County Commissioner - The Silver World Newspaper

All-Hazard Fund Reimbursement to be Paid by State

There was an audible sigh of relief prior to the start of Hinsdale County Commissioners’ Wednesday, April 9, meeting with announcement by County Finance Officer Lynn McNitt that long-awaited reimbursement funds are being paid by State of Colorado.As previously reported, the county’s financial reserves were severely depleted as the result of a lag in reimbursement payments from the state based on the county’s All-Hazards Team Program. Under terms of the program, the county retains an administrative fee and is reimbursed for up-front costs, including salaries and related expenses of personnel who are deployed to wildfire emergencies throughout the U.S.Under terms of the sponsorship contract, Hinsdale County retains its administrative percentage — amounting to $2.4-million since the start of the program as of February 2025 — and then is promptly repaid for upfront costs, typically within 60 days.The financial rub, however and consequent depletion of county reserves, began in June last year when reimbursements from the state slowed to a truckle.Commissioners engaged legal counsel and scheduled several executive sessions as they conferred with County Attorney Michael O’Loughlin and private counsel on a strategy to obtain delinquent payment to refill county coffers. County Finance Officer Lynn McNitt is typically demure in her financial reporting but at the county board’s meeting last Wednesday bordered on the giddy as she told Commissioners Borchers, Hurd, and Levine that state reimbursement checks for the All-Hazard Team repayments will begin to flow as early as this week.A total of $3,925,783 in documented paid All-Hazard Team expenses is owed to the county by the state. In financial terms, McNitt explained to commissioners that the total amount owed to the county is separated into five separate categories based on review and approval for repayment through the state’s Division of Fire Protection & Control.As of Wednesday last week and expected in hand on Monday this week, McNitt says $837,665.25 has been approved for repayment, “but the state has been working on our invoices and updating the payments.”A second phase of the repayment schedule, as explained by McNitt is the “eligibility checker” in which an additional $2.5-million in owed funding is set to be repaid “within the next few weeks.”Additionally, according to McNitt, and foreseen slightly further down the line, is an additional$235,674 to be paid to the county by the state which is “coded in-process for approval”, and — finally — a further reimbursement payment amounting to$253,037 which is in the state’s payment system but not yet approved.State payment of the reimbursement funds may have an impact on the county’s hoped-for 2025 start of construction on the long-awaited County Operations Center which was reported at length in last week’s WORLD. Reported in last week’s edition of the newspaper was a lengthy discussion on interest rates and repayment schedule if the county seeks interim funding for the $4.3-million operations center which includes $1-million from Hinsdale County.A planned meeting between the commissioners and financial representatives Kutak Rock and Piper Sandler & Co., originally scheduled this Friday has now been moved to a special meeting on Wednesday, April 23.In other agenda items at the county board’s workshop and regular meeting on April 9, commissioners were unanimous as they reluctantly voted to more than double the per-yard transfer station charge for tree limbs and slash.For years the county has utilized a drastically reduced, money-losing per yardage fee for tree debris as a wildfire mitigation incentive for landowners in the county.Without financial assistance from either Town of Lake City or a succession of state fire prevention grants (which were denied), Commissioners will now increase the per-yard transfer station fee from. $6.10 to $12.75 effective May 1.Tree limb and slash disposal at the transfer station — although viewed by the county as a pro-active incentive against wildfire — has become an increasingly costly proposition requiring an annual subsidy from the county. Slash and debris were collected at the transfer station, and the county in turn rented an industrial-grade tub grinder to transform the natural timber into mounds of chips for landscaping and soil stabilization.Even the grinding process proved a challenge, however, with added expense one year when the grinder was inadvertently damaged and required repair. Disposal of the increasing mounds of pulverized wood was also slow, with a suggestion from Road & Bridge Supervisor Don Menzies earlier this year to budget for trucking the chips to the landfill in Gunnison.In 2021, according to Finance Officer Lynn McNitt, total revenue based on the county’s moderate per-yard fee for organic materials amount to $7,066, while expenses for rendering the organic material amounted to $24,688; similar discrepancies between revenues and outgo for tree debris was noted in 2022, income $8,000, expense $24,315; 2023, revenue $9,469, outgo $38,834 with grinder repair; and 2024, income $11,342.85 and expense $23,350.58.The move to immediately increase fees on organic material came with regret, Commissioner Hurd expressing his view “we can no longer subsidize the program to this extent; we must cover ourselves,” and Commissioner Levine concurring, “we’ve got to cover ourselves.”During open discussion last Wednesday, Commissioner Hurd said he has spoken with local Colorado Parks & Wildlife wolf reintroduction expert Max Morton with confirmation that a traveling wolf with radio collar has been confirmed 10 miles south of Blue Mesa Reservor. The solo animal is apparently a “great traveler,” according to Hurd, since this same animal has also reported in such diverse areas of the state as Eisenhower Tunnel at I-170, the Grand Junction area, and Salida.Possible modifications to the county’s yet-to-be passed amended OHV Ordinance will be on the Commissioners’ meeting agenda Wednesday, April The ordinance calls for hours of OHV use to be limited to between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Both Commissioners Hurd and Levine are now expressing concern over the hours of operation, Hurd saying he would be in favor of an extended time “cut out” for hunters using OHVs in the fall and Levine noting he is receiving phone calls from concerned constituents. Levine stated “we might want to yank the time limit entirely,” Commissioner Borchers countering that she,

