Daily Press Writer
MONTROSE — While October is generally not a time that candidates for office stake out common ground, Monday’s candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters saw the candidates for five Montrose County offices do just that.
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But the issue of how to deal with budget cuts that could require the county to trim up to $2.5 million over five years, did draw out some differences.
In the race for the one open county commissioner’s seat, both Democrat Bob Connor and Republican Gary Ellis brought up impact fees when asked how they would prioritize spending of any new revenue from the measure.
Connor, a former high school teacher, coach and realtor, also said he would move to accept the master plan as the county’s guiding document at the first available opportunity.
“The master plan is not to stifle growth, it’s to direct it in the areas we want it to go,” he said.
Ellis, who spent over three decades with the Denver Police Department and also served as the chair of the Montrose County Republicans, likewise would move to adopt the plan as the county’s guiding document. But, he added, it must work in concert with the county’s subdivision and zoning regulations.
In race for Sheriff, Republican candidate Rick Dunlap emphasized his business background, running a cleaning service in Lawton, Okla., and pledged to scrutinize the budget to make it more efficient.
Democrat Andrew Major argued that booking fees and the funds from immigration holds on behalf of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement could be used to get more training for department employees.
Robert Walraven, an Independent write-in candidate, referenced his experience in jobs with the Telluride Mountain Village Police and the Montrose County Sheriff’s office for giving him experience in dealing with budgets.
Both Walraven and Dunlap vowed to pursue federal funds to combat methamphetamine-related crimes.
In the race to succeed current Montrose County Clerk Carol Kruse, Republican Francine Long, who’s worked in the office for the last eight years, said the office must continue to utilize technology so the office can be “virtually open” 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Democrat Regina Sowell, also emphasized the need to make information more accessible online and said she would consider restructuring the office’s hours of operations.
“I think you have to find out what the peak demand is that people need,” she said.
The contest for county coroner between Republican Dr. Thomas Canfield and Independent Duke Richardson was the one office that didn’t dwell extensively on budget issues.
As he did throughout the run up to the primary election in August, Canfield, the current pathologist for Montrose County, emphasized the need to have a licensed physician in the office.
“I think the community needs a professional coroner, not a politician,” Canfield said.
Richardson, a respiratory therapist who currently serves as director of respiratory care and sleep medicine at Montrose Memorial Hospital, emphasized the need for the office to reach out to the community.
“I think we have the responsibility to spread our wings a little bit further,” he said.
Contact Matt Hildner via e-mail at matth@montrosepress.com
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