Incumbents Bruce Butler, Jonnah Glassman and Erin Young have successfully defended their seats on Silverthorne Town Council while Kevin McDonald, who ran uncontested, is set to become the town’s next mayor. 

This year, seven Silverthorne residents ran for three available four-year terms on Town Council. The winners will join Mayor Pro Tem Amy Manka, Tanecia Spagnolia and Tim Applegate, who weren’t up for reelection this year. 

All results are unofficial until after certification on April 17. McDonald received 640 votes in the uncontested mayoral race, while Young, Butler and Glassman received 484, 479 and 341 votes respectively in their bids to retain their Town Council seats. Chandler Morehardt, Albert “Al” Concordia, Derrick Fowler and Tara Dye received 256, 250, 245 and 222 votes respectively in their unsuccessful runs for Town Council seats, according to the town’s unofficial results.

McDonald, a retired banker and investment advisor, will succeed Ann-Marie Sandquist, who was elected mayor in 2018. Mayors are limited to two four-year terms. McDonald held a council seat from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2017 to 2022. His campaign centered around local child care access, improving town infrastructure and amenities, as well as development in the town core. 

This year’s election was primarily motivated by financial stability, infrastructure and public safety investments, housing diversification and enhancing public spaces. 

Here’s what each candidate shared as their platform and background ahead of Election Day. 

Butler served on town council from 2008 to 2014, after which he served as mayor from 2014 to 2018 and then again served on council. Butler said he plans to use his term to prioritize redevelopment of underperforming vacant parcels, citing his years working in construction management.

“My campaign is not about complaints or lamenting the past, it is about bold ideas and building the best Silverthorne for the next decade, the next generation and beyond,” Butler wrote in a column last month. 

Young, a sustainability specialist with Breckenridge Grand Vacations, said her campaign was driven by “sustainability, livability and generational thinking,” according to her column last month. She’s currently the youngest member of council and campaigned on continuing to ensure Silverthorne’s safety, protecting its natural resources and making smart long-term financial decisions. 

Glassman, an incumbent, said she’s committed to strengthening the local economy, addressing workforce housing challenges and supporting nature and the arts. Having lived in Silverthorne since 2020, Glassman has served on boards for the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, Wildflower Nature Preschool and High-Country Conservation Center, among others. She campaigned on wanting to continue bolstering Silverthorne’s wildfire mitigation planning efforts. 

Fowler, who served 10 years on council from 2012 to 2022, said he was running for election in hopes of joining the council again with the goal of keeping the town “vibrant, connected and ready for the future while honoring the mountain character that makes Silverthorne such a special place to live,” he wrote. Fowler owns Colorado Mountain Homes Real Estate and said he would be fiscally conservative in handling town finances. 

Concordia, who worked over 35 years in government and global corporations, said in his campaign that Silverthorne chiefly needs to work toward responsible and transparent fiscal management. He said he believes the town should “accelerate efforts that reduce household expenses over time,” citing solar incentives and water-efficiency upgrades as examples. Concordia also serves as a member of the Silverthorne Police Advisory Committee. 

Dye, a teacher for Summit School District, said she would prioritize sustainability efforts and supporting long-term residents and locally owned businesses if elected. She pointed to complications with local workforce housing and said she hopes to champion residents who are struggling to make ends meet.

“One of the issues I see is that there are members of our community with two incomes who make too much for ‘affordable’ workforce housing but do not earn enough to buy on the open market,” Dye wrote. 

Morehardt, a GIS analyst, said Silverthorne’s biggest issues surround affordable housing and ensuring local families have the resources to keep them in town. He noted he lives in a deed-restricted home and hoped to bring that perspective to town discussions about how to diversify – and possibly cheapen – housing options for locals. 

Morehardt wrote in his campaign column that he hoped to “bring the perspective of someone with young kids who is easy to find and connect with in the community.”