Paula Brown and Aimee Tooker are both running for Nucla mayor as a successor in the April 1 election. Current Nucla Mayor Kirk Yerke is on the election ballot regarding a recall, and voters will decide if he goes and, if so, which woman will replace him. The Forum asked both Brown and Tooker to give responses on five different topics. Their responses are as follows:
Regarding background and experience
Paula Brown is a 1982 Nucla High School graduate and fifth-generation in the Nucla community — a “boomerang” community member, having left for 16 years, but back for 22. She’s owned a few different businesses in the West End and managed others.
She’s been Nucla mayor pro tem and a trustee since 2017, board chair of Mustang Water Authority, and was school board president and treasurer 2006-13. She’s been president/director of the Nucla-Naturita Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce. She now serves the Just for Kids Foundation board and West End Vision Project Leadership Team, in addition to the West End Housing Committee, Spruce & Columbine Garden Club, Water Days Steering Committee and other Town of Nucla committees: Parks & Recreation, Main Street Restoration and Rodeo Arena Advisory.
Aimee Tooker is a 1996 Nucla High School graduate. She earned a business administration certificate from Delta-Montrose Vocational Technical School in 2002. She worked at San Miguel Power Association for eight years, where she handled payroll, contracts, easements and records.
Later, she transitioned to a stay-at-home mom and bookkeeper for Tooker Electric, her husband’s West End business. From 2014-24, she served as president of the West End Economic Development Corporation (WEEDC). Now she sits on several boards, including Club 20 and the Southwest Basin Roundtable for Montrose County. She’s also secretary and treasurer of the Colorado Cooperative Company, and she is on the Office of Just Transition Advisory Committee for coal-affected communities in Colorado. Additionally, she owns two Main Street businesses in Nucla.
About love for the West End/Nucla
“It’s home,” Brown said. “I love having my family nearby. My appreciation for the place where I was raised grew exponentially over the time I was away. I love the landscape and remote location where we live. It is truly a blessing we should never take for granted. I love knowing my neighbors, seeing a friendly face as you walk down the street and those impromptu chats in front of the post office. Only in a small town can you have these experiences.”
Tooker echoed similar sentiments: “The area is remote and quiet, surrounded by public lands that provide access to nature,” she said. “Community members take care of each other and their children. Returning from Grand Junction or Montrose often brings a sense of relief. When the mountain is open, traveling over it provides a brief respite before and after crazy daily activities. That mini-vacation includes mountain views and limited cell service while listening to your favorite music.”
The importance of strong leadership
Brown said without strong leadership, “we may miss opportunities to strengthen and to protect our community.”
"Collaboration is key to our strength and our success,” she said. “Our leadership must be engaged at all times. Elected officials are challenged to plan for the future, to be visionaries like those who settled our community.”
She said some change and careful planning are necessary.
“If those who came before us lacked vision, there would not be a Town of Nucla to speak of,” she said. “My time as an elected official has provided me with many hours of board training that I use daily, not just in a board setting. At a training years ago, the speaker asked if our board worked as a ‘we board’ or a ‘me board.’”
She said a “we board” is a must, and so is community engagement.
Tooker said Nucla residents need a leader who listens and advocates for them.
“Effective leadership depends on community support and collaboration with local, regional, state and federal partners,” she said. “My goal is to facilitate a thriving community by considering all perspectives and making informed decisions based on facts.”
Tooker said her parents grew up in the West End too, as did she.
“So leveraging my deep love and understanding of our local culture, and my willingness to listen to other perspectives, give me a unique advantage to bring this community together while maintaining our roots,” she added.
Listening to constituents
Brown said she will continue to listen to constituents without bias.
“I believe to be fair and equitable to all citizens it’s important to be open-minded and base decisions on the town’s ordinances and policy, as this is the reason for those rules,” she said.
She also believes compassion must be applied when needed, but does not believe any elected official is above the law.
“I am available to hear citizens’ concerns or comments most anytime, except at the workplace,” she said. “If a citizen needs resolution to an issue, I typically encourage them to attend a board meeting, as I am only one vote of seven on the board. Sometimes this requires them to be on the agenda for action to be taken.”
Tooker said right now transparency is crucial.
“While we may have different methods to achieve our goals, our shared aim is the success of our utopia while preserving our quiet lifestyle,” she said. “If elected, I plan to hold regular office hours at town hall for community feedback. This is about us, not me, and I will organize committees to address specific challenges and bring recommendations to the town trustees.”
She said transparency and informed citizens are essential for Nucla’s success.
“I encourage residents to review town codes to ensure they serve current and future needs and respect private property rights,” she said. "Coordination with land management agencies is important to me and will be a priority to ensure they understand our values and how public land impacts our community.”
She said if elected she would also provide a regular column in the San Miguel Basin Forum, outlining her weekly schedule, town activities and council actions.
What Nucla needs to focus on
Brown said infrastructure is key. She said the town’s infrastructure is more than 50 years old. She said while the water and sewer mains have been replaced, now there’s a wastewater system assessment and funding is needed. She added other water and sewer lines should be updated during that project, and streets and enforcement are what the citizens are coming forward with.
She also said support for and development of local business is a priority. And, designation of commercial property helps ensure the business district is protected for business opportunities, while allowing residential housing options.
Tooker said the future success of Nucla relies on foundational utilities, like water and sewer. She said the town needs to provide affordable housing to attract public service employees, such as nurses, teachers and police officers. Tooker said the focus should also be on Main Street beautification, but also branding, wayfinding and enhancing quality of life. She also believe executing town goals and policies needs to be done with fairness and respect for all of Nucla’s citizens — and that public servants should serve the people, something she’s committed to doing.
In addition
“I’ve had many questions regarding the election/ballot,” Brown said. “This is a recall election of the mayor. The ballot will contain the question whether to recall or not to recall the seated mayor, followed by a question of who will be the successor, if the recall election is successful.”
Brown said ballots will be sent by mail.
“Please contact me if you have further questions or comments or just feel like chatting about town matters,” she added. “Thank you for your consideration and your vote.”
Tooker said if elected as Nucla mayor she’s committed to accountability and “making decisions based on public input for the best interest of our residents.”
“Open communication and honesty and fairness will guide my leadership,” she said. “Self-reliance is a way of life in our community. It means taking responsibility for our well-being and working together to solve challenges.”
Tooker’s goals as mayor of Nucla are transparency, collaboration and self-reliance from outside forces.
“By respecting our past and working together for a prosperous future, we can achieve great things. Our ancestors have shown that teamwork has no limits,” she said.