April 17, 2025 No Comments

OHVs, Liquor License, EMS Fee Increase at Lengthy County Meeting

During open discussion and a two-hour workshop, followed by half-hour meeting last Wednesday, April 2, Hinsdale Commissioners covered a myriad of topics including formally increasing safety-related OHV infractions to $300, requisite spark arrestors and reflects Town of Lake City’s lead in mandating hours of OHV operation on public roads in unincorporated areas of the county from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. effective May 5, 2025.Simmering dissension also marked the board’s workshop discussion on wording and timing for a county OHV ballot initiative, and prior to the three-member board’s unanimous approval concerns which were expressed during normally routine renewal of a Wade’s Addition liquor license.Topping the April 2 meeting agenda was formal approval appointing Lori Hanko as successor to recently resigned Hinsdale County Treasurer & Public Trustee Lori Lawrence. Hanko, who was Deputy Treasurer, was recommended in Lawrence’s March 17 resignation letter.During the workshop portion of Wednesday’s meeting, EMS Director Katherine Heidt advised Commissioners on an impending incremental three-year increase in Emergency Medical Service rates, the first since 2015, based on charges for comparable emergency services in neighboring areas.Under the incremental three-year plan starting this year and extending through 2027, the rate for BLS (Basic Life Support) transport increases from $900 to $1,400 in 2025 and then respectively $1,650 and $1,900 in 2026 and 2027. For ALS (Advanced Life Support), $1,200 since 2015, the new rate is $1,700 2025, $1,900 2026, and $2,200 2027.One-way ambulance ground mileage — for instance from Lake City to Gunnison Valley Hospital — increases from $24 currently per mile to $31 per mile 2025, $33/mile 2026, and $35/mile 2027.Modest one-time charges for specific supplies, as explained by Heidt, will see an increase from $45 current to $50 new rate for oxygen supplies; heart monitoring goes from $65 now to $75; ALS IV drug administration, $65 to $75; ALS and BLS routine disposables, $100 to new $150 rate.Heidt emphasized to Commissioners that the new EMS rates are the result of a calculated study last September by a team of EMS professional from throughout Colorado as part of a state-funded consultative visit. The upshot from that study, according to Heidt, was the suggestion for improved financial stability through a review and update of Hinsdale EMS rates.Heidt furnishes the chart reprinted above which illustrates comparable rates being charged by regional agencies (among them Gunnison and Crested Butte) and comparisons between industry standards and Lake City which, based on its remote location, is classified as a “frontier area.”As an incentive “intended to thank the community for its incredible support over the decades, Hinsdale EMS’ proposed rate increase also includes a $200 “Local Discount” for local patients with the 81235 billing address.Heidt said the new 2025-2027 rate structure will be widely publicized on the Hinsdale EMS website and with handouts to patients.Hinsdale Commissioners were receptive to the increased EMS fee structure, Commissioner Hurd noting that the new rates will result in reduced county subsidies to EMS, “the closer we get to a self-supporting program the better,” said Hurd.The county’s 2024 “contractual adjustment” to Hinsdale EMS in 2024, according to Finance Officer Lynn McNitt, amounted to $75,000.Commissioners are scheduled to formally approve the new EMS rate structure at a special meeting on Wednesday, April 23, and new rates will go into effect on May 1.Commissioners’ workshop discussion and subsequent meeting finalized an amended OHV ordinance mirroring Town of Lake City with hours of operation on unincorporated public roads in the county limited to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., county following Federal standards with mandatory spark arresters, and an increase to $300 fine for safety-related citations.The amended county OHV ordinance, published in its entirety elsewhere in this week’s issue, is set for a second reading at the county’s 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, special meeting and, once passed, goes into effect prior to Memorial Day. While discussions between the three commissioners regarding the amended OHV ordinance were in general amicable, differing viewpoints were evident as the OHV topic turned to specific wording and timing for a planned ballot…… Continue Reading this Lengthy Article! Subscribe to the Lake City Silver World and receive the weekly issue in your inbox or mail!

