Mayoral race

Election Day in the mayoral race between incumbent Matt Murdock and Jerun Kerback is on Tuesday, May 3. The Roundup submitted a series of questions to give readers the opportunity to get to know the candidates. Candidates were given a deadline to submit their response.

Responses were edited for length and formatting.

Matt Murdock, incumbent

Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running?

I come from a longtime Pinedale and Sublette County family. After graduating university, I spent 19 years in West Africa working among multiple tribes and multinational development organizations on rural community development.

My family and I returned to Pinedale in 2011 and since then, I have worked in Pinedale schools, the faith and nonprofit sector and as an entrepreneur starting my own business.

A vacancy led to me being appointed to the Town Council in 2013. I was elected in 2014 to a four-year term as councilman and elected mayor in 2018.

During this time, I earned multiple Emergency Management Institute Certificates, chaired Pinedale’s Travel and Tourism Commission, was actively involved in bringing high-speed internet to Pinedale, supported the hospital, sponsored events, developed state and regional policies and legislation and encouraged business.

My wife, Sarah, and I have three children: our oldest son is a student at the University of Wyoming, my second son will graduate high school this year and my daughter is a high school freshman.

Growing up in Pinedale has been a wonderful experience. We love Pinedale and are privileged to live with you here.

What is your vision for Pinedale during the next four years?

I would like to see Pinedale continue to strengthen and diversify its economy, incorporating more tourism and service jobs through new businesses and attracting established businesses into town.

We will see more people moving to Pinedale, bringing new prospects with them. This growth will bring challenges that will need to be navigated by a local government committed to the wellbeing of our community and to preserving the character of our town that brought and keeps many of us here.

To foster this growth, I believe local government needs to be business-friendly and approachable, encouraging entrepreneurs as well as offering the infrastructure critical to a strong business environment, like high-speed Internet, well-maintained parks, trails and roads, effective marketing partnered with a strong hospitality industry, a hospital and strong working relationships with community, state and county leaders.

Growth is also balanced by good laws and ordinances that preserve and respect our community. This means curbing laissez-faire at times to protect what makes our neighborhoods special and following well-established planning and zoning ordinances.

Within four years, we completed master plans for key infrastructure in town, helping us to plan our maintenance and improvements for growth. We will continue to protect our natural resources, including Fremont Lake, Pine Creek and parks.

I have worked extremely hard to protect the lake, managing not only an attempted action by the EPA but also preserving our water rights in an increasingly water-poor region.

It is especially important to me that we are a community where we can openly and respectfully discuss and disagree while working towards what is best for Pinedale.

As costs rise for residents, what role can the town play in making Pinedale more affordable?

The town should look for and work towards more affordable housing for people at all income levels. Affordable housing should permit easier entry for individuals and families into a local home, enabling them to build equity and eventually move into larger homes or live closer to work, increasing economic mobility.

The town should continue to promote a good quality of life, making living in Pinedale enjoyable and possible for people at all income levels. This has meant providing contracts for service to help seniors, preschoolers, folks with physical and cognitive disabilities and those exposed to sexual violence, as well as supporting events like concerts, fairs, festivals and competitions.

We have worked hard to make critical services and utilities affordable. The town runs several services like water and sewer as enterprise funds where cost and revenue are balanced so the town’s budget is covered while keeping costs as affordable as possible.

Additionally, we have worked with third parties to bring services like high-speed Internet, cell coverage and medical care to town, lowering costs and providing better services locally.

Promoting local businesses and welcoming new ones means more jobs and opportunities for residents to increase their income and buy locally. An affordable community is achieved through a combination of managing service costs while assuring economic mobility is accessible to all residents.

Lastly, we need to encourage and help community leaders in all sectors to do what they do with the least interference from local government and help them network with the resources they need to succeed.

What can Pinedale do to retain its youth population?

My own experiences as a young man growing up in Wyoming was to go to college outside of the state, work abroad and then return. Our youth receive a strong education in Pinedale, enabling them to successfully go on to college or the trades.

From there and from the experience they gain outside Pinedale, I want us to be the community they wish to return to raise their own families.

This means we must have a robust and diverse economy offering a variety of opportunities and a quality of life that makes living here enjoyable, including restaurants, shops, preschools, art, music and events. And a lifestyle that is accessible as they launch, including affordable housing, well-paying employment, other people their age and childcare.

