Ignacio residents re-elected three incumbents to the Town Board on Tuesday, according to official election results.
Mayor Pro Tem Alison deKay received 116 votes; Trustee Edward Box III earned 105; and Trustee Sandra Maez received 92. Newcomer candidates Chris May and Mandy Brown earned 80 and 79 votes, respectively.
The results showed 169 ballots from 430 eligible voters.
Ignacio voters braved the coronavirus to participate in the town’s first-ever drive-thru municipal elections. The winners, elected to four-year terms, focused on financial stability, affordable housing and pending projects when their campaigns started in early March. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, they emphasized the budget, pending projects and small businesses.
“I’m really excited about the results. I really feel like our community has spoken, and they do think that we are doing a good job,” Maez said. “I’m ready to move forward.”
The state government did not give Colorado municipalities the option to cancel elections because of the coronavirus pandemic, so more than 100 communities had to find creative solutions.
In Ignacio, staff used public health measures, such as tent stations, a drive-thru lane and personal protective equipment for election judges, to protect the community from the virus.
“I know a lot of people were kind of nervous about how that was going to all play out,” Maez said. “I’m proud of the town for putting all that together.”
Voter turnout was higher this year than in past elections. For example, only 58 people voted during the 2018 election, when three candidates were running for three open positions.
“It’s really important that our town took advantage of our voting rights,” Maez said. “I was really happy to see that. ... They all had a voice, and they got to speak.”
Colorado recently extended its stay-at-home order until April 26, as positive cases in the state surpassed 5,000. In response, the re-elected candidates are focused on guiding the town through the crisis.
Maez focused on keeping everybody safe and healthy until the pandemic is under control. Box aimed to stay in tune with community needs and represent them at board meetings. DeKay talked about maintaining the town’s financial stability and not losing ground on existing projects. She also emphasized more varied housing opportunities.
“Once this passes, we can really work toward getting the town back up and running and making sure businesses are going to be OK,” Maez said. “I know that’s a concern for a lot of places, not just our area.”
The town government is trying to give local businesses more information about available funding opportunities. It is also keeping an eye on the budget.
“The (federal) relief funds, from what I understand, cannot be used for lost taxes,” deKay said.
Farmers Fresh Market, the local grocery store, is one of the town’s biggest tax bases and is still seeing steady business, she said.
Revenue from the town sales tax, county sales tax and property tax will likely decrease because of the stay-at-home order and other response measures. In response, the town might have to make budget cuts or defer some purchases and street repair projects, according to early town estimates.
“It’s a little early to tell. I think at this point, it’s sort of a wait and see,” deKay said.
The extent of budget cuts depends on how effective current response measures are at controlling the disease outbreak in Colorado.
“That is going to have an impact,” Maez said. “We’re not quite sure what kind of impact that is.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
