Ouray County commissioner candidates last week hammered home their established platforms — Republican challenger Michael Perkovich faulting county spending at the top levels of government and Democrat incumbent Padgett justifying what she considers thoughtful past and future growth.

In an overall friendly display, the District 1 candidates stuck to their campaigns’ key pitches, with Padgett ultimately countering Perkovich’s desire to limit county spending and invest in “core infrastructure” as “a lot of sound bites but not a lot of substance on how it would be accomplished.”

A full crowd attended the 2024 Ouray County Woman’s Club’s candidate forum on Oct. 17. The forum attracted more than 100 attendees in person and 35 attendees online. The forum also received 91 questions, which were whittled down to 22 questions asked of the county commissioner candidates Lynn Padgett and Michael Perkovich. Erin McIntyre – Ouray County Plaindealer

Padgett reached for a handshake from Perkovich at the opening of the 70-minute debate before they launched into 22 questions compiled from the more than 90 that were submitted to the Woman’s Club of Ouray County. The nonprofit organization-sponsored the event with the League of Women Voters of the Uncompaghre Valley and the Ouray County Plaindealer on the evening of Oct. 17.

District 3 Commissioner Jake Niece, who is running for re-election unopposed, gave a brief opening speech on his experience and priorities, which focused on affordable housing and wildfire mitigation.

Each candidate had a minute to answer each question, and a few minutes to open and close the debate.

Padgett opened with a tribute to the natural beauty and quality of life in the county and said her overall goal was to allow gradual, long-term population and economic growth that doesn’t harm the county’s irreplaceable character. She attributed her qualifications for the role to an “insatiable curiosity,” love for policy patterns and bringing people together.

Democrat Ouray County Commissioner Lynn Padgett smiles at the crowd while answering a question during the candidate forum held on Oct. 17. Erin McIntyre – Ouray County Plaindealer

Perkovich also praised the quality of life available in the county and his upbringing on Log Hill Mesa but said the same would not be available to his kids if things were to continue in the direction they are going. He said he began paying attention to county governance and spending after last year’s property tax increase. He believes he is qualified for the commissioner’s job as a result of budgeting and keeping costs low for his family’s construction company, and he said he wants to do that for families like his who live in the county.

Perkovich focused most of his answers on three key areas of interest: limiting county spending, eliminating consultants and investing in the core county infrastructure, which he considers the Sheriff’s Office, Road and Bridge Department — specifically chip sealing roads — and Emergency Medical Services.

Padgett said the county has invested in those areas and said she would try to accommodate additional funding and resources as requested by the departments themselves — she specifically mentioned the 2025 Sheriff’s Office requests, but said that EMS has not made similar asks since last year’s addition of three paid paramedics. She also focused on strengthening other aspects of county government, from protecting public access on public lands to the county-wide broadband.

They disagreed on how they would make cuts to the county budget and the size of county government.

Padgett said she believes retaining and attracting high-quality county employees is more efficient in the long run and that she works to keep down county spending by fighting unfunded mandates at the state level, which are laws that don’t come with funding for local governments to uphold them.

Perkovich said the county should stop paying for out-of-area consultants and instead rely on qualified department heads. He also said departments like Land Use have overregulated and increased costs for home builders.

Republican county commissioner candidate Michael Perkovich answers a question posed at the candidate forum on Oct. 17, held in the Massard Room of the Ouray Community Center. Erin McIntyre – Ouray County Plaindealer

Aside from questions about the candidates’ key platforms and spending philosophies, their debate centered largely on questions about land use and the county’s road and bridge system.

Both candidates agreed on maintaining 35-acre valley zoning, the need for minor changes to high-alpine regulations and the need to lower the federal area-median income threshold, which dictates who qualifies for affordable housing.

They also agreed on some infrastructure needs: creating a better emergency evacuation plan, ensuring water rights and availability for ranchers and investing in long-term durability of county roads.

They both supported an incremental approach to fulfilling Road and Bridge Superintendent Ty Barger’s 2024 request for a more than a $1 million funding increase.

Perkovich said they could start saving money long term by reducing maintenance on the roads through chip sealing.

Padgett said the county worked to retire many of the department’s old vehicles with high maintenance costs at the time of the request but Barger had asked to purchase vehicles without a lease option, which she said was not realistic. Padgett also said she doesn’t support keeping costs down by cutting dust control as proposed by Barger in July, but she is in favor of building up gravel.

One question contemplated a new statewide focus on youth mental health and what policies the candidates would consider to enhance current mental health options in the county.

Perkovich said he “would be the first to admit this is something I haven’t really thought about a lot,” but took the opportunity to address comments made on Facebook in response to condoms attached to lollipops handed out during the county’s Fourth of July Parade.

He apologized for the language he used and said he only found out recently that he was upset with the wrong group for handing out the condoms attached to candy. He blamed a LGBTQ group.

He reiterated the apology during the subsequent question asking about how he planned to include and support all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnic, racial or gender identity.

“Like I said, two years ago I overreacted on the situation that I was completely wrong on. I went after the wrong group…I don’t have a problem with anybody and their personal beliefs at all. We live in America,” Perkovich said.

Padgett responded to that same question saying she was proud of last year’s county proclamation of June as Pride Month, the countywide pride parade and pride flag flown on county fairgrounds during the month.

To the amusement of both the audience and candidates, the debate closed with asking the candidates if they would abide by the results of the election. They both responded yes and said they would share a handshake, whatever the outcome, as neighbors on Log Hill Mesa.

During the debate’s close, Perkovich restated the core aspects of his campaign, while Padgett took the chance to question his platform.

“So when we talk about government, we are being quite efficient. … I don’t know what my opponent would cut in order to do all the funding and I don’t know how he would do the things he wants to do without considering some funding changes. So there’s definitely some things I am looking forward to learning about my opponent’s plan,” she said.