Saying her decision came “with a heavy heart and following deep reflection,” Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina announced her resignation at Tuesday’s meeting of the city council.
She will resign effective April 28, two years before the end of her second four-year term. That means five council seats will be open in the April 7 election.
Speaking with obvious emotion, Medina said, “It was a hard decision but I felt it right that the citizens pick my replacement.”
She said that during the past few months, her personal and professional responsibilities outside of City Hall have increased significantly.
“To lead the city effectively requires a level of time, energy and presence that I can no longer provide at the standard this community deserves,” she said.
“ I realize I must step back to prioritize ever-increasing demands on my time that are conflicting with important commitments to my family and my career.”
She said she has dedicated over ten years of service to the city and “I am confident I am leaving it better than I found it.”
Saying she is sure that the community will continue to thrive under the next elected council, Medina said, “I will always remain a steadfast supporter of our city and its future.”
The council and audience gave her a standing ovation.
City Manager Drew Sanders told KSJD that Medina has been “an absolute driver of progress and change.”
“I have worked very closely with her over the years,” he said, “and I am nothing but impressed with her skills, abilities, and passion.”
“I am going to miss her, the city is going to miss her, but she’s leaving this place better than she found it.”
So far, according to Sanders, 12 potential candidates have picked up petitions to run for council but none have been turned back in yet. Petitions have to be turned in by Jan. 26.
“The council has a very important governance role for the city and we need good council members who can help guide the city into the future,” he said. “The city is growing and improving, and we need good, skilled council members to help with that process.”
He hopes even more people will run for the open seats in order to give voters plenty of choices.
“We may have 12 people, but we’re hoping for more on the ballot so the community has choices,” he said. “I have all the faith in the world in Cortez voters to make good decisions if they have good candidates.”
This city election may also include four ballot questions, depending on whether the council passes an ordinance setting out those questions on Jan. 28. The questions all involve amendments to the city charter.
“The charter, like many other living documents, is a little outdated,” Sanders said.
The first amendment involves non-substantive changes to the charter that would correct typos, spelling errors, antiquated gender references, outdated references to the city code, and other such items, Sanders explained.
The second amendment would change how the city council could regulate compensation for members. At present, changing council compensation – which is currently $400 per month for members, $500 per month for the mayor – requires amending the city charter. The proposed amendment would allow the council to change compensation through an ordinance instead. That would also allow for public input but would be less onerous than a charter change.
The proposal says that an existing council can’t increase its own compensation, but could increase it for the next elected council, Sanders said.
The third amendment would clarify in the charter that council members can participate in meetings electronically, something the council passed as an ordinance earlier. It would also clarify the location of council meetings.
The fourth ballot question would enact different term limits than what is provided in the state constitution – something Cortez can do as a home-rule municipality. Cortez council members are limited to eight consecutive years of service, but candidates can be elected to either four-year or two-year terms. This amendment would clarify what happens when someone is, for example, elected to a two-year term and then a four-year term and wants to run again. As proposed by the council, the amendment also would allow people who have served eight years to run again after two years off the council.
Sanders said the amendments are somewhat complicated and will require education so that voters understand them.
“Once we get this ordinance passed [putting the questions on the ballot], if it passes, we need to do some public outreach because, yes, it’s complicated,” Sanders told KSJD. “Even for us who work with it often, it’s complicated. The council has been through some workshops, but we do need to help the community understand this.”
