Town Council Elects Laila Benitez as Mayor and Dan Caton as Mayor Pro Tem; Newly Elected Town Council Members Berry, Oupadia, and Gilbride Sworn-In

Newly elected council members Patrick Berry, Paul Oupadia, and Jack Gilbride, were officially sworn in as members of the Mountain Village Town Council. Each new member stood before the community and repeated the oath, promising to faithfully carry out the responsibilities of the office. The newly elected Council members will serve four-year terms and will join current council members Dan Jansen, Laila Benitez, Dan Caton and Bruce MacIntire. Following the Swearing-In Ceremony was the election of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem positions. The Town of Mountain Village Home Rule Charter dictates the positions to be elected amongst the Council members by a majority vote at its first organizational meeting held after the election. According to the Charter, the new Mayor presides at Council meetings and is recognized as the head of the Town government for all ceremonial, dignitary and legal purposes. In the absence or of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem presides at Council meetings and takes over the powers and duties of the Mayor. By a 5-2 vote, Laila Benitez was elected Mayor of Mountain Village and Dan Caton was elected Mayor Pro Tem. Benitez has been on the Council since June 2015 and currently serves as the chair of the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), as well as a member of the Community Grant Committee and the Transportation & Parking Committee. Caton has been on the Council since June 2015 and currently serves on the Budget & Finance Committee, the Gondola Committee and the SMART Board. “Congratulations to the new Mayor, Laila Benitez and the new Mayor Pro Tem, Dan Caton. We extend a huge thanks to Dan Jansen for his years of service as Mayor and his continued service on Council. We are excited to begin work with the new and returning Council and look forward to the opportunity to continue serving the Mountain Village community,” said Mountain Village Town Manager Kim Montgomery. In Mountain Village, the mayor serves a two-year term with the council’s approval. The mayor has a number of responsibilities, including overseeing the town’s finances and budget, enforcing town contracts and many other responsibilities with the town government. For more information, please contact Jackie Kennefick, Director of Administration/Town Clerk at .