Candidates for Durango City Council went through a gauntlet of forums the first week of March, which kicked off with a virtual forum by the La Plata County Democrats and concluded with a forum hosted by the Boulevard Neighborhood Association.
Subjects like housing, the city’s feud with La Plata County and homelessness were common subjects at many of the forums. But candidates weren’t limited to speaking about the most hot button issues.
The discussion was brought back to the basics when candidates shared their top budget priorities. Later, they were asked how they as city leaders would consider the next generation’s wants and needs.
At the Durango Chamber of Commerce’s Forum for Progress on March 4, Fort Lewis College political science professor Paul DeBell granted candidates one minute to deliver answers, setting a fast pace for the morning.
Candidates were asked what their top priorities for the city’s budget are. Kip Koso said maintenance is his greatest priority budget-wise. The city continues to have issues with 60-year-old utilities beneath Main Avenue, and its police department is decades overdue for a new facility.
“The concentration that I want to make is that we are (maintaining) what we've got right now and making sure that we're keeping that so that we don't have to come back for huge capital expenses and review things at a certain time,” he said.
He said financial accountability and ensuring money is “going in the right direction” is also a high budget priority.
Candidate Shirley Gonzales said alternative transportation, alternatives for the unhoused and small business growth and development are her top priorities. Her vision for Durango is a community that takes care of its most vulnerable citizens, including children, people with disabilities and the unhoused.
“If we deal with that, we'll help everybody along the way. And we know that there is an incredibly creative (group of) people here that want to continue to thrive and use their talents to make this a better community,” she said. “And I want to ensure that those people can stay here, and that means housing affordability at every step of the continuum.”
Candidate Chris Elias said he doesn’t see crumbling streets across Durango, but the city does need to consistently maintain its infrastructure. He said the parks and recreation are what make Durango fun to live in and bring visitors to the area.
Durango’s financial reporting is in good shape, Candidate Olivier Bosmans said, but he questions its financial priorities.
“We can spend $2 million on a study that will do nothing for a project that will never happen, and the financial report is good, showing that expense, but our financial performance will be very poor,” he said.
He said only a portion of capital projects budgeted for annually make any progress.
Bosmans was elected to City Council in 2021 and is in the final stretch of his first term on the council. Candidate Jessika Buell likewise is currently the mayor and is also finishing her first term on council.
Buell said the thing about budget priorities is that they are determined by voters. Sales tax funds and enterprise funds are approved for specific uses at the ballot by voters. The question is how to fund necessities such as transit maintenance, child care, housing affordability and stormwater infrastructure.
“A lot of times voters aren't going to vote for the non-sexy things, right?” she said. “So we have a study group right now that's going forward to figure out how to fund stormwater.”
She said City Council and city staff are forward thinking and do good work determining how to fund needed projects.
At the League of Women Voters of La Plata County’s candidate forum, also held March 4, candidates were asked how they will integrate youth voices into their decision making.
Koso highlighted his nine years of work with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the SunUte Community Center in Ignacio, and his experience founding the Boys & Girls Clubs of the SUIT and La Plata County.
He said kids will tell you what they want, they often have ingenious ideas, and that’s what makes working with them fun.
He said eliminating barriers such as lacking transportation from after-school activities will empower youth to group up and participate in community conversations
Bosmans said he’s spoken to Boy Scouts groups, and Durango High School and Fort Lewis College have student governments and ways for kids to get together, formulate ideas and make recommendations to City Council.
He said he has two children currently on the city’s Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission, and there are a lot of opportunities for youth to raise their voices. He said he will engage anyone looking to be heard.
Gonzales said young people are innovators, entrepreneurs, creatives and risk takers. She said the best way to integrate youth voices is to address their top priorities, which are affordability and a progressive government.
“What that means is that they have a way for their voices to be heard,” she said. “And walkability so that they don’t have to drive.”
Elias said he doesn’t have kids himself, but his plan to engage and involve youth in his leadership is by connecting with them out on Durango’s trails.
Buell said she taught sixth grade math and language arts at Escalante Middle School for five years, and she visits schools in Durango at least once a month to talk to students about what the city can do and what they can do. She also said it’s important City Council routinely meets with FLC students to hear about their needs and concerns.
She said she is working on a regional youth advisory commission with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission is currently engaging with Durango High School students about ways a 2005 half-cent sales tax could benefit parks and recreation projects if it is reauthorized in the April election.
“I feel like I stay pretty in touch with the youth at the moment,” she said. “As I get older I slowly fall away, but I try to stay involved and stay in front of youth.”
cburney@durangoherald.com
