Candidates for Durango City Council addressed a series of controversial topics and worked to distinguish themselves from the competition Thursday night.
The League of Women Voter’s forum at City Hall drew a moderately sized, but thoughtful crowd that asked about turnover at the Durango Police Department, the 1999 half-cent sales-tax reauthorization, infrastructure priorities and transparency.
The four candidates, all competing for two at-large seats, worked to brand themselves with a certain theme:
Current City Councilor Dick White highlighted his commitment to sustainability.
Candidate Sean Waddell championed his business experience.
Mayor Sweetie Marbury painted herself a neighborhood girl, trying to keep everyone’s living expenses in check.
While Dave McHenry set out to be the independent thinker and critiqued the current council.
On high turnover at the police department, the candidates were decidedly split.
As of February, 15 sworn officers in a force of 55 had left in the course of 15 months, a Durango Herald investigation found.
The incumbents, Marbury and White, said the problematic turnover had been overstated, and police officers had moved for valid personal reasons or had been recruited to bigger towns.
“If one has an issue with the chief, one needs to go to the city manager,” White said.
The challengers said high turnover should be addressed.
“I think the more experienced officers we can keep here in Durango the better,” McHenry said.
Voters will be asked to reauthorize the 1999 half-cent sales tax during the election, as well, and attendees quizzed candidates on how they would vote and spend the funds.
All candidates supported projects the tax would fund, including maintenance of recreation facilities, trails, parks, city trees and pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
“Citizens get to see a 16-year track record of success,” said Waddell, who lauded the Animas River Trail and the Durango Community Recreation Center.
The candidates again were split on spending to fund Lake Nighthorse recreation. Incumbents defended the city’s plan to run it, but the challengers argued for the state to take it over.
Sewer infrastructure also was the focus of several questions.
All candidates agreed the sewage plant should be the top infrastructure priority, and all but McHenry agreed it should stay in Santa Rita Park.
“To move it would be ridiculous,” Waddell said.
But McHenry called it an opportunity to provide more recreational fields and move the plant away from the whitewater park.
City Council will take up the issue of moving the plant again in an upcoming study session, Marbury said.
As part of the forum, the transparency of study sessions and Planning Commission meetings also was questioned.
All four supported televising more meetings, but Marbury said it did not get passed during budget discussions.
During closing arguments, McHenry took the current council to task for a variety of decisions. He argued the council was deaf to the compromise reached on a lower-allowed density of accessory dwelling units in East Animas City and criticized the city for not inviting the Utility Commission to defend its ideas on moving the sewage plant during a public meeting.
In addition, he said residents have been forced to constantly defend their neighborhoods against vacation rentals, recreational marijuana and commercialization.
“When will it ever end?” he said.
mshinn@ durangoherald.com
