Public safety funding and greater control over water emerged as central issues Wednesday night as six Republican candidates for an open seat on the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners met voters at their first public forum in Mancos.
“I haven’t heard anything about our land‑use code – what’s your stance on growth in Montezuma County?” one attendee asked a panel of GOP candidates.
Audience members also asked about growth pressures, water availability, land‑use regulations and the proposed Dolores River National Conservation Area.
Some candidates said managing growth requires strategic, long‑term planning, while others emphasized the need for more affordable workforce housing.
A total of 80 people attended the forum at Mesa Trails Cowboy Church in Mancos, where candidates spent most of the evening outlining their qualifications and positions on local issues. The event was hosted by the Montezuma County Young Republicans and moderated by group member Jesse Latham.
Democratic candidate Rebecca Busic and unaffiliated candidate Dennis Bugg did not take part in the forum.
The forum opened with candidate introductions and statements about why each person is seeking the open seat.
Fifth‑generation county resident Rodney Cox said his family has deep roots in the community. Cox worked in the private sector for decades and is now retired after operating a store. He pointed to his experience on the Mancos school board, a municipal water board and other local bodies as preparation for county leadership.
“Balancing budgets would not be new to me,” Cox said. “I’ve hired people, mentored people, trained people and fired people.”
Former county noxious weed director Bonnie Anderson highlighted her institutional knowledge and emphasized a collaborative approach to leadership.
“My vision for Montezuma County encompasses three essential principles: trust, collaboration and transparency,” she said. “Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it is about listening to make the county better as a whole. Collaboration begins with mutual respect.”
Diane Fox‑Spratlen spent two decades with the Cortez Police Department before retiring. She now works as a witness and victim specialist with the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. She noted her service on the Montezuma‑Cortez RE‑1 school board and the Cortez fire district board.
“It gives me a little bit of a step‑up in the role. I am very much about local control, small government and fiscal conservancy, and my background is law enforcement, so that will be a priority,” Fox‑Spratlen said.
Former rancher and pastor Shane Prentice said he is running to preserve the county’s way of life and resist unfunded state mandates.
“I have been a pastor at this church,” he said, jokingly. “It’s home‑field advantage.” He added: “I have been serving the people; it is in my heart. I believe that in large part government should be run a lot like a church.”
Candidate Brett Likes, who worked for the county’s road department for two decades, said that experience prepared him to lead and handle fiscal matters responsibly.
“I also believe that I can make a difference and do us right as taxpayers and support this community,” he said. “I personally have no debt. So budgeting, taking care of that kind of thing, no problem. I can handle that very well.”
Candidate Gerald Whited said he has lived in the county since 2012 and works for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe as director of public safety. He said he oversees $10 million in funding and grants.
“I’ve been to Washington – I know what it’s like to get earmarked dollars,” Whited said. “If you cannot navigate the political world, you lose a lot of funding. That is what makes me a qualified candidate; I know what it’s like.”
One audience member asked how candidates stood on the proposal to designate the Dolores River as a National Conservation Area, requesting a simple “yes or no” answer.
Candidates were divided on the proposed designation and management plan for about 68,000 acres along the Dolores River, an issue that has drawn significant public input.
Likes and Prentice opposed the NCA outright, while Fox-Spratlen, Cox and Whited said they support it as a preferable alternative to a national monument designation. Anderson said she does not support approving a proposal before a management plan is finalized.
A question from the audience asked how the county could gain more influence over water issues.
Whited said strengthening water infrastructure and storage capacity, along with partnerships with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, could “open a lot of opportunities” within the water‑rights system.
Cox said water policy is complex and noted that the Mancos Rural Water system currently has limited or no available taps.
“How can you build houses if you can’t get taps?” one audience member asked, pointing to barriers in housing development.
Mancos maintains its own enterprise fund for water and sewer. According to a 2024 water study, the town has enough infrastructure to develop all vacant lots within town limits, town administrator Heather Alvarez said. The concern raised at the forum applies specifically to Mancos Rural Water, which is privately owned.
Anderson said the county needs a more complete understanding of its water infrastructure and should explore updates, including reducing reliance on flood irrigation. She noted that newer technology to capture snowmelt in reservoirs could be helpful but may be expensive.
Fox‑Spratlen said the county has limited authority over water rights because they are governed by the state. She said she would need to further educate herself on the issue.
Prentice said expanding residential water storage and increasing available taps could help meet future demand. Likes added that some county water must be sold under existing agreements, limiting how much can be retained locally.
What are the priorities?
Gerald Whited
Top priorities: Funding for the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office and road department, education, economic development.
Brett Likes
Top priorities: Funding for the Sheriff’s Office and county roads.
Rodney Cox
Top priorities: Repairing communication between county officials and the sheriff’s office, maintaining solid finances.
Bonnie Anderson
Top priorities: Public safety and emergency funding, comprehensive strategic planning, employee retention in the road department.
Diane Fox-Spratlen
Top priorities: Strategic planning, sustaining county services, fiscal conservatism, public safety funding.
Shane Prentice
Top priorities: Infrastructure needs, funding for roads and the sheriff’s office, addressing unfunded state mandates.
