Five candidates are competing for three open seats on the Ignacio Town Board, some with viewpoints that challenge the status quo.
Ignacio residents will go to Town Hall on April 7 to decide who will represent them on the Town Board. On several occasions, the incumbent candidates and newcomers have found themselves in tense discussions during board meetings, primarily about the recent utility rate increases, transparency and town budget.
The candidates include three incumbent town trustees, Alison deKay, Sandra Maez and Edward Box III, and two newcomers, Chris May and Mandy Brown.
Current board members have faced pushback from May, Brown and other community members. During meetings, May and Brown have questioned budget details, town transparency and the interim town manager’s pay.
Incumbents deKay and Maez said the current board stays positive and professional, even when members disagree – which is an important dynamic for any board, they said.
“You’re part of a team,” said deKay, mayor pro tem and a board member for eight years. “You’re part of a group of people that make the decision. You’re not standing alone.”
The five candidates are competing for three four-year terms on the board. They will join Mayor Stella Cox and trustees Tom Atencio, Sharon Craig and Dixie Melton, whose terms end in 2022.
To be eligible, they must be a registered elector and have resided within the town for at least 12 consecutive months. Each candidate needed 10 signatures to be on the ballot, said Tuggy Dunton, town clerk.
“And each of them had more than enough,” she said.
Weeks before the election, the candidates shared how they’re involved with the community, their top priorities, why they want to run for town trustee and what qualities a trustee should show.
DeKay, an elementary school teacher in Ignacio, joined the board in 2012 and has lived in Ignacio since 2003. She is active in the community as a seasonal ranch employee, member at St. Ignatius Church and a fitness instructor at SunUte Community Center. She is a former board member at SUCAP, now SoCoCAA, and member of the Head Start Policy Committee.
DeKay said she was proud the board worked through several staff changes, brought in people with expertise and stabilized the town’s finances.
“In 2012, things were looking pretty bleak,” she said.
Her top priorities are to ensure that the town’s funding accounts are self-sustaining and balanced. She wants to bring more housing options for all income levels to town.
“I like this trend that we’ve set,” deKay said. “It’s hard to leave projects that you have started, but they definitely need more work.”
Maez, a stay-at-home mother, joined the board in 2015. She was raised in Ignacio, and her family has been there for generations. With four boys, three still in the Ignacio School District, she often volunteers with the district and youth athletics.
The budget and housing take top priority for Maez, along with finishing current projects.
“I want to support our community,” she said. “I want to show our community that we’re working hard ... to make good choices for them.”
Box has been on the Town Board since 2014 and is a member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. His family has been in the area for generations and are prominent figures in Southern Ute ceremonies, such as the Sun Dance and the Bear Dance. Box is the former director of the Southern Ute Culture Department and co-founder of Southwest Rainbow Youth, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ communities and allies.
Box did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Durango Herald.
May, a retired Ignacio resident, has been in the community since the 1980s. He calls himself the “cable guy” and owned Rural Route Video and Auto Parts Inc. He acted as chairman of the Ignacio Planning Commission for many years. He said he is currently on several nonprofit boards, but declined to mention their names.
May’s top issue is transparency.
He wants to know more about the board’s justification for town spending and to see information that is easier to access for the public. He aims to learn more about how the board has made decisions and emphasized being good neighbors.
“I have a lot of friends in and outside of town. I’ve been a friend to the Southern Ute tribe for many years,” he said. “I think it’s important for Ignacio to lead a harmonious life with our neighbors with the tribe.”
Brown was a member of the Ignacio Planning Commission until her term expired in February. She currently works for the Southern Ute tribe and has been a project administrator in the tribal housing department.
Brown did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
smullane@durangoherald.com