April 13, 2025 No Comments

Commissioners Debate, Concur on Interim Financing Operations Center

Hinsdale County Commissioners hashed out details on interim funding for the county’s $4.3-million Operations Center project during an at-times heated two-and-a-half-hour workshop and meeting on Friday afternoon, April 4.During the process of Friday’s workshop — which was attended by county staff including County Administrator Sandy Hines and Finance Officer Lynn McNitt, together with remote Zoom attendance by representatives from two Denver-based financial firms —it was revealed that $2 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding toward the project, which had been on hold, is now confirmed and available to the county.McNitt said that FEMA funds awarded in 2025 remain under review but that a saving point for Hinsdale County is that the Congressional-Directed FEMA funds were awarded in 2024.The pace at which the FEMA funds will be doled out remains an unknown, although both County Administrator Hines and Finance Officer McNitt stated that paperwork has already been filled out for a preliminary advance payment which would include a $19,775 reimbursement to county billed by general contractor Building by Design for preliminary technology and related contractor costs.McNitt said it is uncertain whether payments to the county from the FEMA grant will be monthly or quarterly.With affirmation from County Attorney Michael O’Loughlin who stated “it’s your meeting,” Commissioners Kristie Borchers, Greg Levine, and Robert Hurd asked Finance Officer Lynn McNitt for an update on funds owed to the county by the State of Colorado as part of the All Hazards Team Program.The lack of reimbursement to date is proving a sticking point to several of the commissioners owing to the fact $500,000 in All Hazards TeamVol. 48, No. 2 Friday, April 11, 2025 Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado 81235 U.S.P.S. No. 436-63075¢reimbursement represents half of the $1-million which the county is pledging toward the Operations Center construction.Asked for an up-to-date accounting, McNitt told the county board that, all told, All Hazards Team reimbursements owed to the county by the State of Colorado now exceed $3.6-million.County Attorney O’Loughlin, by Zoom connection, reassured the commissioners, telling them he “remains optimistic” that a resolution with the State will be reached — potentially as early as next week when a representative from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office belatedly confers with him — and that the money will be repaid. Failing that, O’Loughlin stated “they can’t just not pay it back; if they don’t, we go to court.”Lack of the All Hazard Team reimbursement payment in hand remains a major sticking point, an exasperated Commissioner Hurd telling Borchers and Levine, “when is the frick’in State going to pay us our money?”Hurd likened non-payment to date of what is owed to the county as a major “fear” and is the primary reason for his hesitation in proceeding with Operation Center construction.On a similarly cautious note, Commissioner Levine said he has “no confidence in the state at present” in terms of repayment and, in worst case scenario, of not repayment assurances, ultimately “I will not back this project.” An even worse case scenario as alluded to by Levine, would be entering into a lease-purchase agreement for interim funding “and then something else happens, I can’t see tackling two giant issues at once… it’s very, very difficult.”[NOTE: since the April 4 meeting and at the county board’s Wednesday meeting this week, it is now announced that the reimbursed All-Hazard funds are now on schedule for payment, the first check — $862,572.59 — expected Monday next week.]As a brief recap of the project, the 6,409-square foot facility combining sheriff’s dept., emergency operations, and county administration will be funded through the $2-million Congressionally-Directed FEMA grant, $1-million from Colorado Department of Local Affairs which is guaranteed, and $1-million from Hinsdale County (comprised $300,000 from the county’s sale of the Wee Care property to the school district, $500,000 through the All Hazard Team reimbursement, and $226,000 interest earned on investments). In addition to an array of funding which has been lined up for actual construction of the Operations Center, other funds have been competitively awarded to the county for actual construction of the Operations Center, other funds have been competitively awarded to the county for electric wiring totaling $256,500 from the state’s energy office, and a JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) through Colorado Division of Criminal Justice which will furnish and technologically equip the sheriff’s dept. portion of the new structure.Costs to date on the project and already paid by the county, as enumerated by Commissioner Borchers, total $192,900 and include $28,000 for demolition of the old shop building on the site north of the courthouse where construction will take place, $9,800 in attorney’s fees, and $116,000 architectural work paid to the county’s architectural firm on the project, Reynolds Ash & Associates.Following a request for bid, Building by Design was selected as general contractor for the project in February at a negotiated price of $4,398,173.In her compilation of the project, board chair Kristie Borchers reminded fellow board members, staff and public at the meeting that the concept of an Operations Center is not exactly new: discussions on the need for a new facility have been bantered about for decades. Referring to crowded and substandard office and meeting conditions in the existing Coursey Annex, she said, “it’s an embarrassing facility… I want to be the board that solves this.”“Now is the time to do it,” said Borchers, “if we don’t pull the trigger and get it done, it will never get done.”Plans for what was then referred to as a Justice Center combining county and sheriff’s dept. offices with a new county courtroom date back as least as far as 2009 when a DOLA-funded small space assessment resulted in plans for a two-story $7-million building which included basement archival storage. That project, however, languished and proceeded no further. The current plan calling for a reduced-size, 6,409-s.f. single-story complex costing $4-million was revived starting in 2021.Borchers recalled a comment by Commissioner Levine last year when overages were anticipated on the four-mile chip and seal project on County Road 30 to Lake San Cristobal. Comparing the

