Chapin, Bruno, Coggin, Moffet win Vail Town Council seats

VRD mill levy increase approved by voters

Three incumbents — including Vail Mayor Dave Chapin — won reelection in Tuesday’s Vail Town Council race, and they were joined by newcomer Travis Coggin, who finished with the third highest vote total. Chapin topped the list, followed by Jenn Bruno, with Greg Moffet finishing fourth in the field of 10.

The Vail Recreation District’s mill levy increase to pay for operational and capital expenses passed by a margin of 827 to 595 in a special election (see release below), and Eagle County’s 1A marijuana tax to pay for mental health services was leading by a wide margin, according to preliminary results (pdf) provided by the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Town of Vail Preliminary Election Results

Voter Turnout
Preliminary election results include a total of 968 votes cast – 22% percent voter turnout based on 4,382 registered voters. There were 546 who voted at the polls today and another 422 who voted by absentee ballot. These are preliminary election results only.  Final election results will be released no later than Nov. 17 once all overseas and active military ballots have been received and counted.

Per the Vail Town Charter, the three candidates receiving the highest number of votes have been elected to four-year terms and include Dave Chapin with 646 votes, Jenn Bruno with 528 votes, and Travis Coggin with 420 votes. The candidate serving the two-year term will be Greg Moffet with 405 votes.

The remainder of the field finished as follows: Rodney Johnson, 354; Mark Gordon, 332; Ed Padilla, 158; Brian Rodine, 151; Taylor Strickland, 115; and Bart Longworth, 81.

The election fills the terms of four of the town’s seven council positions. Three council seats were held by Mayor Chapin, Mayor Pro Tem Bruno, and Councilor Moffet. The final seat filled was a term year term held by Dick Cleveland who did not run again. Terms of the remaining council members, Kevin Foley, Kim Langmaid, and Jen Mason run to November 2019. Swearing-in ceremonies for the newly elected members will take place at the Nov. 21 regularly scheduled council meeting at which time the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will be selected, each will serve two year terms.

The results of Ballot Question No. 1, which authorizes Municipal High-Speed Internet Services (Advanced Services), Telecommunication Services and Cable Television Services, show  846 votes cast in favor of the measure and 99 votes opposed.

2015 Municipal Election Recap
During the 2015 regular municipal election, 863 votes were cast out of a total of 4,012 registered voters, a 22 percent voter turnout. Elected to four year terms from a field of seven candidates were Kim Langmaid, 627; Jen Mason, 463; Kevin Foley, 440. Dick Cleveland received a two-year term with 410 votes.

Historical Voter Turnout for Vail Regular Municipal Elections*
1985  2,403 registered voters  358 voted  15 percent  8 candidates
1987  2,537 registered voters  975 voted  38 percent  9 candidates
1989  2,846 registered voters  1,042 voted  37 percent  12 candidates
1991  2,522 registered voters  883 voted  35 percent  9 candidates
1993  2,887 registered voters  922 voted  32 percent  7 candidates
1995  3,553 registered voters  982 voted  28 percent  10 candidates
1997  3,266 registered voters  380 voted  12 percent  6 candidates
1999  3,621 registered voters  1,075 voted  30 percent  12 candidates
2001  3,074 registered voters  923 voted  30 percent  7 candidates
2003  3,587 registered voters  1,111 voted  31 percent  8 candidates
2005  3,800 registered voters  1,356 voted  36 percent  8 candidates
2007 3,900 registered voters 946 voted 24 percent 10 candidates
2009 4,059 registered voters 1,001 voted  25 percent 9 candidates
2011 4,312 registered voters 934 voted  22 percent 7 candidates
2013 4,257registered voters 831 voted 19.5 percent 7 candidates
2015 4,012 registered voters 863 voted 22 percent 7 candidates
2017 4,382 registered voters 968 votes 22 percent 10 candidates

*excludes general and special elections.

Note: The most votes counted in any election in Val’s history occurred on July 11, 2006 when voters, by a margin of 1,110 to 467, approved the Solaris development. There were 4,045 registered voters, a turnout of 39 percent.

Voters approve VRD’s mill levy increase