Well, it does. No excuses. I am asking all 4000-ish registered voters who live in Town limits to make sure to vote by whatever method works for you. Election Day is April 7, 2026.
We have real people on the ballot this time! It’s an important election. The media does a fine job of letting you know who’s running and giving them opportunities to write articles about their backgrounds and philosophies.
The “candidates” page on the Town website has each candidate’s contact info and bio.
The candidate forums are very helpful. You can hear the candidates speak, assess their communication skills and knowledge of town issues, and see if they inspire trust for you. You can get a sense of how they might govern.
The League of Women Voters will hold its candidate forum on March 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., in the Town Board Room. Preserve Estes Park has a forum called Meet the Candidates on March 23, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the American Legion. And there may be more opportunities to get acquainted, watch the news media, and email the candidates yourself.
As mayor, I don’t endorse candidates. I’ll do my own private voting and let you do yours. It’s more important to me that we get a good turnout. And remember, one vote can make the difference.
When I was in business and hiring people, I used to say that “you never know until you know” how a certain person will perform until they’re on the job. But you can have a pretty good idea if you gather all the info you can. The best approach is to study the candidates as much as you can, talk to them, and ask others about them.
Two of the candidates are incumbents. You have plenty of past information about their opinions and votes.
For all the candidates, when you communicate with them, do they look you in the eye? Do they listen well?
Do they say, “I don’t know” when they don’t know the answer? Or do they try to improvise an answer? Do they give a straight answer, or do they speak in vague generalities or use “corporate speak”?
Do they get back to you in a reasonable time (or at all) when they say, “I’ll get back to you on that” or “I’ll have to look into that”? Do they answer your email queries?
Do they feel real and connected? Do they seem honest? Do they talk too much – or too little?
Why are they running? Do they have an agenda, or is their primary purpose to serve all?
It’s up to us to assess how we think they’ll operate when we give them the keys to the dais. It’s not just how they respond to various issues, but also how you think they’ll interact in a civil and functional fashion with the other Trustees, with Town staff, with citizens and residents who agree with them, and with the citizens and residents who disagree with them.
We know we won’t agree on everything, so the ability to work together on all issues, especially tough ones, is critical.
For Trustees, there’s a lot of reading. There are the big packets for the regular board meetings, study sessions, and documents related to strategic planning and budgeting. And there’s the Development Code, the Downtown Development Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, the Comprehensive Plan, etc. There are committee or liaison assignments that require additional reading and attendance.
Thanks to all candidates for offering to serve. Being a Trustee is not easy. They must listen to everyone and make decisions on highly contested issues. Trustees may receive both high heat and positive reinforcement on the same topic from different constituents. Sometimes the heat is turned up to 11, and insults and unfounded allegations of backroom deals or inappropriate actions are made.
A trustee must let those comments run off, but they must hear it all, good, bad, ugly. They need to maintain noble behavior. And by “noble,” I don’t mean aristocratic. I mean respectful, civil, balanced. Even under fire, the trustees must rely on knowledge, experience, patience, and listening.
The Park School District’s most recent election had the same number of candidates as openings on the board, and they just slotted the candidates in. I much prefer an election over being elected by “acclamation;” the latter doesn’t give the voters an opportunity to provide a true stamp of approval.
Here, you have a chance to give a true stamp of approval. And so it goes. You are the people who make this important decision. Every two years, you get this big chance to shape the future by shaping the Town Board. Shape it up!
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