After so many letters to the editor criticizing our Board of County Commissioners, I find myself needing to praise them. For decades, we have been arguing and fighting for transparency in government and we have finally achieved that goal in our own Montezuma County.
Yes, our county commissioners, in their heavy-handed, unsubtle and obvious actions with respect to the Planning and Zoning Commission have provided a clear and transparent view into their governance. First, they refused to listen to the repeated, knowledgeable recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Commission and department. Then they decided to increase the number of planning and zoning commissioners by adding new seats. The rational was that we needed more commissioners. Mike Gaddy and Mike Russo were chosen, instead of candidates with significant planning & zoning credentials. So the two Mikes, who surprisingly support the county commissioners views, changed the balance of the commission. Then our county commissioners decided (maybe a year later), when Tim Hunter (who they’d previously and unsuccessfully tried to get rid of), reapplied to remain on the commission, that there were to many commissioners and eliminated one position.
Instead of eliminating one of the two newest and least experienced members, they chose to eliminate Hunter, whose years of experience have made him inquiring and expressive of an overview. Seeing as how Hunter, with his open mindedness and confrontational personality, has often been in opposition with our current BOCC’s agenda, they have shown us through their very transparency how dangerous arbitrary, caprious and politically planned decisions can be.
Of course, all of what I’ve said is only my opinion, but I’d like to thank our BOCC for being so obvious and transparent that even the least involved can clearly see that commissioners make decisions favoring their limited perspective, regardless of the impacts on the county, their constituents and those who will succeed us.
Joel Kantor
Dolores