Dove Creek seeks applicants for open town board seats

Dove Creek’s next decisions on town services, spending and priorities may soon rest with appointed residents, as the town opened applications for four elected seats on the Town Board of Trustees and set a June 17 deadline for letters of interest.

The town’s public notice listed one trustee seat with a four-year term, two trustee seats with two-year terms and one mayor seat with a four-year term. Those appointees would join a governing body that oversees municipal operations, budgets, utilities, permits and other day-to-day policy decisions in the county seat of Dolores County.

To apply, residents must be at least 18 years old, have lived inside Dove Creek town limits for the past 12 consecutive months and be registered to vote within the town. Letters of interest can be mailed or delivered to Dove Creek Town Hall, 314 W. Hwy. 491, Dove Creek, Colorado 81324. The deadline is Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., and the town listed a phone number for questions for residents who want more information before submitting paperwork.

The notice came after the town canceled its April 7 municipal election, leaving several seats unfilled and pushing the town toward appointment rather than a ballot-driven replacement process. In a community of 635 people, according to the 2020 census, even a small number of open positions can shape how quickly the town addresses infrastructure, service costs and other issues that come before the board.

The Town of Dove Creek says its board is made up of a mayor and six trustees, all elected and required to live within town limits. Regular board meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., and workshop meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., giving residents a standing chance to watch how local decisions are made. Dove Creek, incorporated on July 10, 1939, remains the county seat and the center of local government for Dolores County, which makes these vacancies more than routine openings: they affect who will be in the room when the town sets its course.