This is one of the reasons the town supports services and organizations in our budget with contracts for services that maintain and improve our quality of life. For the size of our town, we are blessed to have so many activities – from concerts, festivals, summer and winter sports to a plethora of preschools, parks, paths and an amazing sports complex.

I believe it is critical that our younger generations participate in the public sector and feel welcome to bring their perspectives, concerns and dreams so that our town works toward building tomorrow’s Pinedale today.

Having navigated a once-in-a-generation pandemic, how does the town move forward while still accommodating its at-risk population?

In many ways, Pinedale and Sublette County fared better than many communities worldwide during COVID-19. From the beginning, we enacted our county-wide Incident Command System (ICS) to make policies and work with state and national leaders as their policies were enacted.

I know that COVID-19 has been a far greater and more painful struggle than we imagined, and that no response would have satisfied everyone. It was a difficult time for elected officials – balancing the threat of disease with allowing businesses and groups to maintain some level of “normal” life.

Those of us on the ICS team held weekly calls to monitor and respond to the virus, discussing – at times debating – how to balance the needs of and threats to our friends and neighbors. We learned a lot. Those relationships helped us as a community to navigate difficult and chaotic moments.

Pinedale was one of the only towns in the Rocky Mountain region, including Wyoming, which was most open – not just outdoor eating but hosting Rendezvous, Fourth of July, concerts, Winter Carnival and increasing the size of indoor meetings – while working to practice common sense methods to protect health.

Trust was one of the greatest strengths we had – trust in one another despite disagreement, trust that we all wanted the best for our communities and trust that our residents would learn to seek each other’s wellbeing sometimes at their own cost.

My respect has grown for those I served with. COVID-19 is not the last challenge, but a community that sincerely respects, honors and cares for one another will overcome whatever tests may come.

How does the town ensure quality services amid budget constraints?

The process begins with knowing which services are the town’s highest priorities and working to create a balanced budget off projected revenues. This involves maximizing funding from the state legislature to pay for water and sewer repairs, for example.

The Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) works to present a united front to the legislators and governor by representing the needs of 99 towns and cities. I am actively involved in WAM as a board member and on the legislative committee. Since towns cannot increase sales and use taxes or property taxes, we are dependent on the state legislature to allocate funds and approve project monies.

The other part of the balance involves setting and maintaining town priorities. The clearest priorities – water, sewer and public works – are statutory requirements and directly impact the community’s health and safety.

Other town interests require budgets to varying degrees, like animal control, municipal court, engineering and the airport. Maximizing revenue while closely monitoring projects allows us to allocate funds when and where they are needed.

There are many things we would like to do, but not everything can be funded if we want a balanced budget. Some costs can be grouped together, purchased in bulk or through a partnership with the county to make savings.

Town employees provide quality services and their valuable work and experiences help make every dollar go further. Our employees make additional efforts to find a less expensive or higher quality piece of equipment or pursue grants for projects like improving our parks.

Jerun Kerback, candidate

Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running.

My name is Jerun Kerback and I was born and raised in Pinedale. My family’s roots date back to the 1890s when my relatives traveled to Sublette County on the Oregon Trail.

I attended Northern Arizona University where I finished at the top of my class in finance with a certificate in investments. In college, I was involved with our student investment fund, managing over $10 million.

I decided to enter the race for mayor because I believe the residents needed a Republican option. Pinedale deserves someone who is fiscally responsible, conservative and stands for the values our community holds dear and who is going to keep the town from competing with and hindering small businesses in our area. It is not the mayor’s job or right to tell stores what to sell, to drive down real estate prices or spend millions of tax dollars moving around ball fields and even more on projects that do not better the community.

It is time for Pinedale to return to the town so many of us have fallen in love with over the years.

What is your vision for Pinedale during the next four years?

I see Pinedale as a place that will expand as fast as the builders can put up new houses and businesses. Pinedale has always been a popular outdoor destination, where people are not only coming to visit but also staying.

The oil and gas industry should also see a rise as many are making a push for more natural gas production. We do not need to be spending almost $4.6 million on ball fields with $2 million of that coming out of the taxpayer’s pocket.

