The city of Glenwood Springs swore in three new city council members and selected a new mayor Thursday night.
Ward 5’s Steve Smith, Ward 2’s Ray Schmahl and at-large David Townsley became the city’s newest council members.
Current Mayor Ingrid Wussow and council member Jonathan Godes are leaving at the end of their terms.
Smith said he will try to follow in their footsteps as a council member.
“I will try to bring levels of energy, attention to detail and care for community similar to their examples,” he said.
Godes represented Ward 5 and was first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021. He served as mayor from 2019 to 2023.
Wussow represented Ward 2 and was first elected in 2021. She served as mayor from 2023 to 2025, and she is the second woman to serve as mayor in Glenwood Springs.
Former Mayor Wussow thanked city staff for presenting issues and projects to the council over the past few years.
“You do this full time,” she said. “We come in a couple times a month and we make the decisions. But you help us understand the complexity of the decisions that we make.”
She also encouraged the remaining council members to come into meetings with curiosity and humility in order to learn.
Per the city’s charter, the council nominates a mayor and mayor pro tem.
The council unanimously chose Marco Dehm to become the next mayor and Erin Zalinksi to become mayor pro tem.
Dehm, who has been on council since 2023, said he will work to increase communication between council and residents, become more transparent and listen better.
“I have full confidence this council will carry this forward, and I hope we can improve in areas where we are lacking,” he said.
