YOUR AD HERE »

Basalt council election spurs little interest

Three candidates emerge for three openings

Staff report

A relatively calm stretch in Basalt politics apparently resulted in little interest in the latest Town Council election.

Only three candidates emerged by Monday’s deadline for three open seats on the council, according to town clerk Pam Schilling.

Submitting petitions were Ryan Slack, Angela Anderson and Dieter Schindler. Slack is an incumbent completing a four-year term. Schindler ran for election in 2020 and fell just four votes short in the crowded battle for three council seats.



Schilling said at Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline that she still had to verify the signatures on the candidates’ petitions before they become official candidates. The candidates had to collect signatures of 25 qualified electors in Basalt.

Incumbent Gary Tennenbaum could not run again because of term limits. He has served two four-year terms. Incumbent Bill Infante didn’t seek re-election.




Schilling said anyone who wants to mount a write-in candidacy must submit an affidavit of intent to run by 5 p.m. Jan. 31. If no write-in effort is undertaken, the town government has the option of canceling the election since there would be three candidates for three seats.

“It’s possible we could be canceling,” Schilling said, noting there are no municipal ballot questions in the April 5 election.

The four board members who are in the middle of their terms and not up for election this year are Mayor Bill Kane and councilors Glenn Drummond, Elyse Hottel and David Knight.

Basalt elections had been competitive in multiple recent cycles due to controversy over growth and development. Attendance at council meetings has been generally lower during the COVID-19 pandemic and, at times, meetings have been virtual rather than in-person.

The town government received overwhelming support in November 2021 on a ballot question seeking to extend an existing property tax mill levy. The town wanted to keep revenues to improve Midland Avenue, build affordable housing and pursue “green” projects. The measure passed 72% to 28%.