- Montezuma County Commissioners ponder pay raises for elected county officials.
- 19-year-old arrested in connection with destruction of more than 35 mailboxes in Montezuma County.
Do elected county officials deserve a pay hike? The Colorado legislature passed that political hot potato along to each county’s commission earlier this year, and on Monday the Montezuma County board pondered the matter. Counties have four options, from giving no raises to giving a 30-percent increase. The catch is: All nine elected county officials, including the sheriff, assessor and three commissioners, have to receive the same amount. Any increase would take effect only after the 2018 and 2020 elections. Chairman Keenan Ertel said the commissioners are well paid already but noted that other officials have not had a pay hike in seven years, while their staffs usually get annual increases. Commissioner Larry Don Suckla didn’t like the idea of officials instead of voters deciding the matter. The board will revisit it on November 23rd.
A 19-year-old Cortez man has been arrested in connection with the destruction of more than 35 mailboxes in Montezuma County. An unidentified juvenile, reportedly 17, is also a suspect and may face charges in the mailbox-smashings, which took place October 11th and 12th along county roads 26, 29, M, and others. In a press release Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office said Robert Finch was in custody at the county detention center on a $1,000 bond on charges of criminal mischief and an unrelated burglary warrant. The vandalism reportedly amounted to more than $1,000 in damage. At the Dolores Town Board meeting Monday night, Sheriff Steve Nowlin said restitution would be sought.
