.
Then, in October 2019, Durango native Jack Turner threw his hat in the ring, running unaffiliated, after most recently working in the local film and television industry.
The seat for District 2, which covers most of Durango, is held by Gwen Lachelt, who has reached the term limit allowed for holding the office. The entire county may vote on all three commission districts.
For the past few months, what has emerged as the most hotly debated topic among candidates is how to streamline and support businesses in the community.
La Plata County this fall adopted a new land-use code with this exact goal in mind, and while the candidates support the revised regulations, both said it is going to take time to see how well they work.
Porter-Norton and Turner also said once the land-use code has been used, it will be important to further remove roadblocks to new and growing businesses.
“We have to get the code tweaked where necessary,” Porter-Norton said.
From the outset, Turner said he would look for ways to get commissioners more involved – in a public, transparent manner – with proposed developments, and create an appeals process that would go to commissioners if a developer is unhappy dealing with county staff members.
Porter-Norton said she supports bringing quality jobs to the region, and diversifying the economy by working with local groups, such as the La Plata County Economic Development Alliance.
Another reoccurring theme was affordable and attainable housing.
Porter-Norton said she has developed a countywide plan for affordable housing, which would bring together nonprofits, the private sector and local governments to come up with a comprehensive strategy.
Turner said the new land-use code should include incentives to make building affordable housing more financially feasible for developers, whether by helping with infrastructure needs or delaying taxes.
“We have to streamline things,” Turner said. “You have to get permission for every step along the way. I just find that so cumbersome.”
Growth is inevitable, Porter-Norton said, with some estimates showing 70,000 residents in La Plata County by 2030. She wants to develop a long-range vision to anticipate that influx.
“I think we need to keep our eyes on that longer-term vision,” she said.
For the most part, Porter-Norton and Turner have run a congenial campaign, though questions have arisen about whether Turner is a Republican and running unaffiliated to pick up more votes.
Turner, for his part, is adamant he is not Republican, and county records show he was a registered Democrat until he switched to unaffiliated in 2018. He said some Democrats are casting him as a Republican to disparage his campaign.
“I’m really disappointed,” he said. “People are sick and tired of the fight (between political parties). ... It bothers me there’s an active campaign out there declaring I’m Republican. Why can’t we draw the best from both parties?”
Turner said he chose to run as an unaffiliated candidate to better represent both right- and left-leaning residents.
But Porter-Norton, who grew up on a ranch in Montezuma County, said she has worked with people from both sides of the aisle for years, such as in the recent push for protections in the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area.
“It’s really easy to say, ‘Let’s bring people together,’” she said. “It’s entirely different to have the experience and the credentials to actually have done it.”
Both Porter-Norton and Turner said they would drop any other job to serve as a commissioner full time.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
How to vote
Ballots were mailed to voters Oct. 9 in La Plata County, and voters should go to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office to get a replacement ballot if they have not received their mail-in ballot by Oct. 16.
La Plata County Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Parker said voters who return their ballots by mail should mail them before Oct. 26 to ensure the U.S. Postal Service delivers them to her office by 7 p.m. Nov. 3, the deadline for receipt of ballots.
After Oct. 26, voters should drop off ballots at one of five drop-off boxes across the county:
Clerk and Recorder’s Office, 679 Turner Drive, Durango.
Bayfield Town Hall, 1199 Bayfield Parkway, Bayfield.
La Plata County Administration Building, 1101 East Second Ave., Durango.
Fort Lewis College Community Concert Hall, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango.
Farmers Fresh Market, 535 Goddard Ave., Ignacio.
For those who prefer to cast their ballots in person, Voter Service Polling Centers will be set up beginning Oct. 19 in the clerk’s office, and beginning Oct. 26 in Bayfield Town Hall.
Also, three Voter Service Polling Centers will open Nov. 2 and on Election Day, Nov. 3, at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College; the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum, 503 Ouray Drive in Ignacio; and La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave. in Durango.
Herald Staff
