Residents urge Montezuma County to revisit term limits and define 'blight' before action

Speakers during the Feb. 3 public-comment period urged the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners to consider changes to term limits and to proceed cautiously on any blight ordinance.

Dexter Gill, who identified himself from Lewis, Colorado, said that several county offices up for election this year are professional positions that should be apolitical and not subject to term limits. “I like to see that position put on the ballot for this year to remove these offices from term limits,” Gill said, urging the board to consider making such a change and, if possible, to make it retroactive.

Ellen Mace told commissioners she regularly monitors county proposals and warned that the term “blight” needs a clear definition before the county advances any ordinance. She also questioned a $45,000 figure referenced in meetings as material to the discussion, noting that amount is equivalent to a county salary and would affect taxpayers. “The the word blight, if anything gets moved forward, really needs to be defined,” Mace said.

The Chair closed the public-comment period after the remarks. The board did not take formal action on term limits or a blight ordinance at the Feb. 3 meeting; the comments were entered for the record and may inform future discussions or ballot-placement decisions.

The public-comment rules announced at the start of the period require speakers to be Montezuma County residents, to state their name and address for the record, and to limit remarks to three minutes.