MEEKER | Voters narrowly selected Danette Coulter and decisively chose Dr. Albert Krueger in Tuesday’s special mail ballot election for the Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Service District board, according to unofficial results released late Tuesday after the Herald Times had gone to press.
The election restores the district to a seven-member board by adding one director to a three-year term seat and one director to a one-year term seat.
In the race for the three-year term, Coulter received 577 votes, edging Bobby Gutierrez by just three votes. Gutierrez received 574 votes in one of the closest local races in recent memory.
For the one-year term seat, Krueger received 626 votes to defeat Shawn Bolton, who received 521 votes.
The election followed months of discussion surrounding governance and board structure for the health service district, which oversees Pioneers Medical Center. The district previously reduced the size of its board to five members before deciding to return to a seven-member structure.
Ballots were due Tuesday, May 5, in the all-mail election administered through the Rio Blanco County Clerk’s Office. Results remain unofficial until canvassing is complete.