Local Election Results, 2023

Submitted by admin on Tue, 11/21/2023 - 23:11

Provided by Ryan Cavazos and Claudia Henning

In the wake of a spirited electoral process, we bring you an overview of the November 7th, 2023 election results for Las Animas County and the City of Trinidad. The citizens have spoken, and their votes will shape the landscape of local governance. This off-cycle voter turnout came in at just under 48% with 5033 votes cast out of 10,582 total registered voters.

Las Animas County

Proposition HH

This measure did not pass. It involved property taxes and TABOR distribution.

Proposition II

This measure passed. It has been referred to as the “Smokers Tax” that is used to fund Colorado Preschool Program.

Issue 2A

This issue did not pass. It was to increase the lodging tax for all visitor accommodations from 3% to 6%.

Question 2C

This initiative was passed. It returned the economics of running the local landfill to the city’s “General Fund” from being self sufficient, which was not successful. This will now ensure that the city dump services will continue to have funding.

Term Limits for County Commissioners

This did not pass. It would have added an additional 4-year term to the current two term limit, allowing a maximum of 12 total years.

School Board Elections

Las Animas County has two Boards: Primero School District and Trinidad School District #1. For the Primero District, the three open board seats went to Lonny Lopez, Carey Rivera, and Jeremiah Harris. The three open seats for District #1 went to Selina Vallejos, Claudia Trujillo, and Brett Duran.

Trinidad City

Mayoral Race

In the city of Trinidad, the mayoral race captured the attention of residents eager to see who would lead their community forward. In a closely contested battle, Karen Griego, who currently holds a seat on the city council, emerged as the victor, securing 44% of the votes.

City Council Elections

The composition of the Trinidad City Council was also a subject of keen interest. Voters cast their ballots, resulting in a mix of experienced incumbents and a fresh face, poised to contribute to the city’s progress. The three open council seats went to Aaron Williamson (incumbent), Franklin Shew (incumbent) and Manuel Trujilo.

We will look forward to see how the newly elected officials will shape the future of our community.