Steve Skadron is hoping to hang on to the mayor’s seat in Aspen. He has one challenger in the May election but says his proven leadership will earn him votes. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen reports.
Skadron has served two terms on council. This would be his second term as mayor. He runs a marketing business and has lived in town for two decades. He says he’s pursuing re-election as a commitment to public service.
Skadron: "I’m running again because I provide the forward-looking, fiscally responsible leadership Aspen deserves and we’ve had successes along the way and I want to continue those successes."
Reporter: "Your opponent doesn’t think there’s enough accountability from council on city expenditures. Do you think the city spends money wisely?"
Skadron: "Generally, yes, we do. Council takes very seriously its fiduciary responsibility. We take a long time scrutinizing projects and budgets. We had a situation recently. It was an application from the ARC and it called for something like $167,000 to fix a slide. It was a line item buried in a staff application. To council’s credit, that kind of thing doesn’t get by."
Skadron says he agrees with the sentiment driving Referendum One on the spring ballot. But, he’ll vote against it. The measure would put certain developments to a public vote instead of a council decision. He thinks it will bring unintended consequences.
Skadron: "I think the best place for the community to address its development issues is in a public forum, like the city hall chamber. I’m afraid of an application being referred to the marketplace that is then either supported or opposed by special interests who are best funded or best organized."
Reporter: "If you were re-elected, would revamping the land use code be part of what you do?"
Skadron: "Yes. Absolutely. One of my council top ten goals would be to initiate a review of the land use code to ensure the laws there reflect the principles of the Aspen Area Community Plan."
The community plan sets out a vision for the Aspen area. It’s meant to guide decision-making.
Skadron says he and his opponent, Torre, are philosophically aligned. But, unlike his opponent, the job isn’t about being mayor but serving the community.
"My representation of Aspen has been competent and balanced. And, I take quite seriously the mayor’s role as the community’s ambassador and acting as a statesman who values principle over popularity."
In this campaign, the city manager’s office has been criticized. Skadron blames that, in part, on a parking scandal where the city was duped of a significant amount of money. He thinks its important to maintain consistency and keep the city manager on board.