Guest editorial: Bill Madsen for Snowmass Mayor
Courtesy photo
It is a privilege to live, work, play and raise a family in Snowmass Village. A vote for Madsen for Mayor of Snowmass Village is a vote for: increasing our stock of workforce housing, a thorough and well thought out connectivity plan for the village, a well-maintained and expanded trail system, a new and beautiful entryway to the town, improvements to our Town Park, capitalizing on the Ice Age Discovery as a tourist attraction, and making sure developers pay their way by providing the community with assets and funding to improve the village.
When people ask me why I love Snowmass so much, my initial reaction is, “Snowmass reminds me of Aspen when I was a kid.” The community is smaller, the offseasons are slower and there is still much to discover. I have spent my life recreating in and around the village, therefore, the second question I am asked is, “Can you show me around sometime?” Most of my friends who live in Aspen or downvalley do not get to Snowmass very often and they aren’t familiar with all the terrain. Snowmass is big and it takes some time to understand the intricacies of the mountain, the trails and the town, and I am happy to share the secrets of Snowmass Village.
So, what does this have to do with politics and why do I want to be the mayor? Snowmass Village was established because of recreation and our economy is dependent on tourism. Our visitors, second homeowners, and locals count on Snowmass Village to be a fun place where they can make lifelong memories with family and friends. I believe it is the mayor’s job to lead the town in what it does best. My friends call me Dr. Fun and I feel that I am the right person for the position. If Snowmass Village is viewed as a fun, safe and beautiful place to visit and live, our economy will continue to be successful in the future.
In the near term, I believe Snowmass Village is in a great position to manage the challenges presented by COVID-19 this winter because the village offers multiple community nodes that allow for social distancing. In addition, the majority of the lodging in the village is ski-in and ski-out, so guests can return to their accommodations for meals and down time. This is important, as it will help support the social gathering guidelines set in place by the Board of Health and the State of Colorado. Maintaining low risk indoor dining spaces and public transportation options will be the greatest challenges Snowmass needs to address this winter, and I believe the village is positioned well to do so.
As a member of Town Council for the past six years, I am proud of the progress we have made; however, there is more work to be done. As mayor, my focus will continue to be on building consensus when Town Council is presented with challenging decisions by allowing for robust, civilized debate. I am a pragmatist at heart, which means I will always seek practical solutions to challenges and opportunities. I enjoy evaluating theories and beliefs to determine success based on the practical application of a concept or plan.
I am excited about the future of Snowmass Village and I would appreciate your vote!
Bill Madsen
Editor’s Note: The Snowmass Sun offered each Snowmass Mayor and Town Council candidate the opportunity to write a 600-word guest editorial piece before the Nov. 3 election.
