Congratulations to Melissa Youssef, Dean Brookie and Chris Bettin for their victories on Tuesday. Brookie returns to Durango City Council for a second term, while Youssef and Bettin take the seats held by Christina Rinderle, who is term-limited, and Keith Brandt, who said the time required for his growing business precluded running for re-election.
Finishing fourth, narrowly, was landscape architect Dave McHenry, who ran on a platform of upgrading in-fill infrastructure. Tom Eskew was a more distant fifth. Eskew brought some basic workingman’s knowledge to the race, but was handicapped by his no-spending, no-yard-sign campaign. We admire Eskew for his minimalist strategy, but the result was that his name lacked visibility. Campaigning for the seats was thoughtful, serious and especially civil, as it should be at the local level.
Given all that the successful candidates promised, look for stronger efforts to address homelessness, increase workforce housing and reduce panhandling, and a continued effort to improve major infrastructure needs. Also, expect continued quality land-use planning to make Durango more livable even as population densities increase.
As to funding growth-related needs, the candidates expressed a strong reluctance to raise fees or to add new ones. The dilemma – how to have new development contribute to growth’s associated costs when the cost of housing is so high – remains.
Dick White and Sweetie Marbury are the hold-over members, and White will take his turn again as mayor when the new members are sworn in April 18. Council members receive $500 a month, health care and a parking pass. The mayor’s position, which rotates annually, pays $750 per month. Those rates were set in 2005 and will increase in 2019.
Durango’s water will continue to include tooth decay-preventing fluoride, as it has since the mid-1950s. Fluoride opponents were numerous and active, claiming the chemical was of questionable origin and could be harmful. They argued that it is best to let individuals decide how and how much to ingest.
The value of fluoride as a safety net particularly for young children was an argument supporters seemed to favor. The vote was almost 2 to 1 to continue with fluoride.
