The Town of Cedaredge will hold municipal elections on April 7, 2020. Four positions are available: the office of Mayor, and three Trustees. One of those Trustee seats will be vacated by Trustee Dayton Myers, Jr., who is term limited and cannot seek reelection.
“I have enjoyed serving my community for the past eight years as a Trustee,” Myers said. “Volunteering for the community in this capacity really opens yours eyes to the way things work.”
Trustee Myers was first elected in 2012. At that time, there were a handful of residents who encouraged him to run for office. “I thought it sounded like a good way to give back, and something I could do to help my town for four years,” Trustee Myers said. After his first four-year term, he was re-elected for a second term in 2016.
In addition to serving as a Trustee, he also works full time for the Upper Surface Creek Domestic Water Users Association. One excuse Trustee Myers has heard time and again as to why people won’t run for their local government is that it takes too much time – but that is not the case. “It doesn’t take as much time as people think,” he said. “It’s two meetings a month for four years, it’s not a lot of time.” The Board meets on the third Thursday of the month for a regular meeting, and they meet for a work session the Tuesday preceding the regular meeting. Before each work session, the Trustees are emailed a packet containing all of the documents and information they will discuss at the meeting. “The burden is really on me to take the time to read all of the information,” he said. “I find I have plenty of time to prepare for the meeting.” When Trustees show up to the meeting prepared, Trustee Myers said the meetings are much smoother and business is handled more efficiently.
Looking back, Trustee Myers said he has most enjoyed working with community members. “As a Trustee, my job is to listen to people,” he said. “If someone wants something done, they can come to me and I can take it to the Council, so it’s not just one person running the show. The Trustees do have a chance to be involved in shaping the future of our town. And people need to realize that if you have a problem, come talk to us – we want to help make it better.”
Each of the four seats are for a term of four years. Nomination packets will be available beginning Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020 at the Cedaredge Town Hall, 235 W Main St., and must be returned to the Clerk’s office by Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. In order to run for office, a person must be at least 18 years of age at the time of election, be a registered voter, have been a resident of the Town of Cedaredge for the last 12 consecutive months, and must remain a full time resident during the entire term.
The Mayor and Trustees of the Town of Cedaredge are responsible for representing the best interests of the entire constituency; policymaking and legislative powers for the Town; setting the annual budget to support policy decisions; and attending the twice-monthly Board meetings and other committee meetings as assigned. Desirable leadership attributes of successful candidates include a general understanding of municipal government; a willingness to listen and to understand; a willingness to learn about a wide variety of topics; integrity and consistency; strong communication skills; and being approachable and accessible.
“I really want to encourage people to run for our local Board. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and this is a great way to help your community,” Trustee Myers said. For those considering running, he has two pieces of advice: “Don’t plan on changing everything – come learn how town government works first. And be prepared to work as a team. You can’t vote no all the time. You have to listen to all sides of the story.”
For questions on the 2020 election or for more information on the process of running for office, Town Clerk Kami Collins may be reached at kcollins@cedaregecolorado.com or at 856-3123, ext. 112.