Top Ten Stories of 2013: No. 10; Three-person council takes charge

Published 2:33 pm Monday, December 23, 2013

San Juan County’s legislative branch and executive branch began a new chapter on April 23.

Voters backed the reelection bids of three county council incumbents in the first county-wide election in seven years.

Bob Jarman beat Lovel Pratt to represent District 1, Rick Hughes won for District 2 against Lisa Byers and Jamie Stephens beat Brian McClerren for District 3.

The new three-person council was enacted after county charter changes were approved by voters in November. It reduced the size of the council from six elected officials to three, redrew the council legislative districts from six to three, and instituted countywide elections for each of those three newly created council positions.

Changes to the charter also turned the three council positions into full-time jobs, eliminated the position of county administrator, and delivered into the hands of the council the responsibility for both legislative duties and day-to-day management of the county. Council members are paid an annual salary of $75,000, plus benefits.

— Colleen Armstrong