by Bill Knowles
WALSENBURG- Gary Sporcich was selected as the new Ward 2 council member by the Walsenburg City Council on a 6-2 vote with council members Sylvana Lind and James Moore voting no. Sporcich was nominated by council member Craig Lessar with council member Erin Jerant making the second. Of the three candidates, Sporcich was the least experienced.
Sporcich by his own admission has never been involved with public service and has never attended a City Council meeting. “I am nonpolitical and have never in my life been to a city council meeting.” But when asked about a life goal, Sporcich replied, “I’ve always wanted to be on the City Council.”
“We now have a fresh outlook, a fresh face on the council,” Jerant noted just after the vote.
The other two candidates for the Ward 2 seat, Larry Patrick and Paul Rivera both have records of public service in and outside of Huerfano County.
Patrick has served on the City Council and ran for mayor against Bruce Quintana in the 2009 election. He lost to Quintana by 31 votes. Council member James Moore made the motion to appoint Patrick to the Ward 2 seat with Lind making the second. “The council needs the best experience it can draw on,” Moore said. The Ward 2 seat has been empty since Aug. 18, when James England resigned from the City Council.
He was defeated on a 5-3 vote with council members Rick Jennings, Nick Vigil, Erin Jerant, Craig Lessar and Mayor Quintana voting no.
Rivera was not considered beyond the interview process even though his resume shows a committed involvement in the community’s public service environment, holding a position on the Huerfano County Youth Services Board and involvement with the Huerfano School District.
Sporcich will be sworn in during the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
The second agenda item for the City Council considered was receiving the proposed 2011 city budget and setting dates for hearings on the budget.
