Montezuma County voters refused to do away with term limits for local elected officials Tuesday by a vote of 4,992 to 3,878 (56 to 44 percent).

Under the rule, all county officials elected to office cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.

For Montezuma County, that means four positions — county treasurer, tax assessor, coroner and one county commissioner seat — will be up for grabs in 2002.

It will not affect Sheriff Joey Chavez, who is serving his first term.

"It will be real interesting in the next two years getting people to run for those positions," said Commissioner Kelly Wilson Tuesday night.

"People told us time and again that they wanted term limits," remarked Lindsay. "I don’t think I was going to run again (in four years) anyway. You can only go to the well so many times."

The commissioners voted 2-1, with Gene Story dissenting, to put the term-limit repeal question on the ballot. Supporters of term limits argue they are needed to keep a fresh perspective in public office by ousting the old guard.

It was a paradox of sorts then when voters re-elected both county commissioners to serve second terms.

"We need to act now to get qualified candidates for those positions to run," Wilson said. "There are people who could do the job and are familiar with the system right here in the clerk’s office."

Wilson said that filling the positions successfully means recruitment needs to start right away.

"From within is a good start," he said. "There are some possibilities there but it is up to the political party heads to get them on the ballot."

Of course another measure to repeal term limits, which were originally approved by Colorado voters in 1994, could again be put on the ballot in the county. "But not before the next elections coming up in two years," Lindsay said.