White highlights progress in four years as county commissioner

by Katie Burford
Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated; Saturday, September 13, 2008

Editors note: This is the second profile The Durango Herald is running of each of the four
candidates for La Plata County commissioner ahead of the
Nov. 4 general election.

Click image to enlarge

White

Commissioners race

The seats up for election are District 2, currently held by Kellie Hotter, and District 3, held by Wally White. The terms are for four years. Commissioners, who are limited to two terms, are salaried, earning $72,500 a year. The deadline to register for the election is Oct. 6. For more information, visit http://govotecolorado.com. Voter registration forms are available at the county clerk's office, 1060 East Second Ave., Room 134. To contact the clerk's office, call 382-6297.

On the Net

www.wallywhite.org

Meet the candidate

Age: 65. Marital status: Divorced. Children: Two daughters, 29 and 25. Resides in: Grandview area. Resident of La Plata County: Since 1979. Born in: Ohio, raised in Boulder and the Yampa Valley. Occupation: County commissioner. Previous jobs: Also has worked shoeing horses, raising alpacas and llamas, driving school and city buses and running a business to transport alpacas and llamas. Education: Bachelor's in finance from Colorado State University, graduate degree in international trade from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona and a year's work toward a master's in economics from CSU. Other experience: Served on the La Plata County Planning Commission as well as other boards and committees.

Wally White said that in his first term as county commissioner, he has learned that government moves slowly, but he is proud of his role in making it more efficient.

Specifically, he touted the county's strategic plan, called the "La Plata County Compass," which sums up in a single page the county's core strategies and objectives. It was finalized earlier this year.

White said he started pushing for such a plan two years ago.

"In '07, we got it really kicked off and produced a heck of a product," he said.

The plan incorporated input from county employees, community leaders and residents and was presented to the public in a series of meetings. It aims to ensure that the day-to-day workings of government are in harmony with its leaders' and constituents' core vision.

White, a Democrat, will be going up against Republican Harry Baxstrom, a Bayfield veterinarian, in November for the District 3 seat, which covers the eastern side of the county. Commissioners must reside in the district where they are running but are elected by all county voters. In reviewing his record, White highlighted his support for overhauling the county's land-use code. The 444-page revised document,
intended to dramatically clarify the rules for development, was unanimously approved by commissioners a year ago but has not gone into effect.

Though the delay has drawn some criticism, White said the end result will be worth it.

"We've seen some deficiencies there. We would rather deal with those, rewrite as necessary, so we have a code that is highly workable," he said.

Similarly, the county is working on a revision to its gas and oil regulations in a process that has been closely watched by the industry, environmentalists and affected landowners.

The version expected to go before commissioners soon would add new requirements for the disclosure of toxic chemicals and give neighbors the right to appeal proposed wells.

"Certainly we're on the right track with it, and what we have is a significant improvement over what we have had in the past," White said.

Challenges he sees the county facing include filling the void in tax revenue left by declining natural-gas production, improving air quality, providing for more affordable housing and enhancing the region's transportation network, including bike paths, roads and mass transit.

He also supports water systems in parts of the county where supplies are unreliable.

"We're not in the water business by any sense of the word, but we can certainly offer support to those who are making the attempt to provide water to our people," he said.

He wants voters to give him four more years to continue tackling these challenges.

"I have a number of leadership positions and contacts that allow me to lobby for interests that are pertinent to La Plata County," he said.

kburford@durangoherald.com