La Plata County Board of County Commissioners Chair Matt Salka is running for reelection in District 3 on a platform dedicated to increasing broadband access, tackling the county’s budget constraints and lowering the cost of housing.
The Democrat faces a challenge from Bayfield rancher Paul Black.
District 3 is anchored in Bayfield and spans the eastern part of the county. Although the commissioner representing each district must live within its confines, commissioners are elected at-large by all county voters.
Salka, the former mayor of Bayfield, touts his role in standing up the county’s new public health department, finishing the county’s weather radar station and using American Rescue Plan Act funds to increase access to high-speed internet and affordable housing as some of his key accomplishments during his first term.
On the campaign trail, Salka has talked up his part in advancing county issues at the statehouse through the board’s lobbyist, Colorado Counties Inc., and defended the county’s response to criticism of the 2020 land-use code.
Get to know Matt
What is your primary vehicle?
2016 Toyota Tundra
What was the last vacation you took?
Bermuda. I used to live there so I have friends there and went to high school there for three years.
What book are you reading right now?
Our board packets. There are no books right now.
Other than the Herald, where is the first place you go for news in the morning?
I use Reddit
If you had to live in a town outside La Plata County, where would you live?
Conifer would be pretty cool, because you can still get that mountain living, yet be close to Denver.
DH: You have told developers who are frustrated with the land-use code to come talk to you. But when they do, they are often told that you can’t speak with people who have a pending project on which you might be asked to vote. How and why does that response work?
Salka: So, if there is a submitted project already done, I can't speak on it, but we can talk about the overall picture of what the issue is. If it's a general idea, if it's not just your specific issue, but what's the general issue, that I can listen to.
DH: People aren't going to have a problem with the land-use code until they hit speed bumps with a project. That’s when they will want to come talk to you.
Salka: Agreed. The land-use code is a living document. It can change, and we have done that. We've been going through that process. But with government, you have to have several meetings. As a commissioner, I do not have the power to say, “You know what, I like your idea. Let's just delete that sentence and I'll add this one sentence to benefit you.” What I can do is have staff review it, have attorneys review it. Then it has to go through, potentially, go through the planning commissioners, then potentially may come to us. There’s also public input and comments. It's not an overnight type of decision.
DH: What other recourse should frustrated would-be builders take?
Salka: Talk to (Economic Development Alliance of La Plata County), they could be a voice, the Durango Chamber of Commerce, Bayfield chamber. Don't talk about specific projects, talk about the general terms, the broad overview. Reach out to our county manager, reach out to our Community Development Director Lynn Hyde, reach out to planning commissioners if it's not a submitted project. There’s multiple avenues.
About this Q&A
The Durango Herald met with opposing candidates running in contested races across Southwest Colorado. Candidates were asked similar questions on the same issues. Their answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
DH: County staff are contending with a structural deficit and are cutting spending next year. Would you vote in favor of a resolution asking taxpayers to raise property taxes by increasing the county mill levy?
Salka: Yes, because there is a gigantic shortfall. Mind you, that will take some time, because some people don't like to hear the education. Yes, I would entertain it. But that's why we implemented road impact fees. I want to exhaust all tools available in order to address that gigantic shortfall.
DH: Would you vote in favor of a mill levy increase for road and bridge, and if so how much?
Salka: I heard that there was a proposal of, I think it was 2 mills or a sales tax, which is 0.5%, so 50 cents of $100.
DH: Would you have a preference between a mill levy or a sales tax increase?
Salka: The voters have the choice on this, I don’t. It depends on the engagement and the public process of reaching out to the residents.
DH: What is one idea your opponent has proposed that, if reelected, you applaud and would work to realize?
Salka: I would applaud our continued work of updating the land-use code.
DH: What, in your next term, will you do to lower the cost of housing or increase the volume of available attainable housing?
Salka: I'm already working on next steps. There's always a plan when you move things forward. Yeah, you better have a game plan for the future. I have now, a proposal to remove the 2% cap on the county lodgers tax and move it up to 6%. We got priority status on a bill proposal for 2025. If signed by the governor and approved by House and Senate, then we could bring that to the ballot in 2026. That could help address tourist-impacted roads, but also workforce housing.
DH: You advocated in support of road impact fees, which your opponent called “just a secret tax.” Why is he wrong?
Salka: He's wrong because it's a fee. New growth should pay its way. If we deregulate, the word he used, if we deregulate, there’s consequences to those actions. The consequence is more cars, more traffic and more use of our infrastructure. So the new development – more cars coming in – that development should have to pay a fee in order to improve those areas.
DH: Housing is one solution to homelessness. But the cocktail of factors that leads someone to homelessness is complex. What others contributors should the county target and how would you do it?
Salka: We tried. We really did. When we had American Rescue Plan Funds, we offered a million dollars to help alleviate and reduce the problem. We’re helping with Manna Resource Center and making sure that they can still continue their success in getting people off the streets and into housing.
DH: Are there other factors that the county should be investing in, whether that is mental health services, whether that's addiction treatment or something else?
Salka: We are now. We're doing that through our county public health department. There are tools available for harm reduction. We're partnering with Axis Health. We're going to have an office space as well, almost like a one-stop shop there. We are investing in those resources.
rschafir@durangoherald.com