Just over 30 percent of the 40,717 registered voters in La Plata County cast ballots in Tuesday’s general election.
Turnout was almost equal among Democrats and Republicans, though Republicans showed a slightly higher interest. Of the 12,645 registered Democrats, 4,582 – or 36 percent – returned ballots. Of the 12,472 registered Republicans, 4,637 – or 37 percent – returned their ballots.
Unaffiliated voters showed the poorest turnout; of the 14,918 unaffiliated voters, only 3,481 – or 23 percent – cast ballots.
There were 193 who returned ballots that identified with an alternative political party.
Voter turnout improves considerably if considering only “active” voters, meaning those who voted during the last presidential election. La Plata County has 33,054 active voters compared with 40,717 active and inactive electors.
County Election Administrator Erin Hutchins said 107 registered voters have yet to cure their ballots, meaning there is a signature discrepancy or missing identification.
Hutchins said the election office cannot relate party affiliation with specific ballot items, such as how many Democrats versus Republicans favored an updated sewer treatment facility for Durango. She also identified no particularly outstanding trends in this year’s results, though this year’s 31.66 percent voter turnout signifies a 6 percent decrease in voter turnout from the most recent comparable local election in 2013. That election was also coordinated and contained a state ballot item.
“I can’t say exactly why,” Hutchins said of the lower turnout. “We thought we’d be around the same amount. It could just be a combination of the fact it’s an off-year and there may not be any questions people are interested in. Usually in off-year elections, (turnout) is pretty low.”
Several ballot items this year passed with ease; 71.9 percent of La Plata County electors voted yes on the statewide initiative to retain marijuana-tax revenues. Almost 68 percent of Durango city voters approved a bond for wastewater-treatment plant improvements. Likewise, most county and municipal voters said yes to lifting restrictions that prevent the leasing of government-owned fiber-optic capacity to private broadband Internet service providers.
One of the closest votes, and possibly the most debated that did not pass, on the county’s ballot was the property-tax increase proposal of up to 2.4 mills, which was shot down by a narrow 4 percent margin.
The item’s failure eliminates an estimated $50 million for road and bridge infrastructure that would have been collected through 2025, which leaves the county to ponder the next best course of action.
County Commissioner Julie Westendorff said the commission plans to continue exploring the possibility of road impact fees as recommended by the county-appointed finance committee. Those discussions began last week. Westendorff considers the topic of a mill-levy increase tabled for now.
“I feel like we gave people a chance to vote,” Westendorff said. “I heard what they said. They said it’s not worth it. I guess I would have to be convinced there’s a reason to try and do it again. Something would have to change between now and the next election.”
The levy’s failure to pass does not impact plans for the 2016 budget, which was initially drafted without factoring in any revenues anticipated had the tax hike passed.
Asked if commissioners felt they had communicated effectively with the public about the need for the ballot item, Westendorff said they did their best with the resources at hand, and some public forums held on the topic were poorly attended.
“If we had reached more people, would there be a different outcome? I don’t know. I’ve had people tell me they needed more information, but one of our challenges is the mechanisms for (reaching them).”
In terms of tangible effects of the failed measure, Westendorff said she expects the visual condition of roads and bridges in the county to slip.
jpace@durangoherald.com
