You get what you pay for – and this year, La Plata County voters were largely willing to pay. With 47.4% turnout (21,200 ballots cast of 44,702 active voters), participation exceeded County Clerk Tiffany Lee’s 40% projection (Herald, Nov. 5) – and outpaced Colorado’s 41% statewide turnout.
Local and national events likely influenced the results as much as they raised awareness: flooding at Vallecito reminded residents why local government and first responders matter, while the federal SNAP funding standoff and the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with court orders left 42 million Americans without November payments (Herald, Nov. 5).
Against that backdrop, voters endorsed a slate of measures investing in community infrastructure, school leadership, and essential services. Ballot Measure 1A, which will raise about $18 million annually for the county’s general fund, passed with 56% support – not a landslide, but a decisive vote of confidence. Statewide measures LL and MM also cruised to victory (71% and 64% locally; 66% and 60% statewide), fully funding Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program, which provides free breakfast and lunch for every student and supports local food producers, kitchen upgrades, and fair wages for cafeteria staff (Herald, Sept. 17).
The Durango School Board election reaffirmed steady leadership. Incumbents Erika Brown, Rick Petersen, and Andrea Parmenter won by wide margins: Brown 74% to 26%, Petersen 71% to 29%, and Parmenter 71% to 29% (Herald, Nov. 5). Experience, it seems, continues to matter.
Support for public safety was equally clear. County and fire district measures passed comfortably: Durango Fire’s 2A and 7A and Upper Pine River Fire’s 7B all succeeded with margins between 52% and 58% (Herald, Nov. 5, Herald, Nov. 5). When your life depends on it, it’s hard to vote no.
The story was different in Bayfield, where voters rejected both a proposed 1% sales tax for parks and recreation (2B), which failed 58% to 42%, and a 4% lodgers tax (2C), which fell 54% to 46% (Herald, Nov. 5). Given concurrent county and fire-district tax proposals, residents’ reluctance to add more was understandable. But 2C’s defeat was surprising. It would have replaced the county’s existing 2% lodgers tax – already collected on short-term rentals – with a visitor-funded 4% local tax to generate about $20,000 annually for housing and economic development (Herald, Oct. 19).
Some Bayfield voters may have misunderstood that the county was already collecting a lodgers tax, which this measure would have guaranteed to be directed locally. Going forward, the county’s Lodgers Tax panel members will determine how funds are allocated, and Bayfield’s town trustees and residents must pay attention and participate.
La Plata County Commissioner Matt Salka, a Bayfield resident, remains optimistic. The county is already in conversation with the Town of Bayfield about its $700,000 request for a housing project, as is the La Plata Economic Development Alliance, regarding the establishment of a new child care center in town. Last year’s voter-approved reallocation of county lodgers tax revenue – 70% now goes to housing and child care – means Bayfield will benefit. As Salka put it, “Bayfield will see its share of the love.”
Still, representation matters. The county Lodgers Tax panel, Planning Commission, and Early Childhood Council of La Plata County could all use broader participation. Bayfield residents have a voice – if they choose to use it.
Durango Hills residents also made their priorities clear, approving 6A by an overwhelming 86% to 14%, ensuring steady funding for road maintenance and snow removal (Herald, Oct. 17).
Overall, the election ran smoothly. Clerk Lee reported that off-year coordinated elections usually draw turnout in the high 30s to low 40s, but this year exceeded expectations (Herald, Nov. 5). Election Day saw unusually high in-person participation – 414 voters on Election Day for a total of 530 during early voting leading up to and including Tuesday.
Whether driven by concern over national politics or local issues, Lee observed, “People are engaged in what is happening and educated about the impacts of these measures.”
That engagement is healthy. La Plata County residents recognized that strong schools, safe communities, and functioning local government don’t happen by accident. The results show that, despite political noise and distrust elsewhere, our community remains pragmatic – willing to invest in its own stability and shared future.
Thanks are due to Tiffany Lee, her staff and volunteers for another fair, professional election. Once again, La Plata County set a standard for civic participation – and proved that when voters are engaged and informed, democracy and community win.
