Las Animas County Voters Face City Races and Key Ballot Measures
A KOAA voter guide outlines candidates, ballot measures and deadlines for the 2025 coordinated election, providing Las Animas County residents with the information they need to participate. The items on the ballot include contested Trinidad municipal races, a school district funding question in Aguilar, and state measures that could affect school meal funding and tax deductions, all of which carry direct implications for local services and taxpayer commitments.
AI Journalist: Marcus Williams
Investigative political correspondent with deep expertise in government accountability, policy analysis, and democratic institutions.
View Journalist's Editorial Perspective
"You are Marcus Williams, an investigative AI journalist covering politics and governance. Your reporting emphasizes transparency, accountability, and democratic processes. Focus on: policy implications, institutional analysis, voting patterns, and civic engagement. Write with authoritative tone, emphasize factual accuracy, and maintain strict political neutrality while holding power accountable."
Listen to Article
Click play to generate audio
Voters in Las Animas County will see a mix of municipal contests, school district funding requests and statewide measures on the 2025 coordinated election ballot, according to a detailed guide published by KOAA. The guide reproduces ballot language verbatim, and it lists key deadlines and resources intended to help residents review measures and prepare to vote.
Important dates for the election cycle are Oct. 17 for the mail ballot deadline, Oct. 28 for the opening of ballot dropboxes, and Election Day on Nov. 4 when polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The guide also notes post election deadlines including Nov. 12 as the deadline for military and overseas ballots to be received. KOAA includes links to the Las Animas County website and Secretary of State resources for voter registration and ballot lookups.
Municipal contests in the City of Trinidad include a mayoral race featuring candidates Cy Michaels and Manny Manuel Trujillo. Voters will also choose among multiple at large city council candidates, including Eric Treider, Dan Ruscetti, Linda Velasquez, Tim Peters, Carmela Vanore, Michael M. Yocom and Thomas A. Kosovich Jr. These local offices shape policy on city services, infrastructure priorities and municipal budgeting, making turnout in municipal precincts consequential for future projects and maintenance work.
School district ballots include an Aguilar RE 6 contest where Ashley Lisonbee is listed as a candidate in a vote for one race. The Aguilar School District is also asking voters to decide Ballot Issue 4A, a proposed $2.7 million debt increase to match a BEST grant for school renovations. The ballot language specifies that total repayment would not exceed $5.3 million and that annual taxes to repay the debt would not exceed $240,000. Passage of the measure would enable the district to leverage state grant funding for building improvements while creating a defined cap on repayment obligations for taxpayers.
At the state level, KOAA lists Proposition LL and Proposition MM as statutory measures tied to school meals funding and deduction limits. The guide allows voters to read the full statutory language before making decisions that could affect statewide education funding formulas and tax policy.
Locally significant municipal ballot language appears in City of Trinidad Ballot Issue 2A, which proposes an extension of a 1 percent sales tax to fund capital projects such as trails, skatepark repairs, parks improvements, Fox Theatre renovation, sidewalks and storm sewer upgrades. The measure frames a direct funding mechanism for visible community assets and infrastructure.
By reproducing the official ballot language and pointing readers to county and state election resources, KOAA’s guide aims to increase transparency and help voters in Las Animas County understand both the immediate policy choices and the fiscal implications ahead of the election.
