Campaign yard signs? In Eagle?
Kathy Heicher
Posted: 03.17.2008 / 8:45 PM EDT
Move over, Hillary and Obama.
Sure, the Democratic presidential race is fascinating — but April 1st is town election day in Eagle, and it’s Ed and Arn who are dominating the local political gossip. That’s Ed Woodland and Arn Menconi, the two candidates for mayor. There’s another eight candidates vying for three Town Board seats. Some of them are already making phone calls to potential voters, or walking the town’s neighborhoods, knocking on doors. Several are handing out homemade brochures that they printed on their home computers.
There are persistent rumors that some candidates have invested money in yard signs. Yard signs! That’s a level of campaigning that’s never been seen before in an Eagle town election. For the 36 years that I’ve lived in this town, “campaigning” for town office consisted of filing a petition, then hoping enough friends would vote for you. And long-time locals always had the advantage in political races.
If and when those yard signs appear, in addition to promoting candidates, they also signal the kind of changes this town is going through.
Eagle’s population has doubled in the last eight years. A recent survey indicated 55 percent of the community’s residents have lived here five years or less. Who knows if they are going to make it to the polls on April 1? And if they do, who are they going to vote for?
This is not going to be a predictable election.
Small town elections aren’t partisan. Candidates don’t have to declare themselves Democrats or Republicans. It’s the issues that drive voters to the polls, and in Eagle, those issues typically involve development.
Big box store development is the big issue for this election. There’s a development application pending for a shopping mall development that would include big box style anchor stores and the related retail stores and chain restaurants that are typically found with those types of projects.
The community is divided on the issue. Some citizens see the need for more sales tax revenue to resolve traffic issues, and expand water and sewer treatment plants. Others say they moved here for the small town character, and they don’t want the Eagle community to be developed in that generic way that will make it just like every other community on the Interstate 70 corridor.
While one group of citizens cites the very real need for more affordable housing in the community, another group is determined to protect a very developable hay meadow on the southeast edge of town that provides winter forage for the local elk herd. The elk herd is beautiful. The land is probably also the next logical place for residential development.
You’d better believe these citizens will be paying attention to where the local candidates stand on these issues. They will vote accordingly.
Voter turnout in Eagle can be sketchy. There are several thousand registered voters in town. However, the highest election turnout ever is in the 390 voter range. A couple of years ago, there were no contested races and only 36 votes were cast. Also, the April election date tends to catch people who are geared to November elections off-guard.
On the other hand, a late February meeting on the updating of the Eagle Area Community Plan (a master land use plan) drew over 200 people. Eagle residents are famously proud and protective of their small-town community character. Time will tell if the candidates and their yard signs can appeal to those voters.
