Shady

Dear Editor:

When any four (of the seven) Pagosa Springs Town Council members “get together” and agree on something related to the operation of the town, and especially if they use their taxpayer-supported town manager or lawyer to draft that agreement on their behalf, by law, they are acting as the Town Council. Town Council is governed by state law.

By deliberately breaking the intent, if not letter of the law, four of the town “trustees,” the mayor and town manager have done serious damage to our town. These six people “got together” in every way that matters, excluded the public and two of their fellow council members, then authored (signed) and put up a ballot measure whose only purpose is to confuse voters and delay an election, in order to fortify their own power, and keep power out of the hands of the voters and residents of the town.

Even if they now back away from their effort to undercut the people of Pagosa Springs, the damage is already done. While the county and some on council struggle to become more responsive, accountable and transparent, these “trustees” fight unethically to be less so.

If Town Manager David Mitchum was ordered by the mayor and/or these four councilors to draft the ballot measure behind the backs of the other two town councilors and the press, and the public, or if Mr. Mitchum drafted the measure and they followed his direction to violate the public trust, I’m not sure which is worse.

When will enough be enough of these shady actions for the voters of the town? How much more tax money will be wasted by the mayor and council on high-priced Denver lawyers defending these extremely questionable moves? “Trustees” indeed.

Michael Whiting