Montezuma County voters will decide in November whether to lift term limits for the county assessor, treasurer and clerk and recorder after commissioners unanimously agreed to put the question on the ballot.
The issue was prompted by a public comment at a commission meeting on Feb. 3. A Lewis resident said Clerk Kim Percell’s position, now term‑limited and up for election, had no candidates at the time. Since then, Lenetta Shull and David Raubeson have announced they will run.
“The point being, this is the time to change our status here in Montezuma County, recognizing most of these offices are professional positions,” resident Dexter Gill said during public comment. “This year the clerk’s office is term-limited and that is really damaging to our county.”
“To lift the limits on the assessor, treasurer and the clerk but to leave the D.A. (district attorney), commissioners and the sheriff as is,” Commissioner Jim Candelaria said while introducing the motion during a meeting on Feb. 17.
After a unanimous vote, commissioners said those three positions were the least controversial and directed county attorney Stephen Tarnowski to begin drafting ballot language.
Treasurer and clerk positions were extended to three terms in the 2008–09 election year.
The commission argued during a workshop held the day before that term limits are unnecessary for these three roles because they do not make policy, and their duties are dictated entirely by state statute. Commissioners decided to leave the current two‑term limit in place for commissioners and the sheriff, whose limit of three terms was also extended in 2008–09. Sheriff Steve Nowlin’s tenure is expiring, and a new sheriff will be elected this fall.
“Like it was brought up in public, these are basically careers – there is nothing political in these, they are all by statute, so look at them and talk to your neighbors, friends and get the information and they will be able to vote on it in November,” Candelaria said.
Commissioner Kent Lindsay said removing term limits does not eliminate electoral accountability, since officials would still have to run for reelection every four years. The commission said the district attorney is a judicial district position, and the county likely does not have the authority to regulate its term limit.
Officials noted that term limits have already been removed for the coroner.
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