News
Third Bighorn seat still tied up
By Rebecca Unger
Hi-Desert Star
LANDERS
— The latest election results, released late Friday, make Terry
Burkhart the only Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency incumbent to win
re-election in Tuesday’s vote. Just which of the challengers will be
put in office, however, is still up in the air, thanks to a tie between
Martha Oswalt and Barbara Renton.
Three four-year terms were open in the election; according to the registrar of voters’ latest results, those terms will be filled by Larry Coulombe, who got 241 votes, Burkhart, with 204 votes, and either Oswalt or Renton, who are tied with 189 votes each.
Incumbent Judy Corl-Lorono received 171 votes, or 17 percent.
The two-year term appears to be filled by David Larson with 220 votes, compared to incumbent Warren Strodel’s 148 votes.
Incumbent director Mike McBride’s term of office will expire in 2011 and he did not seek re-election.
Bighorn-Desert Water View General Manager Marina West said there are 1,500 registered voters out of the 1,900 connections in the agency.
Countywide, “There were 438,542 eligible voters for all contests in this election,” said the registrar’s election technician, Mary Lou Mongar. “As of ballots received by Tuesday, only 38,404 voted.”
Directors plan to listen, learn
Burkhart said she appreciated the people who put their trust in her for re-election.
“We still have a lot of challenges,” she added, “and the new directors will need to educate themselves as to water.”
Coulombe, the only challenger who supported the incumbents and the actions of the current board, said his happiness at his election was weakened somewhat because of the loss of two experienced directors.
“They put in so much personal time. I saw their enthusiasm. They shared with me, and made themselves available to me,” he said. “I would continue their kind of enthusiasm for the job.”
Larson said he is “honored and excited to serve” his constituents. “I don’t have any kind of agenda,” he said. “I would plan to do a lot of listening so I can better address all the different needs.”
Addressing a hot topic among the challengers in their campaigning, Larson said he supports budgeting money for directors to attend seminars and classes.
“It’s only about 1 percent of the entire budget,” he said. “Risk reduction, through taking steps to reduce civil liabilities, is a better way to fiscal health.”
While awaiting the results that will name one of them a new director, Renton and Oswalt offered their thoughts on the future.
Scandals, as well as hostility shown to the agency, its directors and staff, have been cause for dismay to Renton.
“I hope these are things of the past. It’s not necessary to be so argumentative when we have common goals and concerns.”
Said Oswalt, “I believe in divine order. Whatever the good Lord believes is good for the agency and me is fine with me.”
Defeated incumbent Corl-Lorono, the current board president, said she was disappointed with the lack of voter turnout at the candidate forums and at the polls. “But I want to sincerely thank the voters who supported me for the last two years,” she said.
“I feel I gave 110 percent to help turn the agency around, as I promised to do when I was elected.”
She said she plans to continue to attend the board’s meetings and make herself available to the new members.
“The directors need to focus on the big picture and not get sidetracked by the minor stuff,” Corl-Lorono said. “We still have to stay vigilant regarding the ever-changing water issues and regulations.”
Strodel is grateful for his year spent on the board.
“What I learned in that time will benefit me indefinitely into the future,” he said.
Strodel also intends to remain involved with the water concerns of the Hi-Desert communities, saying “We’re going to need more than just the board working on these issues.”
The next vote count will be released at 5 p.m. Monday.
Three four-year terms were open in the election; according to the registrar of voters’ latest results, those terms will be filled by Larry Coulombe, who got 241 votes, Burkhart, with 204 votes, and either Oswalt or Renton, who are tied with 189 votes each.
Incumbent Judy Corl-Lorono received 171 votes, or 17 percent.
The two-year term appears to be filled by David Larson with 220 votes, compared to incumbent Warren Strodel’s 148 votes.
Incumbent director Mike McBride’s term of office will expire in 2011 and he did not seek re-election.
Bighorn-Desert Water View General Manager Marina West said there are 1,500 registered voters out of the 1,900 connections in the agency.
Countywide, “There were 438,542 eligible voters for all contests in this election,” said the registrar’s election technician, Mary Lou Mongar. “As of ballots received by Tuesday, only 38,404 voted.”
Directors plan to listen, learn
Burkhart said she appreciated the people who put their trust in her for re-election.
“We still have a lot of challenges,” she added, “and the new directors will need to educate themselves as to water.”
Coulombe, the only challenger who supported the incumbents and the actions of the current board, said his happiness at his election was weakened somewhat because of the loss of two experienced directors.
“They put in so much personal time. I saw their enthusiasm. They shared with me, and made themselves available to me,” he said. “I would continue their kind of enthusiasm for the job.”
Larson said he is “honored and excited to serve” his constituents. “I don’t have any kind of agenda,” he said. “I would plan to do a lot of listening so I can better address all the different needs.”
Addressing a hot topic among the challengers in their campaigning, Larson said he supports budgeting money for directors to attend seminars and classes.
“It’s only about 1 percent of the entire budget,” he said. “Risk reduction, through taking steps to reduce civil liabilities, is a better way to fiscal health.”
While awaiting the results that will name one of them a new director, Renton and Oswalt offered their thoughts on the future.
Scandals, as well as hostility shown to the agency, its directors and staff, have been cause for dismay to Renton.
“I hope these are things of the past. It’s not necessary to be so argumentative when we have common goals and concerns.”
Said Oswalt, “I believe in divine order. Whatever the good Lord believes is good for the agency and me is fine with me.”
Defeated incumbent Corl-Lorono, the current board president, said she was disappointed with the lack of voter turnout at the candidate forums and at the polls. “But I want to sincerely thank the voters who supported me for the last two years,” she said.
“I feel I gave 110 percent to help turn the agency around, as I promised to do when I was elected.”
She said she plans to continue to attend the board’s meetings and make herself available to the new members.
“The directors need to focus on the big picture and not get sidetracked by the minor stuff,” Corl-Lorono said. “We still have to stay vigilant regarding the ever-changing water issues and regulations.”
Strodel is grateful for his year spent on the board.
“What I learned in that time will benefit me indefinitely into the future,” he said.
Strodel also intends to remain involved with the water concerns of the Hi-Desert communities, saying “We’re going to need more than just the board working on these issues.”
The next vote count will be released at 5 p.m. Monday.
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