Election canvassed

COLORADO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT

Proclamations made

The May 3 election was officially canvassed at the Colorado County Commissioners Court meeting held on Monday, May 12, with the unofficial results now official and set to stand firm.

A total of 1,889 voters cast a ballot out of a possible 14,332 voters registered in the county, ultimately deciding that they did not want to approve the proposed Emergency Services District #1 (ESD) throughout the county.

Rebecka LaCourse, Colorado County Elections Administrator, voiced the work put in by the election department, whether it’s a large or small election, and just how much it costs to coordinate an election, estimating that the election ran the county roughly $32,000.

“No matter how big or how small the elections are, it does take the same amount of effort and the same amount of cost,” said La-Course. “And that is something that our citizens need to understand and realize, when they decide to turn out and vote or not decide to turn out.”

Proclamations were additionally made by commissioners recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month for the month of May and Emergency Medical Services Week for May 18-24.

Dr. Mazie Leftwich, President of the Wellness Council of Greater Colorado Valley, thanked commissioners for the proclamation made, highlighting how important it is to combat mental health, educate others on the subject and to stay aware of how life changing it can be.

“We can no longer think of mental health as something far away, but hitting us here at home,” said Leftwich. “I can’t imagine the horror of a parent, a grandparent, coming home to find that their child has taken their own life. There is nothing that could be more horrific for them. We know now from the CDC’s research that showed a behavioral youth survey, that one in four high school students have seriously considered suicide. It’s the second largest cause of death for teenagers between 12 to 17. We have to do something here locally.”

The next Colorado County Commissioners Court meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 27.