Liz Copan / ecopan@summitdaily.com
BRECKENRIDGE — Out of nine candidates, town of Breckenridge voters have chosen Dick Carleton, Jeffrey Bergeron, Kelly Owens and Dennis Kuhn as its four new council members based on preliminary election results. These council members will join Mayor Eric Mamula and council members Erin Gigliello and Gary Gallagher in leading the town.
The three reelected council members — Carleton, Bergeron and Owens — will serve four-year terms while Kuhn, who received the fourth-highest number of votes, will serve a two-year partial term.
Carleton, who was first appointed to town council in 2018, is a 40-year resident who has co-owned and operated local restaurants Mi Casa and Hearthstone for the past 38 years. Carleton served on several boards and committees, including boards of the Breckenridge Tourism Office, the Breckenridge Events Committee and the Childcare Advisory Committee. He also was one of the founders of the Breckenridge Restaurant Association.
Carleton wrote in a recent guest commentary that his top priority is to maintain community character and quality of life for Breckenridge residents. He stressed the importance of striking a balance with events, town developments and growth during the Breckenridge candidate forum.
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Reelected council member Owens has served on council since 2019. As a 12-year Summit County resident and a mom of three young children, Owens has served on the Little Red Schoolhouse board since 2014 and the Summit County Planning Commission since 2015.
In Owen’s guest commentary, she listed three goals for her work as a council member: addressing housing needs, strengthening the town’s child care program and increasing the sustainability of the town.
Reelected for his fourth term as a Breckenridge Town Council member, Bergeron, otherwise known as Biff, is a columnist for local and national publications, including the Summit Daily News. Throughout his 39 years in Summit County, Bergeron has served on boards and committees of the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and the Breckenridge Planning Commission. He also was one of the original leaders of the Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission.
Bergeron said in the February candidate forum that throughout his time in Summit County, he has always been “active and outspoken in local issues.” In his guest commentary, he said he would prioritize sustainability efforts, quality of life for local residents and encouraging people to pick up after their pets.
Kuhn, owner of a private property-management company and 43-year Summit County resident, has spent eight years on the Breckenridge Open Space Advisory Commission and four years as a commission chairman.
In his guest commentary, Kuhn listed maintaining Breckenridge’s small-town feel, managing growth and congestion and expanding on workforce housing efforts as his top priorities as a council member. During the candidate forum, Kuhn stressed the importance for smart growth of the town.
The newly elected and reelected council members will begin their duties as members of the Breckenridge Town Council at the next meeting on April 28, when they will be officially sworn into office.