The town of Dolores is seeking a new town manager.
The town of Dolores is seeking a new town manager.The Journal file

The public will have a chance to meet the candidates for Dolores Town Board and mayor at a forum March 7 at 6 p.m. at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Ave.

The forum is sponsored by the Dolores Chamber of Commerce and will be moderated by Kelly Turner of KRTZ. A meet-and-greet is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. with refreshments.

“The plan is for the moderator to ask questions, including about economic development, then open it up to question from the audience,” said Susan Lisak, director of the Dolores Chamber of Commerce.

Dolores will have a mail-in election April 5 for mayor and three open Town Board seats, but only the mayor’s seat will be contested.

The candidates for mayor are Leigh Ann Reeves and Gerald “Jerry” Whited.

Reeves works at EsoTerra Ciderworks in Dolores, and Whited is a firefighter and EMT for Ute Mountain Ute Fire and Rescue.

The winner will serve a two-year term and replace Mayor Chad Wheelus, who is finishing his second term.

The candidates for the three open trustee positions are Ira “Todd” Andrews, Jeff Sand and Mark Younquist. Terms are for four years. They will replace outgoing board members Tracy Murphy, Jen Stark and Melissa Waters.

The election will be held by mail, and ballots will be sent to voters in mid-March. They can be mailed back or dropped off at the ballot box in front of Town Hall, 420 Central Ave.

Starting this year, elected board members will be paid $100 per month. The mayor is paid $150 per month.

Also in Dolores
The town approved a liquor license for Spirits in the Sky, a liquor store at 18398 Colorado Highway 145. Resident Connie Ryman is the owner and applicant, and the location is at the previous Montezuma Mexican building on the east side of town. The new store will also be a gift shop, Ryman said. The liquor license is pending state approval.
The town of Dolores is developing a strategic plan for the next three to five years and have asked residents for feedback through an online survey. The Town of Dolores Community Survey is available at form.jotform.com Submissions are due by March 15. Survey topics and questions involve demographics, town population, affordable housing, environmental protection projects, level of government services, and suggested changes to town, plus others.