With trustee elections coming up in April 2006, it is an optimal time to start discussing the politics here in Estes.
All trustees are elected at large and our research over the past ten years has come up pretty empty, trying to identify platforms. When you have more than one candidate for the same seats how do you choose just one? What are the qualities that Estes finds attractive in its trustees?
David H. ran pretty successfully a few years back on the platform of “I will run to prevent Patrick C. from serving”. Other trustees have been elected on the “do you remember my dad” platform. The last trustee election a trustee was elected on a healing of the town promise (once elected he joined the “if it’s not broken don’t fix it crowd”), how’s that coming by the way - the fixing, healing or breaking? Trustee Newsome during the last trustee election, admitted he didn’t do anything for the four years of his first term, but just does what John tells him, he got reelected. With term limits of eight years Sue Doylan as survived as trustee for 14 years on no platform at all but does growl and make faces.
Isn’t it difficult to run a campaign without a platform - or some sort of agenda, what cause do you champion and who are your supporters? In the recent home rule election several of the town trustees ran as a team, chanted the same mantra - everyone but the trustees had an agenda. What politician runs for an office without a platform, agenda, or plans of some sort?
So many people play the “local” card to get elected. One “local” politician cannot engage you in a conversation without reminding you that his dad was a trustee, my dad this - my dad that (his dad by the way made his money and moved south).
Is there an advantage to electing someone that has lived here most of their lives? The answer to that question, on a purely practical - operational level, would have to be no. The town operates under the rule sets of statutory status. The rules that govern the town are set by the state legislature and the trustees are sworn to follow those rules, if they don’t you can always prosecute them because they are personally liable.
If the town would have converted decades ago to home rule status, if local rules sets and guide lines specific to Estes Park were historically established - than one could see some history being a factor. The functions of the trustee’s job are by and large not creative, but maintenance in nature – paying the bills and assuring ordinances are in compliance with state law.
On the other hand, the position of trustee can prove to be a financial windfall for those that have the moxy and play their cards right. Locals have more knowledge of the tricks of the trade on how to skirt the rules, how to break the law and make it sound like what they are doing is for everyone’s benefit. If you are willing to break a few rules, well it can be quite lucrative personally.
Rhetoric and excuses are the only politics of Estes Park that we can identify; an example of action would be an implementation of a more responsible management style. In Estes Park the trustees are content to do business in the back room, hiring friends and finding ways to skirt state statutes. Decades ago the trustees could have insisted on a more transparent and competitive, prudent and less political management of public funds, but who would want to be trustee then?
Since Mayor John B. took office there have been 120 trustee meetings that included 30 executive sessions. The City of Fort Collins City Council manages a town of 130,000 with not one executive session in the same time span.
