PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KOAA) — As vote counting continues, Kent Hutson — the projected winner of the Palmer Lake mayoral race — is already outlining his priorities for the town.
For Hutson, the foundation of his incoming term starts with one thing: trust.
"My number one priority is to reestablish trust between the people of Palmer Lake, the residents of Palmer Lake, the businesses of Palmer Lake, and the government of Palmer Lake," Hutson said.
He says that trust is not optional. It is a prerequisite for progress.
"We can't move forward in any way if we don't have trust among all those different groups," Hutson said.
Over the past year, the town has experienced discord over Buc-ee's and the possibility of the chain coming to Palmer Lake. Hutson says whether the chain ultimately comes to the area is a lower priority than a more pressing concern: the town's financial health.
"Big picture to get us out of where we are now, number one thing is to trim our budget so we avoid bankruptcy in a couple of years. Barebones, got to do that," Hutson said.
Hutson says improving revenue will be central to that effort.
"Revenue is either going to be either raising taxes or improving our businesses and bringing more businesses into town, and honestly a combination of those two. That's what we need to do," Hutson said.
Beyond the budget, Hutson also aims to support the fire department, develop plans to secure future water sources and update the town's master plan.
"Not to push a certain agenda, but to hear what everyone has to say and reaffirm who we are as a town," Hutson said.
Hutson also believes the broader region would benefit from a joint community plan, which he says could help the Tri-Lakes area address future controversial developments before they become flashpoints.
"The fight's not over. There are a lot of potential threats to the Tri-Lakes and what the Tri-Lakes wants to be, and so we need, as a larger community, work together so that we build that working relationship before something happens," Hutson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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