April 13, 2025 No Comments

2024, A Year in Review

At his death in January, 1874, pioneer Pueblo, Colorado, attorney, journalist, and past territorial lieutenant governor George Aaron Hinsdale, 1), had no intimation his memory would be revived in 2024 as Hinsdale County celebrated its sesquicentennial marking 150 years since its creation with neighboring LaPlata and Rio Grande Counties. As part of the ongoing celebration, Assessor Sherri Boyce and her deputy, Sarah Tubbs, 2), presided over refreshments in their courthouse office on August 1.In addition to the county’s formation, 2024 was also notable as 150th anniversary of Town Founder Enos Hotchkiss building Lake City’s first cabin, August 16, 1874, and — less savory — Alferd Packer consuming fellow prospectors in late winter/early spring 1874.On an upcoming note, notable anniversaries continue in 1875 with 150 since creation of Town of Lake City’s predecessor, the Lake City Town Company, and — on a journalistic note — 150 years since first issue of the original SILVER WORLD Newspaper, June 19, 1875.Also notable in 2025 is 50th anniversary of Phillip Virden’s Mountaineer Movie Theatre.Superlatives in Lake City Recreation Department’s February 3 Ice Climb were repeat wife-and-husband winning team from Golden, Colorado, Kristin Felix, 3), with rapid vertical ice ascent two minutes, 16.39 seconds in the Top Rope competition, and her husband, Todd Felix, 4), who was once again first among men in Lead Rope, inspiring 54.82-second ascent. Denver ice climber Jaren Summer, 5), was among the women contenders in this year’s event (photo by J.T. Stratton). Local climbers in the annual ice event were Sam Fyler and J.T. Stratton.Supervised by Rec. Dept, Leader Ben Hake, climbable ice on Henson Creek continues to expand, Hake with assistants including Danny File and Christian Hartman dousing an added section of challenging vertical cliff across from the Devil’s Kitchen cave with 1,350 additional feet of water pipe this fall for added ice climb challenge.Local girl Buffy Hurd Witt, 6), achieved notable success and was responsible for significant advances during her four-years as Hinsdale Emergency Medical Service Director starting December, 2019, and continuing through December, 2023, when she announced her intent to resign. Witt received a state-wide honor in December 2023, with Best EMS Director Award.Witt’s replacement as EMS Director effective March 25 was eight-year Lake City resident Katherine Heidt, 7) a familiar face among local emergency medical responders who was accredited as EMT in 2020 and worked closely with Witt as EMS Coordinator, Heidt was also certified as Wilderness EMT in 2023.Simultaneous with Heidt’s appointment as EMS Director, Amanda Hartman and Dan Humphreys were named EMS Captains charged with ambulance staffing, ensuring ambulance response is sufficiently staffed with responders on a 24/7, year-round basis, and overseeing ambulance supply restocking and vehicle maintenance. Also continuing as an immense asset to Hinsdale EMS was the return of Brad Jones on a part-time basis as Chief Paramedic.Seth Withrow once again headed up Hinsdale Search & Rescue’s February 19 Ice Fishing Derby at Lake San Cristobal, 8), this year’s lunkers plucked from beneath the ice 22-1/8” lake trout by John Warren, first place, second and third place honors respectively Nicole Schulties, 19-7/8”, and Sam Pankratz, 19-1/2”.Seven Lake City area students commenced an intense five-month Emergency Medical Technician class, 9), on January 9, four of the students — Kelly Elkins, Sarah DeCristino, Grant Loper, and Danny Oge’ — completed certification for an awards ceremony which was held on June 13.Lifesaver Awards signifying teamwork, professionalism, and excellence of care were bestowed by Hinsdale Commissioners to local emergency responders in March, recipients posed with Ann McCord, 10), including Amanda Hartman, Buffy Witt, Richard Williams, Jordan Kaminski, Kelly Elkins, Katherine Heidt, Melody Crump, and Rachel Moore.11), Greg Olson received his oath of office as