Shannon White, Linda Oliver and Benedict Raitano won the race for three available Dillon Town Council seats Tuesday, April 7, while Joshua Samuel won the mayoral seat, according to unofficial results.

The final results from the town clerk show White, Oliver and Raitano won the Town Council seats with 217, 191 and 183 votes, respectively. Samuel defeated the one other mayoral candidate, Renee Imamura, by a vote of 205 to 105. The two other Town Council candidates, Ariel Strickler and Oliver Luck, came in fourth and fifth in that race with 142 and 136 votes, respectively. Out of 708 registered voters, 323 ballots were submitted.

Official results will become available April 17, after special ballots like those for overseas military members that were postmarked by April 7 have been received and counted.

All seats up for election have four-year terms, and three of the candidates were incumbent to the council. Samuel has served as mayor pro-tem for a year while Oliver and Luck have held council seats for about one and two years, respectively.

The races for mayor and council seats in Dillon have revolved around a few issues, including redevelopment of the town core. Dillon has looked to redevelop the area within and around La Bonte Street, Buffalo Street and Lake Dillon Drive for years, with a prior council’s support for one developer’s proposals causing controversy and leading to recall and referendum elections.

White and Oliver were petitioners for the 2025 recall election, which removed Imamura and two other council members, replacing them with Oliver, Samuel and council member Barbara Richard. Richard and Samuel both supported the recall effort.

Here’s a recap of each candidate’s platform while campaigning.

Imamura mentioned “thoughtful” redevelopment bolstering Dillon’s year-round economy as one of her priorities, as well as adding housing for the workforce, young families and longtime residents. The 20-year Dillon resident also wrote that the town needs “leadership that is both transparent and decisive.”

Samuel pointed to his experience as mayor pro tem as having prepared him to be mayor. He emphasized governmental transparency, “responsible” town core development, housing affordability and the protection of town assets, which he wrote include the mountain views, marina and amphitheater.

White’s priorities also included responsible growth and transparency, writing about wanting to rebuild “transparency and trust” in the Dillon government leadership in her candidate bio. She wrote in her column that her other priority is building a “strong year-round community” through things like supporting current local businesses and attracting new ones.

Strickler wrote in her bio that the “energy of the town” feels like it has “slowed” and she wants to help it thrive through development, small business support and intentional planning. She discussed being a younger candidate in her column, saying her youth allows her to bring a “new perspective and a fresh form of leadership” to the council.

Raitano, a former Town Council member, wrote that the town needs to redevelop because it lacks space to physically grow. His column mentioned improving infrastructure, including assets like the amphitheater as well as electrical utilities. He also emphasized trust and collaboration between the public and council and a willingness to cut spending when needed.

Oliver highlighted things the council has accomplished since she joined and wrote she wants to put Dillon residents and business owners first. Her column discussed town core redevelopment taking the public’s input into account, “rebuilding trust” between the public and government and doing her due diligence. 

Luck sees sales tax revenue and settling on a plan for town core redevelopment as the council’s main challenges. While other Summit County towns’ growth has “exploded” over the years, he wrote in his column, it is now Dillon’s turn. He wrote about supporting the businesses at the Dillon Ridge Shopping Center while also focusing on the town core.