Longtime Cortez resident Tony Valdez announced last week that he will run for the District 2 seat on the Montezuma County Commission, now held by Commissioner Kent Lindsay.

"I am committed to representing the citizens of the county as we move forward in this new millennium," said Valdez in a press release, declaring that he has both the time and experience to fulfill this mission.

Valdez, former chair of the county’s Democratic Party, has never run for or been elected to public office before, he said during a brief interview, but since his recent retirement, he believes that the time is now right to throw his hat in the political arena. Valdez taught electronics courses at San Juan Basin Technical School for 24 years, has served as past American Legion Commander and has been a member of the Elks Club for 27 years.

Valdez said the issues on which he will campaign include:

• Improving public transportation by re-establishing subsidized regional bus service through the county.

"I would work with the Legislature to get connections (to other towns) in Cortez again," he said, pointing out that presently both senior citizens and handicapped people who can’t drive have inadequate transportation options to Farmington and Durango.

• Bringing high-speed telecommunications to the county by working with the companies and coalitions already focusing on the issue and helping them solve right-of-way problems.

"The county is going to have to be part of it," he said.

• Land-use issues.

"There should be local jurisdiction in decision-making involving public lands," he said, beyond what limited input now exists.

Valdez also expressed some nonspecific reservations about the current process for zoning private lands in the county —Landowner Initiated Zoning —but said on the whole, he had no serious problems with it.

He did say there should be "more commission meetings to make people aware of what’s coming into the county" in the way of commercial and residential development.