As the swearing in of newly elected City Council members approaches April 28, council members with expiring terms expressed gratitude for their time in office during Tuesday’s meeting.
“I would just like to say it’s been my pleasure to serve the city of Cortez for the last nearly six years and to thank the council members-elect who will continue to serve,” departing council member Robert Dobry said to a room that burst into applause.
Dobry was reelected twice during his six-year tenure, advocating financial accountability and transparency in city government amid a mistaken tax overcollection discovered in 2025. He remains the finance and budget manager for Montezuma County.
Lydia DeHaven, who served four years on council and acted as liaison to the Library Advisory Board, said she was proud of achievements at the Cortez Public Library, citing increases in visitors and attendance at storytime and other events under new library director LeRoy Harris.
The library, she said, is also engaging with high school programs and implementing 3D printers and laptops.
“This time on council – it's been a wonderful opportunity to serve the public and to work with a different group of people than I normally interact with in my day-to-day life,” DeHaven said.
During part of her tenure, DeHaven was also one of the only pregnant City Council members in the council’s history. In 2025, she voted with a majority of council members to allow members to attend meetings virtually up to six times a year. Supporters of the change cited increased flexibility and accessibility consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Departing council member Matt Keefauver, who served more than a decade on council – his first eight years as mayor pro tem – peered through his glasses at the audience, jokingly calling himself old and marveling at how quickly the time passed.
“It was a really great 13 years. I can’t believe it; it went really fast,” Keefauver said.
He expressed gratitude for city staff and their assistance to the council’s operations, applauding their commitment to Cortez residents.
“The thing that I think most impresses me about the city of Cortez is all the people who work for the city care,” Keefauver said. “It's the departmental folks, it's the boots on the ground folks, it's the leadership. Everybody really cares and you can see it and you can feel it.”
Keefauver also offered advice to incoming council members.
“To the new council members coming on: reach out, ask questions, know that these folks have your back and they're really here for the betterment of the city of Cortez,” Keefauver said.
Dennis Spruell, who led the meeting in the absence of outgoing Mayor Rachel Medina, considered his leaving colleagues friends and expressed his sorrow at saying goodbye as his successful reelection campaign means he remains on council without some of the familiar faces.
“This council has been amazing,” Spruell said. “I want to thank the outgoing members and wish them the best. They are going to be here again in two weeks but if they have any words of wisdom for the new City Council coming in, I know that they will give it because they're not afraid to help out the citizens of Cortez.”
avanderveen@the-journal.com