newest board member of Lake Fork Health Services District from board chairman Lynn McNitt on February 16, joins fellow board members McNitt and Katie Elkins, together with Jordan Kaminski and Hector Gomez, the latter two resigning near year’s end creating two vacancies on the health board.Dr. Ann Treisman, 12), was named Medical Director at Lake City Area Medical Center on January 1, Treisman taking the place of Gunnison physician Dr. Bill Gattis who had served in that capacity — and who was credited as a “stabilizing force” during a significant period of change — since 2020.Dr. Treisman’s tenure at Lake City Area Medical Center dates back to summer, 2014, when she worked at the center when she was a medical student. She interned at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Denver, and was awarded her Doctorate of Medicine Degree from University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2017.Lake City’s Fourteeners middle school girls’ basketball team enjoyed a tremendous season, ending play after advancing to Consolation League Tournament in Alamosa, Colorado, in February where teammates, 13), Carson Shepherd, Aven Humphreys, Morgan Hardy, Brylee Elkins, Cora Kaminski, Nadya Kaminski, and Blake Tubbs walloped their Ortega Middle School counterparts in a down-to-the-wire nailbiter.In addition to a fine season by Lake City middle school girls, also ending successful seasons in February, 2024, were Fourteeners’ middle school boys’ team coached by Doug Eby and Kelly Elkins, 14), Brantley Votruba, Rhys Phillimore, Quan Lemon, Henry Shepherd, Dax Elkins, Daniel Hays, Elliott Hartman, and Joseph Tubbs; older high school basketball team, Mace Elkins, Dean Brown, Silas Hartman, Levi Hartman, Micah Humphreys, and Peter Loper, 15), and Fourteeners’ high school girls, Rowan McNeese, Lucy Hays, Kadance Simmons, Mackenzie Phillimore, Priya Hartman, Eva Wingard, Ingrid Piltinsgrud, and coach Sarah Eby, 16).HUB networking office sponsored by DIRT and Visionary Broadband upstairs in the bank building was enlivened in January with artwork by Lake City school alum Sophie Borchers and Nick Arbogast, 17).Hinsdale Ski Team coached by Henry Woods had a successful showing against counterpart downhill skiers from Pagosa Springs and Silverton, Colorado, during the annual Matt Milski Memorial Ski Race at Lake City Ski Hill on March 2, superlatives with hands raised in victory, 18), first and second place finishers Henry Shepherd, completing the slalom 35.21 seconds, and Elijah Wuest, 37.21 seconds; competing for Lake City on the hometown team and dressed for the

January 3, 2025 No Comments

Editor,

I would like to say thanks to the many people who helped Hinsdale County in our Request to the FCC in Washington DC.From the 2013 Mandate that required the entire nation to go to “narrow banding”or more clearly “lower power transmissions”on our VHF radio system, this mandate affected Hinsdale in a very negative way. Many areas in our very remote county that had some radio receive and transmit areas were totally lost from VHF communication. After two years of working on getting a variance from this mandate, Hinsdale County is happy to report we have been given a variance from this harmful mandate by the FCC.I would like to say thanks to the following individuals for the help and support they did on our behalf: Dale Meyers, DigiCom Electronics, Congress Woman Lauren Boebert and her staff in Washington DC, Mike Murphy of Lake City who somehow found a plane to take the congresswoman to Hill 71 and fly over our main VHF radio system, in the process showing her how important this system is to our small remote county.And of course Sandy Hines, our always capable County Administrator for all the emails and other correspondence to our surrounding government agencies to ask for their support of our receiving the variance.And lastly, but so important, the support of my fellow Hinsdale County Commissioners to see our request through even with many setbacks.Take care all,Robert HurdHinsdale County Commissioner, District 3

