RBC to hold mail ballots

RBC I Rio Blanco County commissioners passed a resolution during their regular meeting Monday last designating Nancy Amick the election official and they authorized the county clerk and recorder to conduct the June 26, primary election by mail ballot.
Amick told commissioners more than 50 percent of registered voters in Rio Blanco County have registered to get their ballots by mail.
“It will save the county 55 percent of the election costs of a polling place election,” Amick said.
There are more than 2,890 registered voters — including republicans, democrats and unaffiliated voters — in Rio Blanco County. Amick said 1,484 have signed up for mail ballots. With more than 50 percent of the voters requesting mail ballots, Amick said it “makes sense” to have a mail ballot election, from which more returns are usually received.
Amick said the primary election was “bumped up quite a bit” from August to June because of a Federal law requiring complete ballots be mailed to troops serving overseas at least 45 days prior to a general election.
The only local election is for two county commissioner seats. Ken Parsons has served two terms and Christine Brasfield and Jon Hill have announced their intentions of running for his seat. Kai Turner announced at the recent republican caucus his desire to seek a second term and Jeff Eskelson has announced he will challenge for the incumbent’s seat.
The Rio Blanco County republican general assembly will be held March 10 in Rangely at Colorado Northwest Community College in the Colorado Room, starting at 2 p.m.
A public hearing for a special use permit (SUP) and certificate of designation for Western Gravel LLC for the operation of a solid waste disposal facility was postponed. The planning commission continued its Feb. 9 hearing on the matter until March 8, awaiting further information.