Republican candidates for Montezuma County commissioner laid out competing visions on taxes, land use and transparency Monday during a debate at the Cortez Chamber of Commerce.
The debate between Bonnie Anderson, Diane Fox-Spratlen and Rodney Cox offered voters side-by-side comparisons of how each candidate would approach key issues, including a potential sales tax, property rights and state mandates.
The seat will be determined this November, but the Republican primary for June 30 will decide who takes the GOP ticket in a heavily led conservative area.
The event, hosted by the Montezuma County Republican Central Committee, drew a crowd of more than 60 – made up of local party members who chatted, laughed and hugged before the debate was called to order by acting chair Bob Ower. Ower and secretary Cindy Wallace served as timekeepers, making sure candidates stayed in bounds.
“OK, everybody excited?” Ower began as he introduced the evening moderator.
Open calls for “civil discourse” were made from moderator Sara Broersma, a retired schoolteacher from Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1, who taught American Government for three decades.
“I welcome you to listen to their very candid debate tonight. Let’s all make sure we have a good dialogue tonight,” she said. Her initial inquiries – “Candidates, are we ready? Audience, are we ready?” – were met with a resounding yes.
The first of three rounds followed a Q&A format, with questions devised beforehand by the committee and each candidate provided with time to respond. The second round allowed for sharper back-and-forth, as candidates posed questions directly to each other.
They aligned on how core responsibilities of commissioner entail budgeting and oversight of roughly two-dozen county departments. They differed on the approach.
Anderson, the first to answer the question, “What do commissioners actually do?” added an emphasis on collaboration and public access, saying communication and transparency must be restored.
“As a newcomer, I would do office hours,” she said. “My job is to listen to the people. I think it is the ultimate thing we are lacking right now.”
Cox framed commissioners as a “financial checkpoint” and advocate at higher levels of government, criticizing federal PILT funding. He also emphasized eagerness to build relationships with the two other commissioners, other elected officials and department directors.
“Seek first to understand,” he said, adding the desire to know what the public needs.
Fox-Spratlen pointed to duties defined within state statute, stressing policy, administration and advocacy at the state Capitol. She said if elected, she plans to build relationships with the commissioners whom she already has experience working with.
“My role is to shut up and listen. I am very big on relationships and collaboration, bringing people to the table to solve problems,” she said.
Candidates largely agreed property rights should remain central but diverged on specific applications. Fox-Spratlen said she believes priority rights are “paramount,” that the land-use code was “narrow,” which is important and appropriate.
Cox said the proposed Dollar General project may be legally justified but undesirable for its neighbors. He warned against expanding government through blight regulation.
“As far as the blight or the rubbish commissioners are talking about, I think it’s a can of worms: Once you get talking about it, you will never get finished,” he said. “I like my tractors, I like them on my land. I see that as growing the government, and I am not a fan of that.”
Anderson echoed Fox-Spratlen – saying the “shorter the better”– in regard to the land-use code. She reflected on a need for the county to update its comprehensive plan from the 1990s era, especially regarding values around new industries, such as solar farms.
There was a small dispute over transparency. Anderson called for more communication while Cox defended current commissioners as transparent. There was a pointed exchange when Cox questioned Anderson about past criticism of county leadership and staff, which she denied criticizing staff.
“Transparency is not easy; it's a full-time job. If you follow me on Facebook, it’s exhausting,” Anderson said.
Cox said he’s spent time attending after-hours meetings to become more familiar with local issues, including school board meetings in Dolores and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
“It takes a lot of time. … The only people I haven’t seen during the after-hour meetings are you guys,” he said.
In a different response, Fox-Spratlen, as a former police officer, said her priorities lie with raising retention and pay for Sheriff’s Office deputies. She said the financial and operational assessment of the Sheriff’s Office by KRW Associates, provided in March 2025, is a detailed and actionable guide.
“Fighting that fight. … It takes a great deal of time and energy, and I have both,” Fox-Spratlen said.
awatson@the-journal.com
