David Townsley has been a resident of the Roaring Fork Valley for 35 years, spending most of that time in Glenwood Springs. A longtime mortgage banker, he helped many local families achieve homeownership. Now retired from the industry, he is running for the at-large City Council seat to give back to the community that has given him so much. Townsley believes in balancing growth with maintaining Glenwood’s quality of life, ensuring the city remains a great place to live for years to come.

Tell the community about yourself. How long have you lived in Glenwood Springs? Have you been a part of any councils or commissions in the past?

I’ve been a resident of the valley for 35 years, with most of that time spent in Glenwood. My two sons, Matt and Jake, were born in the old Valley View Hospital and both graduated from Glenwood Springs High School. Although I live in Ward 1 at the top of Walz Avenue with my partner, Suzanne, and our border collie mix, Buddy, I am running for the open at-large seat. I was in the mortgage banking business until April of last year, working for numerous banks as well as partnering in my own business. It was a pleasure helping people achieve homeownership, and I still have people remind me how I helped them buy their first home — a very rewarding career.

Why are you running for Glenwood Springs City Council?

As I mentioned, the community and city have been such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Now, I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can give back in a small way for all that I’ve received. If I can continue to make a difference for residents — both now and in the future — that would be very rewarding. I firmly believe that a City Council member’s job is stewardship just as much as handling day-to-day issues.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing Glenwood Springs, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

For me, the biggest challenge is balancing the needs of growth with the quality of life for current residents. This is an ongoing issue for many small mountain towns in Colorado, as well as other tourist destinations across the country and even globally. As a council, we need to strike a balance in the types of growth we want to see while maintaining the aspects of Glenwood that make it such a wonderful place to live in the first place.

Housing affordability remains a major concern for residents. How do you think Glenwood Springs can best address the high cost of housing so that people who work in Glenwood Springs can also live in Glenwood Springs?

Housing prices and affordability are issues that won’t be solved anytime soon. Glenwood is a unique town where more people want to live than there are homes available. There is no magic number of homes that, if built, would make the problem go away. Unfortunately, it’s a supply-and-demand issue. Our town is geographically constrained — land is limited in all directions. City council’s role is to take input from residents and determine how the government can or should play a role in local housing needs.

Editor’s note: The candidate combined the following two answers in his Q&A responses.

How would you balance economic development with preserving the character and livability of Glenwood Springs?

Tourism is a key part of Glenwood Springs’ economy. What steps should the city take to balance tourism growth with the needs of local residents?

Economic development and tourism are both large parts of our economy. Balancing these with the needs and desires of full-time residents while maintaining the character of Glenwood is crucial. Valley View Hospital is becoming a strong regional medical hub, and traditional manufacturing is not a major factor. Our main economic drivers are tourism, the service sector, and construction, both locally and up the valley.

With the people who have retired here, remote workers, and second homeowners, we are fortunate to have a thriving economy. Many towns have to sell themselves to maintain economic growth — we don’t. We should use long-term vision to decide what we want Glenwood to be and how we want to grow.

What do you think Glenwood Springs can do to best prepare for wildfire danger?

For those who lived through the Storm King, South Canyon, and Glenwood Canyon fires, wildfires are part of life here. With warming and drying conditions, fires will continue to be a concern. Due to our geography, evacuation routing is an immediate issue. City staff has been working to ensure plans are in place, and I defer to their expertise. From a prevention standpoint, I’d like to see the city and county work more closely where their boundaries overlap — such as addressing the encampments on the south end of town.