The Town of Buena Vista (BV) Municipal Election is set for Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Four positions on the Buena Vista Board of Trustees will be decided in the spring election. There will also be a ballot question asking voters to move the Town’s election to November to coincide with the rest of the county.
Three of the open Trustee positions will serve a four-year term expiring in 2028. The final position will expire in 2026, filling a vacancy created in 2023.
According to Town Clerk Paula Barnett, “People choose to serve as elected officials for various reasons. Regardless of the motive, if you’re contemplating serving the community as a member of the Board of Trustees, you should be prepared for the role’s demands, expectations, and rewards. Although the legal requirements for serving stipulate that you are a registered voter, reside in the Town of Buena Vista, attend the scheduled meetings of the board, and participate as you desire in policymaking, the town has a proud tradition of active and involved elected officials who vastly exceed the minimum requirements.”
For those interested in running for elected office, Nomination Petitions for Trustee may be circulated from Tuesday, January 2 to Monday, January 22. Those seeking to become a candidate must acquire signatures from ten registered electors living within Town limits.
Overview of Town Trustee Role
Those who serve as trustees, have a say in important matters such as how the town grows, what the street system will be like in the future, where and how development takes place, what town services will be provided, and how the town’s annual budget will be allocated.
The Board of Trustees sets public policy, and sound policy decisions result from hard work. For this reason, elected officials are encouraged, but not legally required, to do outside-the-meeting work.
Trustees review meeting materials, educate themselves about public policy issues, and interact with constituents and elected officials. They also inform constituents, attend meetings with other agencies and governmental bodies, serve on appointed committees, and act as liaisons with staff and other agencies.
The Board of Trustees regularly meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. and conclude after discussing the agenda items. A Work or Executive Session may be scheduled before or after the regular meeting.
When a meeting falls on a holiday, the Board and Town Administrator will determine whether the meeting will be rescheduled. Infrequently, additional meetings are scheduled when the urgency of business requires.
If you are interested in becoming a Town Trustee and would like additional information, stop by the Buena Vista Town Hall to pick up a Candidate Information Packet and Board of Trustees Handbook, or you may access the documents on the Town website at buenavistaco.gov.
The Information Packet and Handbook are intended to answer most of your initial questions, and the Town staff is always ready to help with any issues or concerns. If you decide that you’d like to run for office, the next step is to stop by Town Hall on January 2 to pick up a nomination petition.
In addition to moving the municipal elections from April to November of even-numbered years, the ballot question would extend the terms of the mayor and the current trustees who are not up for election to November 2026 and extend the terms of candidates elected in this upcoming election to November 2028.
If you have questions, contact Town Clerk Paula Barnett, at 719-581-1017 bvclerk@buenavistaco.gov
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