Stevens, Berman, Dupré-Butchart, and Knight elected to Basalt Town Council with dismal voter turnout
Only about 25% of registered voters cast a ballot
Josie Taris/The Aspen Times
Basalt voters elected Rick Stevens, Hannah Berman, Angèle Dupré-Butchart, and David Knight to represent them at Town Council in Tuesday’s election.
Berman won the most votes with 460, followed by Dupré-Butchart with 435, then Stevens with 360. Kaja Rumney won 321 votes, and Chris Mullen pulled 195 votes.
“I’ve loved learning more about policy and talking with so many folks in Basalt,” Berman said. “And now I have the opportunity to do a whole lot more of that which I’m looking forward to.”
Dupré-Butchart celebrated the news with family and friends at her home.
“I am extremely excited and optimistic about the future of Basalt, and I am honored that the voters of Basalt have chosen me to represent them,” said she in a statement. “I look forward to working with my fellow councilors, Mayor Knight, the town staff, the residents of Basalt, Basalt business owners, and other stakeholders in our community over the next 4 years to ensure that Basalt continues to be the thriving community we all love and deserve.”
Stevens reacted with enthusiasm to heading back to public office after a few years away.
“I think (being elected) means a long-awaited opportunity to address some of the issues the midvalley faces as far as affordable housing, a strong economy that will keep us sustainable, and in a good place as a community,” he said.
Knight ran uncontested for the mayor’s seat and, therefore, won by a landslide with 523 votes.
“I’m honored and excited to serve as Basalt’s mayor. I eagerly look forward to serving with the new council, continuing our efforts to keep Basalt moving forward,” he said in a prepared statement. “Together, we will continue to prioritize critical projects including the Midland Avenue Streetscape as well as focusing on affordable housing and climate initiatives. I want to express my sincere gratitude for the support and confidence everyone has shown me.”
Rumney said while she is disappointed in the election’s outcome, she thanked the community for their support and for the opportunity to run for Town Council.
“I am proud of the campaign we ran and the ideas we put forward. I will continue to be an active member of this community and look for other ways to contribute and make a positive impact,” she said in a statement. “Congratulations to the winning candidates, and I wish them the best of luck in their new roles. Thank you to everyone who believed in me and supported me throughout this journey.”
Mullen expressed gratitude for the community.
“I am grateful our community had so many highly-qualified candidates this year and enjoyed meeting and learning from those who shared their thoughts with me,” he said in a statement. “I sincerely thank everyone that voted for me. It has been wonderful to experience the love and support of all of those close to me throughout this endeavor.”
Turnout, future council priorities
The unofficial ballot count from Town Clerk Pam Schilling was 707 of 2,845 mailed ballots, about 25% voter turnout.
The town said a few ballots — less than 20 — need to be cured, and the town has sent out letters to those voters with instructions for curing their ballot. Those voters will have eight calendar days after the election, April 10, to cure their ballots for their vote to be counted.
“I honestly think spring break might have had something to do it,” said Town Manager Ryan Mahoney. “You either had to be on the ball and vote before or vote yesterday or today.”
Turnout in the 2020 municipal election, with the mayoral seat and three council seats on the ballot, garnered a 47% turnout of 2,489 voters. About 39% of 2,186 voters cast a ballot for the 2018 election, with three council seats and a tobacco/nicotine tax increase on the ballot.
The campaign ran without much hubbub. One candidate, Courtney Sheeley Wycoff, withdrew from the race before the candidate forum hosted by the Basalt Chamber of Commerce on March 4.
At the forum, the candidates mostly agreed on some of the biggest issues facing the town. Housing, of course, is the primary concern and at the root of most other council priorities like economic health and growth management.
One of the biggest tasks for the new council will include overseeing the finalization of the multi-million dollar infrastructure project on downtown Basalt’s main street — the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project. Additional big-ticket tasks include considering development applications like the Black Mountain proposal and allocating the remaining bond funds for Basalt Forward projects for affordable housing and green initiatives.
“I think we need to do some goal setting in the next few months, so we can start working on the town’s Strategic Work Plan for 2025,” said Mahoney. “Largely, we’ve obligated ourselves to carrying out these Basalt Forward 2030 projects. I think this new council — because we’re somewhat at the beginning stages with the affordable housing — they’ll be able to get their hands into that part of it.”
