- Montezuma County Hospital District's ballot initiative sparks debate at Tuesday meeting of the Montezuma-Cortez District Re-1 School Board.
- Cortez City Council passes resolution to support setting Dolores Water Conservancy District's mill levy at its current rate.
- Southwest Colorado Community College names Four Corners native Tonya Nelson as its executive dean.
A resolution in support of a ballot question for the Montezuma County Hospital District sparked some unexpected debate Tuesday night at the meeting of the Montezuma-Cortez District Re-1 School Board. The board first heard a presentation about the ballot initiative, which asks voters to approve a limited sales and use tax of about 4 cents on every $10 to pay for improvements at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez. But when a motion was made to support the initiative, some of the members balked. Sherri Wright said while she personally is in favor of the hospital measure, she questioned whether it was appropriate for a school board to support another entity’s tax question. Mike Tanner said schools have a reputation for always wanting more and he wasn’t sure “we should put our name on another tax.” But others, including Pete Montaño and Jack Schuenemeyer, countered that quality medical care is key to a good community and critical for recruiting and retaining teachers and staff. Ultimately the board voted 4 to 2 to support the hospital measure, which is intended to provide funding to build a new, more secure patient wing; consolidate clinics; and improve emergency services.
Also on Tuesday, the Cortez City Council passed a resolution supporting a different question on the November ballot. In this case, it was a proposal by the Dolores Water Conservancy District seeking to permanently set its mill levy at its current rate. The measure is commonly known as “de-Brucing.”
Southwest Colorado Community College has chosen Four Corners native Tonya Nelson as its executive dean. Nelson was formerly the director of quality improvement and the career center at San Juan Community College in Farmington. She was born in Ganado, Arizona, and raised in the Many Farms/Chinle area. She will take the reins as the head of SCCC on October 19th.
