Town Council elects Laila Benitez as mayor, Dan Caton as mayor pro tem; newly elected members Peter Duprey and Marti Prohaska sworn in

Newly elected council members Peter Duprey and Martinique Davis Prohaska and re-elected council members Laila Benitez and Dan Caton were officially sworn in as members of the Mountain Village Town Council on Thursday, July 18, 2019. Each new member stood before the community and repeated the oath, promising to faithfully carry out the responsibilities of the office. The council members will serve four-year terms and will join current council members Patrick Berry, Jack Gilbride and Natalie Binder on Mountain Village’s Town Council. 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 unanimous vote, Laila Benitez was re-elected Mayor of Mountain Village and Dan Caton was re-elected Mayor Pro Tem. Benitez has been on the Council since June 2015 and has served as Mayor since July of 2017. She currently serves on the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), the Telluride Medical Center Board of Directors and is a member of the Mountain Village Transportation & Parking Committee, Business Development Advisory Committee and Community Grants Committee. Caton has been on the Council since June 2015 and most recently served on the Budget & Finance Committee, the Gondola Committee, the Business Development Advisory Committee and served as secretary/treasurer of the SMART Board over the past two years. On Thursday’s meeting was reappointed to serve on the Gondola Committee, Business Development Advisory Committee and SMART. “Congratulations to Mayor Laila Benitez and the Mayor Pro Tem, Dan Caton. We are looking forward to working with the new and returning Council and appreciate 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 several 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 Town Clerk Jackie Kennefick at .