Public Safety Director Enters Commissioner Race, Cites Funding Concerns

Gerald "Jerry" Whited announced his candidacy for the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners District 1 seat during a local Republican meeting on December 5. Whited framed his campaign around restoring fiscal stability, bolstering public safety and expanding intergovernmental dialogue with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, an institution he served for 14 years, most recently as public safety director.

The seat is open because current Commissioner Jim Candelaria is term limited in November 2026. Whited joins three other declared candidates. His background as a firefighter, paramedic and emergency manager informs the priorities he presented, which include addressing detention center challenges, mental health service gaps and funding disputes between the sheriff’s office and county leadership. "Whether it’s tourism or people moving here, if people don’t feel safe here, people don’t come here," he said, linking public safety to the local economy.

Whited also serves on the Montezuma County Hospital District board and has sat on the Dolores Planning and Zoning Board. Those roles position him as a familiar figure in local governance and health services oversight, and they underscore potential regional implications for Dolores County. Increased cooperation between Montezuma County and tribal authorities could affect cross border planning, emergency response coordination and shared resource management, notably water sustainability which Whited listed among his top priorities.

On funding, Whited urged diversifying revenue beyond property taxes and indicated he would revisit a countywide public safety sales tax as a funding option. "They can’t be handcuffed anymore by just being taxed and taxed and taxed," he said, arguing for relief to ranchers and farmers whom he described as disproportionately shouldering county service costs. Supporters point to his budget and leadership experience. "He knows his politics, he knows how to manage a budget and he knows how to lead," said Scott Anderson, a fellow hospital district board member and longtime first responder. Anderson added that Whited's field experience equips him to take charge in emergencies, "As a paramedic and first responder, he's able to take charge of a scene," and that he is well known in the community.

Whited said his campaign is rooted in neighborly values and bridging divisions. "If I get elected as commissioner, I’d like to be able to cross those bridges and say, ‘Hey, we’re here for everyone and we got to make the county better for everybody,’" he said. He added a personal appeal about civic duty, "I miss when a handshake and your word meant something," and "It shouldn’t matter; you just help your neighbor. You can have different opinions of your neighbor, you can have different feelings, but when someone’s struggling, you reach out and help."

Dolores County residents will feel the effects of policy decisions in neighboring Montezuma County through shared health services, emergency response networks and regional tourism. Residents who wish to contact Whited directly may call his cell at (970) 570-8315 as the 2026 election cycle approaches.