Election ballots sent in Monticello, Blanding; Bluff election cancelled

by David Boyle

News Director

Ballots are out for municipal elections in San Juan County, after some candidate drop-outs there are five contests for ten available seats.

San Juan County Clerk’s office mailed out ballots for municipal elections in Blanding, Bluff, and Monticello on October 4.

An official candidate withdrawal from the only contested Bluff race means the election is essentially canceled for the town.

Community members have until November 1 to drop off their ballots in the mail, or they can drop them off at a ballot box located at the Blanding City Office or the County Administration building in Monticello through election day on November 2.

Residents of Monticello and Blanding have until October 22 to register to vote by mail. However, provisional ballots can be cast at poll locations on election day, Tuesday, November 2.

Polling places in Blanding and Monticello will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election day.

In Blanding, there are six candidates for three seats. Profiles of those candidates appeared in the October 6 issue of the San Juan Record. They are also available online at sjrnews.com.

Two seats are for standard four-year terms and one is for a two-year term. The seats are currently held by Logan Monson, Cheryl Bowers, and Kellen Nielson.

Four candidates are running for the two seats with four-year terms. They include Shawn Begay, incumbent Cheryl Bowers, Erik Merlin Grover, and Paul Murdock.

One Blanding city council seat is up for a two-year term after the seat was vacated in January when Logan Shumway stepped down from the council. The city council selected Kellen Nielson as his replacement through the end of the year.

Who fills the remaining two years on the term will be decided by Blanding residents, with voters choosing between Nielson and Colby Monson.

Blanding will also have a new Mayor next year, since current Mayor Joe B. Lyman is not seeking re-election.

One candidate is on the ballot for the office of Mayor, current council member Logan Monson. Fellow council member Robert Turk had registered to run for the office but later withdrew from the race. Turk will remain on the Blanding City Council.

For the Monticello City Council, there are two seats up for election. They are currently held by Bayley Hedglin and George Rice.

Four candidates for the two seats on the city council include Ammon Boswell, Kevin Dunn, incumbent George Rice, and Mandy Wigginton.

Profiles for these candidates can be found on page A4 of this print issue of the San Juan Record and online at SJRNews.com

In Monticello, Mayor Tim Young has also decided not to seek re-election. Current city council member Bayley Hedglin is the only person to file for Mayor. Hedglin will be the first female mayor of Monticello.

In the town of Bluff, there are two council seats up for election. However, incumbents Linda Sosa and Luanne Hook were the only two to register and will retain their seats without challenge.

Mayor Ann Leppanen will also retain her role as Mayor after challenger Steve Helgerson resigned from the race after the ballots had been mailed out. 

Blanding and Monticello mayors will be saying goodbye to public office.

Joe B. Lyman was elected Mayor of Blanding in 2017.  Before his term as Mayor, Lyman served for four years on the planning commission and for ten years on the city council.

Tim Young was elected Mayor of Monticello in 2013 and is wrapping up his second term as Mayor. He also served on the Monticello City Council for two years before running for Mayor.