During my four-year term, I plan to restore Pinedale to its former glory and cut back spending while still listening to Pinedale residents’ wants and needs.

As costs rise for residents, what role can the town play in making Pinedale more affordable?

Pinedale is a beautiful place to live, work and raise a family and the word is getting out. As a town, we need to look into what assistance we can give to our residents. This could range from working with organizations that specialize in helping locals and looking into lowering the cost of water and sewer for individuals earning less than a certain amount.

I definitely do not believe it is the job of the town to get involved in the real estate market to drive down prices like it has already done.

Getting nonprofits involved in our town that can help families struggling in this economy where inflation is 8.5 percent, and gas is expected to hit $6 per gallon this summer is also something I will look into if elected mayor.

I believe that as Mayor of Pinedale, it will be my job to listen to the community, to see what you want done and help with the cost. To do this, I would have the town join the 21st century by opening a Facebook account where we can communicate with the public about upcoming topics to be voted on or discussed, projects going on in town and upcoming events where people can voice their thoughts or concerns on town matters.

What can Pinedale do to retain its youth population?

This is a common problem every small town faces. Luckily for us, Pinedale has high-paying jobs and a great outdoor recreation scene that lasts yearround. I know we can keep more of our youth with a more business-friendly town council. Bringing in more businesses will greatly improve the chance of retaining our youth as well as providing more job opportunities for our high-school-age residents.

The question I ask is, not how can we keep all our youth, but how can we retain the ones who like Pinedale the way it is. I do not think we need to change Pinedale into something it is not just to try appeasing the youth of today.

Having navigated a once-in-a-generation pandemic, how does the town move forward while still accommodating its at-risk population?

COVID-19 has been around for years and people know what to do if they need to be safe. However, it’s not the town’s job to force people to wear a mask, get a shot or stop them from going out to have fun. If someone who is high risk needs to do business with the town, of course we will accommodate them by using Zoom or finding a way that makes them comfortable.

It is time for the town hall building to open its door to the public and stop making people communicate through a hole in the door.

I promise that if I am elected mayor, I will not use a pandemic to put in measures to keep space between town employees and its constituents. I plan on having a more inclusive town with better communication with the residents we serve.

During the pandemic, while everyone was struggling financially, the current elected officials decided to add to that burden with ordinances against Airbnbs and even attempted to shut down well-known businesses from operating and put in measures to greatly affect their bottom line.

How does the town ensure quality services amid budget constraints?

It is time for the town to work on the amenities we already have and to stop expanding or stretching the budget. As I mentioned above, we can stop wasting millions on decisions like moving a ball field and unneeded projects, many of which compete with local businesses that will drain taxpayer money for years.

We have old projects that are in need of repair or update but, instead of repairing these projects, we keep accumulating more private land as well as homes and businesses to tear down to expand our parks.

Are you aware as a resident of Pinedale just how much property the town owns compared to other towns? Pinedale owns approximately 33 lots compared to 10 in Big Piney and 15 in Marbleton. Our park equipment is one area that has not been invested in. Our town playgrounds are outdated compared to other towns, especially those with millions to waste on pointless projects like ours. Pinedale deserves a mayor who will work for the people instead of against them.

You, as residents trying to thrive, should not fear becoming the new Jackson.

I want to thank all of you who read through this and hope on May 3 we can bring conservatism back to Pinedale.

Town Council

Elections for two open seats on the Pinedale Town Council are on Tuesday, May 3. Two candidates are running – incumbent councilman Dean Loftus and Scott Kosiba. The Roundup submitted a series of questions to give readers the opportunity to get to know the candidates. Candidates were given a deadline to submit their response.

Responses were edited for length and formatting.

Dean Loftus, councilman

Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running.

As a 33-year resident of Pinedale and a westerner by birth, I, Dean Loftus, am running for a second term on the Pinedale Town Council.

When I ran four years ago, I was concerned about helping our citizens with waterline freeze ups, a pathway forward for the critical access hospital and encouraging working relationships between the council and mayor.

I believe we have accomplished those items and I would like the opportunity for four more years to see projects we are currently working on be furthered and finished.

What is your vision for Pinedale during the next four years?