November 15, 2024 No Comments

Undersheriff Starnes, Commissioner Levine Elected Amid Heavy 88% Voter Turnout…

Hinsdale County voters in record droves maintained the status quo on Tuesday as they handily returned two incumbent County Commissioners to successive four-year terms, and affirmed Undersheriff Denim Starnes who was elected to a four-year term as Hinsdale County Sheriff, the 38th sheriff in the county’s 150-year history. Again, indicating voter satisfaction with the current slate of the county’s elected officers, Hinsdale County Coroner Lori Lawrence, running unopposed, received 479 votes, the highest vote tally of any candidate in this year’s General Election. Hinsdale County Clerk & Recorder Joan Roberts credited “smooth and efficient” work on the part of her staff, Deputy County Clerk Allison Athey and election judges, for a speedy turn around which allowed election results to be checked and double checked, with formal announcement of election results prior to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. At poll closing at 7 p.m. on a cold and snowing election evening Tuesday, the clerk’s office reported a tremendous 88 percent return of the 692 ballots which were mailed to registered voters last month. Of the 692 ballots sent to the county’s voters, 608 ballots were returned either by mail, hand delivery to the clerk’s office, or drop off in the county courthouse outside ballot box prior to Tuesday evening’s deadline. Election judges Alice Attaway, Karen McClatchie, Peggy Bales, Lorie Stewart, and Kathleen Whinnery Murphy smoothly processed this year’s ballots, reporting no provisional ballots which were left uncounted. In the county’s two tightest, contested election races, Unaffiliated incumbent District 1 Commissioner Greg Levine garnered a total of 343 votes county-wide compared to his Republican rival, Steve Ryals, who received 245 votes. Incumbent District 3 County Commissioner Robert Hurd, a Republican, was unopposed in his quest for re-election and received 443 votes, second highest vote tally among local candidates in Tuesday’s election. A second contested local election was for Hinsdale County Sheriff with an unprecedented three candidates who were vying to fill the vacancy resulting from last summer’s resignation of Chris Kambish. Since Kambish’s June, 2024, departure, the role of Hinsdale County Sheriff has been filled by former Sheriff Ron Bruce who was drafted to fill the position with the stated intent of once again retiring from office after the new sheriff is sworn into office on January 8 next year. Top vote recipient in the sheriff’s election was Unaffiliated candidate Denim Starnes, with 343 votes, who is currently Hinsdale County Undersheriff. Starnes was challenged by two candidates, Republican Jordan Kaminski, a former Hinsdale County Undersheriff, who received 186 votes, and a total of 42 votes were tallied for write-In candidate John Thomas Stratton. In other regional election results, traditionally GOP-leaning Hinsdale County awarded a near-identical number of votes to Gunnison County Democrat Kathleen Curry who was vying for the District 58 State Representative seat against Republican Larry Don Suckla. Within the county, Suckla was slightly ahead in Tuesday evening’s tally with 288 votes compared to Curry’s 262; district-wide and according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s cumulative tally Wednesday morning, Suckla was declared the winner with a 52.90 percent vote tally, 26,730, compared to 47.10 percent, 23,795, for Curry. Montrose Republican Marc Catlin was similarly triumphant in the district-wide vote tally for District 5 State Senator, Catlin receiving a total of 41,977 votes, 52.02 percent, compared to 38,718, 47.98 percent, for his Democratic challenger, Cole Buerger. In Hinsdale County in the District 5 State Senate race, Catlin received 336 votes, 216 votes going to Buerger. Predictably Republican leanings were also evident among Hinsdale County voters in the U.S. Presidential race, the Lake City tally after close of polls on Tuesday awarding 329 votes to Donald J. Trump and 252 votes Democratic challenger Kamala Harris. State-wide, as was heavily reported, Colorado voters on whole favored Democrat Harris, 51 percent with 1,374,175, compared to 1,084,812 votes — 43.1 percent — which were awarded to Trump. Other elections of interest include 7th Judicial District Attorney Seth Ryan, an incumbent, who was the sole candidate, receiving 342 Hinsdale County votes. The rub, however, is that Ryan resigned on September 24; state-wide, the 37,727 votes cast for Ryan now go to his replacement, Anna Cooling, who was named by the vacancy committee. The results for state ballot questions are as follows: Amendment G – “shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning the expansion of eligibility for the property tax exemption for veteran’s with a disability to include a veteran who does not have a service- connected disability rated as a one hundred percent permanent disability but does have individual employment status?” State-wide, this measure passed, with 72.45% of voters voting “yes” and 27.55% of voters voting “no.” In Hinsdale County the Amendment G vote was 396 yes, 163 no. Amendment H – shall there be an Amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning judicial discipline, and in connection therewith, establishing an Independent judicial discipline adjudicative board, setting standards for judicial review of a discipline case, and clarifying when discipline proceedings become public? This measure passed, with 72.74% of Colorado voters voting “yes” and 27.26% of voters voting “no.” Hinsdale County voters: 378 yes, 162 no. Amendment I – shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning creating an exception to the right to bail for cases of murder in the first degree when proof is evident or presumption is great? This measure passed, with 69.39% of voters voting “yes” and 30.61% of voters voting “no”. Hinsdale County: 384 yes, 173 no. Amendment J – shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution removing the ban on same-sex marriage? This measure passed, with 63.78% of voters voting “yes” and 36.22% of voters voting “no.” Hinsdale County: 300 yes, 269 no. Amendment K – shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the modification of certain deadlines in connection with specified elections? This measure did not pass, with 55.31% of voters voting

