No single issue drove voters to support Councilor Dick White and Mayor Sweetie Marbury’s re-election Tuesday. Rather, the election turned on name recognition, campaign organization and the incumbents’ personal reputation, according to campaign volunteers for each candidate.

The challengers, Dave McHenry and Sean Waddell, together won a respectable 45 percent of the votes.

Each of the candidates took on the city’s toughest problems, including the tight housing market, a new wastewater treatment plant and a potential new airport terminal.

But for those working the campaign, the basics of a political fight, such as strong constituent turnout and candidate personality, were featured more prominently.

White’s campaign manager, Frank Lockwood, credited outreach and White’s thoughtful debate responses as the keys to winning the most votes in the campaign.

“Social media, canvassing, a mailing, a letter-to-the-editor campaign – we covered all the areas,” Lockwood said.

The effort culminated with 800 phone calls the weekend before the election, he said.

Lockwood speculated that White would have won by a larger margin if he had not received negative publicity over his wife’s appointment to the city’s Ethics Board. His wife, Faye Schrater, stepped down from the board in early March after residents voiced concerns about her appointment.

White’s campaign also was plagued by endless sign-stealing, Lockwood said.

Marbury launched her campaign first and was aided by her long-term involvement in city affairs, said her campaign treasurer, Kathleen Adams.

“Primarily relying on her reputation was her primary asset in the campaign,” Adams said.

In addition, Adams said Marbury’s independent voice on council helped set her apart. The mayor was the only one to back a remodel of the airport and the effort to keep the trolley free.

But in the end, it was about 140 votes that separated McHenry from taking Marbury’s seat on the council.

McHenry did well coming up as a grass-roots candidate, said Alma Evans, who worked on his campaign.

McHenry made healthy neighborhoods the theme of his campaign. He plans to stay involved with those issues, including improving rental housing.

Waddell’s campaign had a slight tinge of Republican rhetoric, and, in fact, Ginny Chambers, vice chairwoman of the Republican Central Committee of La Plata County, helped run his campaign.

“We worked a good campaign,” she said.

But she admitted that it’s tough to beat incumbents.

“A lot of it comes down to name recognition,” she said.

mshinn@durango herald.com

Parks, rec boosted voter turnout?

The will of Durangoans is clear: Parks and recreation are a priority.
In Tuesday’s election, a large majority – 69.5 percent – voted “yes” to reauthorize the 1999 half-cent sales tax. The tax will now be effective through 2039.
Participation overall in the election also was up, with 3,954 voters turning in a ballot, the most in recent memory.
City Clerk Amy Phillips said the ballot question could have been responsible.
“Always having a question on the ballot gets heightened awareness,” she said.
About 40 percent of all active registered voters who received a ballot participated, Phillips said.
The Parks and Recreation Department can now use the money for myriad purposes outlined by the reauthorization, said Cathy Metz, the department’s director.
Voters gave the department the go ahead to use the money for maintenance, recreation facilities, trails, parks, city trees and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
However, the money will largely remain dedicated to paying off the debt service for the Durango Community Recreation Center and Animas River Trail projects until 2019.
When the rec center is paid off, the city will have an additional $1.2 million a year to spend on projects, Metz said.
Between 2020 and 2039, the tax will raise about $107.1 million, the city estimates.
Bill Zimsky, who campaigned for the tax, was not surprised by the outcome.
“We were confident that it was going to pass,” he said.
He saw the public turnout as a vote of confidence in the city and how the money has been managed over the years.
The ballot measure clearly had broad appeal demonstrated by the voter turnout and interviews during election day.
“I really wanted to keep that half-cent sales tax going. … I feel that tax has been really beneficial” said Durangoan Jean Gresh after turning in her ballot.
Vice Chairwoman of the La Plata County Republican Central Committee Ginny Chambers also supported the tax.
“I did not want to lose part of our recreational activities in Durango,” she said.
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