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Opinion | Bruce Butler: A track record of success during recession

Former Silverthorne Mayor Bruce Butler is running for Summit County commissioner in District 3, which covers Silverthorne and northern Summit County.
Photo by Libby Stanford / estanford@summitdaily.com
  • Occupation: Homeowner association manager
  • Years in Summit County: 20
  • Family: Married with one daughter and a dog
  • Civic involvement: Rotary Club of Summit County, Summit County Elks, Dillon Community Church, Summit Musicians Relief Fund

I am the only candidate running for District 3 Summit County commissioner with a proven record of leadership, experience and results. In my 20 years as a resident of Summit County, I have served a total of 10 years on Silverthorne’s Town Council, including six as a council member (2008-2014) and four as mayor (2014-2018), all while working full time and raising a family.

Town Council elections in Colorado are nonpartisan, which enable candidates to be elected on their own merits and community engagement, not by political connections and affiliations. That is why I am running as an independent candidate for District 3 county commissioner — to best represent the people of Summit County, not partisan politics.

Four months into my tenure on the Town Council, recession hit. It was our task to reposition Silverthorne for future success. Ironically, Summit County is facing the same challenge right now as we look to rebound post-coronavirus. A quick trip through Silverthorne is evidence of success. Summit County needs to be ready for recovery in 2021. I did it before. I am ready to do it again.



Without question, the No. 1 immediate challenge facing Summit County is the need to safely keep businesses open and people working. Another shutdown would have devastating consequences across the spectrum from bankruptcy, to school closings, to mental and behavior health crises. Our local businesses need supportive leadership to form targeted tax relief and affordable health care. Summit County must remain open and the Summit Board of County Commissioners needs to lead the charge to come back even stronger than before the pandemic.

I am an advocate of public-private partnerships. If the past few months have taught us anything, it is that we are all in it together. It is amazing to me that Summit County does not have an active and agile economic advisory committee, focused on such issues as transportation, employee housing, real estate, child care and cost of living. Summit County is full of community-minded people and amazing professional talent. Creation of an economic advisory committee will be among my top priorities as a Summit County commissioner.



Even with the coronavirus pandemic, traffic congestion has been an issue. It will surely be a top issue post-COVID. The Colorado Department of Transportation has placed Summit County in Region 3 with the rest of the Western Slope. While there are some benefits to this, the problem is the traffic and congestion to and from the Front Range as well as Colorado Highway 9, not the Western Slope. Summit County has done a good job of pressuring CDOT to complete the four-lane expansion of Highway 9 from Frisco to Breckenridge. However, the undersized infrastructure at Interstate 70 Exits 195, 203 and 205 remain major congestion points in Summit County that are only going to get worse as the Front Range population increases. I will work with Copper Mountain, Dillon, Frisco, Keystone and Silverthorne to make improvement of these interchanges a priority.

For more

Head to SummitDaily.com/election for information about voter registration, candidates, election results and more.

In the early 2000s, I was the consultant who secured funding for the Summit Stage Transfer Center on French Street in Breckenridge. This was a collaborative effort between the town of Breckenridge and Vail Resorts. As we return to normal, Summit County faces suburban-size traffic pressure 80% of the weekends of the year. It is essential to elect an experienced Summit County commissioner who has a track record of success and will go to bat in both Grand Junction and at the state Capitol in Denver for Summit County’s critical transportation interests.

If elected in November, I promise to include residents and local businesses in the public policy process, represent the unique interests of Summit County, promote economic diversity and public-private partnerships and to work in true collaborative partnership with the town governments in Summit County. I believe it is amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit. I am honored by the support I have received, and I look forward to serving the community I value so much.

Bruce Butler is an independent candidate for Summit County commissioner in District 3.


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