November 7, 2024 No Comments

District 1 Commissioner Candidates Share Insights, Challenges for Future

A hotly contested local election on the upcomingTuesday, November 5, ballot is for District 1 HinsdaleCounty Commissioner.SILVER WORLD mailed identical questions to thetwo District 1 candidates — incumbent Greg Levine,an Independent who was first elected to a four-yearterm as County Commissioner in November 2020,and his Republican challenger, former Lake CityTown Trustee Steve Ryals — last week with therequest that answers with cumulative total no greaterthan 2,500 words for each candidate be returned forthis week’s issue.Verbatim answers are as follows, each candidate’sresponse listed alphabetically following eachquestion.In addition to District 1 Commissioner candidatesLevine and Ryals, Robert Hurd, incumbent Republican for Hinsdale County CommissionerDistrict 3 is seeking re-election unopposed. Hurdreceived the same set of questions and his responseswill be published in the Friday, October 11, issue ofthe newspaper.Letters to the Editor explaining views of aparticular candidate or endorsing candidates foroffice are accepted by SILVER WORLD on a weeklybasis. In advance of this fall’s election and in fairnessto all candidates, politically themed letters to theeditor will not be accepted after the Friday, October25, issue of the newspaper. Here are a list of the questions asked. To see the Candidates answers, plus more details, pick up your own issue of the LCSW. 1.Tell us about yourself: age, education – publicschool and college, family? 2.How long have you lived inLake City and where didyou previously live? 3. What is your business experience, past jobexperience before and since moving to Lake City? 4. What is your job experiencebeing an elected official? 5. Why do you want to be a County Commissioner? 6. Why should we vote for you? 7. Should the program allowing OHVs on Highway149 through the town of Lake City remain frommid-June through the end of September or, go backto the previous time frame, (Memorial Day throughthe end of September), or do you have an alternateoption? 8. Are you in favor of maintaining the current OHVroute, or are you in favor of extending the route? 9. Do you feel the current OHV regulations aresufficient and is law enforcement adequate? 10. Why is the partnership between the Town of LakeCity and Hinsdale County important, and how doyou feel it could be improved? 11. Emergency services is under the direction ofHinsdale County; the County is exploring a stablerevenue source for these services. What are yourideas for these important services? 12. What is your plan to address the lack of affordablehousing in and around Lake City? 13. The income influx to Hinsdale County through theAll Hazards Team earned revenue has beensignificant and is an important element of eachyear’s county budget [2022 – $428,217; 2023 –$1,035,976; and 2024 year to date – $872,107 as of8/31/2024]. Do you feel these funds are beingappropriated properly? What is your plan in theevent the funds are diminished or eliminated? 𝑷𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒖𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌’𝒔 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔!

October 4, 2024 No Comments

Tag: County Commissioner