My vision for Pinedale in the next four years includes encouraging planned growth without forfeiting our rich heritage as a rural mountain community.

The present council has established prioritized goals that we will reevaluate and continue to press forward on in the next four years. These priorities are on the town’s website and are available for citizens’ comments and concerns.

I personally want to see the Pine Street traffic study through to make Pine Street safer for pedestrians.

As costs rise for residents, what role can the town play in making Pinedale more affordable?

The present council is looking into using 5 acres of town property for a proposed affordable housing area. This will be one of our primary focus points to keep affordable housing available in Pinedale as housing prices continue to rise.

What can Pinedale do to retain its youth population?

To encourage our youth to stay here, we must encourage economic development that produces jobs for them. In addition, we must plan for access to affordable housing so they can get a start and be able to live here.

One area that the town has been successful in is the availability of broadband Internet which allows workers to live here yet work remotely or run an internet-based business.

Having navigated a once-in-a-generation pandemic, how does the town move forward while still accommodating its at-risk population?

The Town of Pinedale responded well during the pandemic, offering free antibody testing for citizens, installing virus-reducing air circulation to our town facilities and allowing attendance and participation at meetings electronically. We will continue to share all our meetings electronically and make town facilities as safe as we can for employees and the public.

How does the town ensure quality town services amid budget constraints?

Over the last four years, we have worked to submit balanced budgets for the town. With budget constraints, our focus will remain on services we must provide, maintenance of streets, water, sewer and green spaces (parks). In each of these areas, we are developing long-term plans that will allow improvements each year to specific sections. Streets are being divided into zones so that specific zones can be repaired and updated each year. Water and sewer projects are being projected into future years with grant funding being researched now to cover those costs. 

Scott Kosiba, candidate

Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running.

My name is Scott Kosiba and I’m running for Pinedale Town Council because I care about this community and want to do my part as a resident to support a well-functioning local government that serves the people.

I have lived and worked in Pinedale and Sublette County for nearly a third of my life.

I am heavily involved in the community. My wife and I own Tumbleweed Farms, which works with small local and regional farms to provide affordable healthy fruits and vegetables to Sublette County during the summer months.

I also serve on the Pinedale Travel and Tourism Board, the Sublette County Visitor Center Board and am a member of the Sage and Snow Garden Club.

I have been active in our local theatre community for many years and, most recently, I played Lumiere in the Pinedale Community Theatre’s 2019 production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Previously, I have worked for the Pinedale Community Food Basket, Wind River Brewing Company and the Forest Service, among others.

I currently serve as the executive director of Friends of the Bridger-Teton.

What is your vision for Pinedale during the next four years?

I love Pinedale for its welcoming spirit and close-knit community. We must think proactively about our future and safeguard the parts of this community we cherish.

I also believe we need to keep civil discourse alive in local decision making. There should be no room for the hateful, unproductive politics happening at the national level here in Pinedale. We are all neighbors, friends and relatives here, so let’s work together for the benefit of our community.

As costs rise for residents, what role can the town play in making Pinedale more affordable?

Affordability challenges are impacting Pinedale residents at all income levels and should be a great cause for concern in our little town. I think the Town of Pinedale’s role should be to continue to be honest, responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

A flexible Pinedale will be responsible to the needs of its citizens and is willing to explore cost-effective solutions. The private sector can help with this.

What can Pinedale do to retain its youth population?

Jobs and economic diversification. There is untapped economic potential in diversifying our economy in Pinedale and Sublette County.

If we’re serious about providing jobs and resources to keep our young people in Pinedale, we must be willing to explore additional revenue streams and opportunities. The town can work with private and public interests to create the conditions needed to support new businesses.

Rural communities across the country are losing their youth and we must listen to those voices to better understand why our younger generations are unable or unwilling to make a life here.

Having navigated a once-in-a-generation pandemic, how does the town move forward while still accommodating its at-risk population?

We must protect our most vulnerable in Pinedale, but I believe our best path forward for the Town of Pinedale is to serve as a resource for information so citizens and visitors can make informed, personal decisions regarding their health and safety.

How does the town ensure quality town services amid budget constraints?

The town must remain a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars first and foremost. I also believe the town can keep residents informed of the challenges of maintaining quality services in the face of rising costs, inflation and budget constraints.