Incumbents Orly Lucero and Lori Johnson face competition from Rodney Branson in contention for two four-year terms. Buck Woodman, also an incumbent, is running unopposed for a two-year term.
The election will take place at Station 1, 30 N. Ash St. Unlike the municipal election in which voters mailed in their ballots, people will cast their votes in person at the station. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 3.
Lucero, who also serves on the Cortez City Council, is the current board president. He has served on the board for the last four years.
He said the experience he has had in the time since he’s served will be helpful if he is elected to another term. He said he wants continue to make sure that the budget is sound and the tax dollars are being spent wisely.
“We have a good, strong budget now,” he said. “We are running in the right direction, and we feel comfortable. We want to continue to see it proceed that way. We need to think outside the box.”
Lucero said experience with other boards in which he’s been involved would help for another fire district term, too. He said he will be grateful for everyone who gets out to vote.
“I would appreciate the support of the community,” he said. “I’d like to continue helping the community. The community is the boss, and I’m just the voice.”
Lori Johnson has served on the board since summer of 2012. She also serves as dispatch supervisor for the Cortez Fire Department.
One priority Johnson would have if elected to another term would be the construction of a new fire station, she said. A possible location for the new station would be the corner of Washington and North streets, she said.
“We have firefighters working 24/7,” Johnson said. “The station we have now is old and isn’t meant to be used the way it is.”
Johnson is experienced in the public safety field, having started working communications for wildland fire departments two decades ago, she said. She said the fire chief and new assistant chief are doing a good job, and she hopes to help them continue moving the department in the right direction.
For the size of the community it serves, the Cortez Fire Department is doing well, she said.
“I think volunteerism is important, but when you start losing volunteers I feel like keeping the community safe is what you can do,” Johnson said. “I can represent that belief through the board.”
Johnson encouraged people to make it to the station to vote.
“It’s an important process,” she said.
Challenger Rodney Branson has been a resident of Cortez for 57 years. He has a background in equipment purchasing, and currently works as the equipment manager for Triad Western. He said he can help make sure the department is making the right decisions when the time comes to purchase new trucks or other equipment.
“I’m interested in making sure our taxpayers are getting a great value,” he said. “Our tax base seems to be shrinking.”
Branson said he would like to increase the number of firefighters working in Cortez. Some of the firefighters work in Farmington in addition to Cortez, he said. The department needs to entice more firefighters to come to Cortez to work as their primary duty, he added.
“Our firefighters cover a large area,” he said. “They’re doing a great job.”
Branson said all the board members are doing a good job, but he could provide some fresh ideas and an outside perspective for the board. His knowledge of the safety business and the equipment side would be helpful, he said. He wants to make sure the department is utilizing all three firehouses and keeping response times down, which are already excellent, he said.
“We have a great firefighting group, but there’s going to be a lot of challenges,” he said.
After running unopposed in the election, Buck Woodman will assume a two-year term on the board. Woodman works as a detective for the Cortez Police Department.
He says he wants to remain on the board for another two years to learn more about the department and see how the new assistant fire chief can help out the department.
Woodman said he is invested in Cortez and making sure it’s a safe place to live.
“My family is here, and I like this community,” he said. “I want to be on the board to make decisions to benefit public safety.”
The department will be hoping to purchase a new building, hire new firefighters and buy new equipment, Woodman said. He wants to continue to be on the board to help the department through that process, he said.
“We have a very good fire department,” Woodman said. “We’re there to make sure things go smoothly. It’s a good department and system.”
