The Durango Hills Road Improvement District Advisory Committee has a long history of effectively managing the roads in Durango Hills (often being praised by county staff). I served on this committee for 26 years, 22 years as chairman, having been appointed to eight three-year terms by multiple sets of county commissioners.

And in the past, I and the committee as a group have always had open access to our elected commissioners, regardless of political affiliation, to discuss the Improvement District.

But that has changed.

In the four years Commissioners Gwen Lachelt and Julie Westendorff have been in office, our committee has not once met with them as a group, nor have I individually.

Instead, we are directed to meet with other county staff. I do give Commissioner Brad Blake credit as he has met with me personally regarding District affairs.

Unfortunately, Westendorff and Lachelt replaced two of our board members with a current and former director of the San Juan Citizens Alliance. Both individuals live at the upper end of Durango Hills.

There are about 140 lots in Durango Hills, and accordingly, in the past, most road improvement money has been spent at the lower end of Durango Hills where the most traffic is.

Since Lachelt and Westendorff made the changes to the board, road maintenance has been redirected to the areas where the newly installed board members live (no surprise), where there is far less traffic and less overall benefit to the taxpayers of the district.

We should not put up with two commissioners who appoint people who are closely associated with them and who in turn vote to have their roads receive preferred treatment. At the least, their actions are unethical.

This is not the first stacking of commissions by Lachelt and Westendorff. There are several other people who have been appointed who are associated with activist environmental groups and closely associated with the two commissioners.

It’s time to return ethics back to the county commissioners office.

Do not vote for Lachelt and Westendorff this November.

Bob Pfeiffer

Durango