Bayfield and Ignacio will see new faces on their town boards at the next meeting.
In Bayfield, turnout was light, with fewer than 10 percent of more than 1,700 registered voters – 144 people – turning out. It was, however, a vast improvement over 2012, when only 67 voters cast ballots.
Incumbent Michelle Nelson was the top vote-getter, with newcomers Matthew Salka and J.J. Sanders filling in the other two vacant slots.
“It’s spring break in Bayfield,” Nelson said about the turnout, “but we did way better this election.”
The 1 percent sales-tax measure dedicated to streets, transportation and traffic control went down, 75 to 66.
“Staff has done a lot of work on infrastructure,” Nelson said. “So, we’ll be working on that and economic development.”
Matthew Salka, who came in second, said he is happy to now serve the town he calls home.
“Hopefully, I can help make my community a better place,” he said.
In Ignacio, 116 voters, a turnout of 21 percent, re-elected incumbents Dixie Melton, Tom Atencio and Lawrence Bartley to the board, adding newcomer Edward Box III for a two-year term. Ena Millich, who served several years on the board before resigning as mayor in February 2013, received the lowest number of votes out of the seven candidates with 43.
Melton, the top vote-getter, said one big piece of business awaiting the board is the decision of whether to go to voters asking for a sales-tax increase of 1 percent in November.
“We need capital projects, certainly and would like not to have to raise utility rates,” she said, “or maybe we could do some downtown beautification with the money. We haven’t decided how we would dedicate the funds yet.”
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