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Municipalities prepare for elections

Heidi RicePost Independent Staff

Municipalities from around the county are preparing for the upcoming November election – some with ballot questions and forums and some without.• Town of Carbondale – Officials have reserved a space on the ballot, but are still deciding whether to put a Clean Renewable Energy Bill on the November ballot. That would be the town’s only ballot issue. The measure would provide a bond opportunity for the town, which would allow state and federal bonds to pay for energy improvements. While it would not raise taxes, it would incur debt to the town, exceeding the TABOR limitations, which must be approved by voters.”This would involve putting in photovoltaic (solar energy) cells in places like CRMS and Re-1 for the purposes of energy,” said Town Manager Tom Baker.The town has until mid-October to decide if the ballot question will go before voters.• City of Glenwood Springs – There are no ballot questions for the city this year. However, the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association is hosting the 21st annual “Issues and Answers Night” at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at Glenwood Springs City Hall, 101 West 8th Street, focusing on county office candidates. Citizens may phone in their questions to the candidates and questions will be taken from the audience. A media panel will also question the candidates.• Town of New Castle – There are no ballot questions this year in the town, but a special mail ballot election for a town council position will be held on Nov. 7, separate from the general election. The council position is open following the departure of Dave Schroeder, who is leaving for personal reasons.The term of office for the position will run until April 2008.A nomination petition signed by 15 registered voters in the town of New Castle must be returned by Sept. 28. A candidate must be 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a registered voter with the town of New Castle and a New Castle resident for at least one year immediately preceding the Nov. 7 election.• Town of Silt – Voters in Silt will be asked whether or not to approve a home rule charter that would change it from a statutory town to a home rule municipality. A nine-member home rule commission to formulate the home rule charter was overwhelmingly approved by voters in the April 2006 municipal election.The Silt Area Chamber of Commerce is not planning an election forum about the ballot issue at this time.”Mainly because we haven’t heard of anyone who objects to it,” said Meredith Robinson, president of the chamber. “Right now the chamber is talking about sending out (informational) postcards.”• City of Rifle – Rifle voters face three ballot questions in the election: approval of term limits for city council members; the retention of revenues in excess of what was projected for the one percent sales tax increase for the parks and recreation department; and providing a 0.2 percent increase in sales tax revenue to form a transportation district that would include the funding of bus service.The Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with KMTS radio and Channel 13, is sponsoring a “2006 Election Forum” from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, at Rifle City Hall. Residents will get a chance to learn about the issues and to meet the county candidates for clerk and recorder, assessor, treasurer, surveyor and commissioner. Questions are being sought in advance and should be addressed to the county position (not the candidate name). Questions may be sent to mail@riflechamber.com or faxed to 625-4757. Contact the chamber at 625-2085, ext. 3, for more information.• Town of Parachute – Like Silt, voters in Parachute will decide whether to become a home rule municipality.”We’re just starting to form a commission, so this is the first step,” said Town Clerk Juanita Satterfield. “At this point, we’re not having a forum, but we’ll be putting information in the utility bills.”For more information on election issues, contact your local municipal government or Garfield County administration.


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