A businessman and a planner won the Glenwood Springs city council at-large seats in Tuesday’s municipal election, and in Grand Junction the victors were a self-proclaimed forward-thinking progressive and a former corporate executive.

In Glenwood Springs, businessman and homebuilder Steve Davis won the Ward 1 election with 59.38 percent of the vote and Planning and Zoning Commission chair Kathy Trauger won the at-large seat with 62.32 percent.

Both victors are in agreement that the narrow, dangerous Hwy. 82 bridge through central Glenwood Springs needs to be replaced,

Trauger said the construction project will create “gridlock” in Glenwood Springs and require a detour. She encourages locals to use the Roaring Fork Transit Authority bus line to diminish the upcoming congestion.

Both Trauger and Davis were recipients of campaign contributions from a Denver energy executive, Michael Starzer of Highlands Ranch, who plans to retire in Glenwood Springs, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported. Starzer gave $4,000 to Davis and $2,000 to Trauger, raising local eyebrows regarding these large contributions that came late in the campaign.

“I’m just very grateful that people were able to see through the smokescreen,” Trauger told the Post as she celebrated her victory with supporters at Juicy Lucy’s Steakhouse. “It’s gratifying that people were able to see the honesty and sincerity we have – there are no special interests, other than a special interest in Glenwood.”

Trauger said she would be unable to continue on as the planning and zoning commission chair because serving on the city council precludes it.

Davis, who is currently remodeling Starzer’s Glenwood Springs home, said he welcomed Starzer’s contribution and felt some “bitterness” about the criticism leveled at the CEO of Fifth Creek Energy Company in Denver.

“They are neighbors,” Trauger commented. “They do want to get involved in our community. They’re quite philanthropic.”

Davis’ opponent Russ Arensman, a former one-term city council member, said he had been attending city council meetings for 16 years and wasn’t likely to stop now; he said, however, he is unlikely to run for public office again. As a member of the Glenwood Springs River Commission, he will be involved in the planning process for the anticipated Fall 2017 bridge replacement project.

“I think it’s going to be a good thing for the city,” Arensman said.

But any delays in the project could threaten Aspen’s 2017-18 ski season, he speculated. The Colorado Department of Transportation is trying to plan the project for “shoulder season,” Arensman said, the periods in the spring and fall when tourist activity is at its lowest.

Trauger said construction of the associated pedestrian bridge will begin in 2016.

In Grand Junction, conservatives are disappointed and progressives are happy with the election of Chris Kennedy, owner of Kennedy Telecom and the Democratic nominee for House District 55 in 2014. Kennedy won handily with 46.9 percent of the vote, defeating conservative watchdog Dennis J. Simpson who received 39 percent.

Interestingly, Kennedy supported and Simpson opposed Referendum 2B, which would have financed a beltway on the west side of town but the voters didn’t give Kennedy what he wanted in that case. Simpson said it was “possible” that the city would use Certificates of Participation to go against the will of the people and build the beltway. That’s what the Grand Junction city council did when voters turned down a proposal to finance a new police station, he said.

“They’d have to use the money they were trying to use on it,” Simpson said. “It was poorly planned and it was done without seeking input from the public. Not only was I opposed to it, I’ve been fighting that west beltway from day one.”

Kennedy, who was elected to a four-year term, said it was likely that the beltway would be built at some point in the future.

“At some point, you have to do some local construction,” he said. “I was supporting it in the sense that it was an investment in the future.”

The project would have widened 25 Road from the I-70 Business Loop to F 1/2 Road, and improvements to 24 1/2 Road would have been included.

Kennedy said he had been attending city council meetings regularly for four months to learn the internal processes, and he already has some ideas about how he will proceed since the voters approved Referendum 2A, which exempts the city from a statute preventing direct negotiation with telecommunication providers.

“Broadband will be the first priority, and diversifying the economy,” he said. “I’ll work on projects that will improve the quality of life in a forward-looking way.”

Kennedy was endorsed by the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. The newspaper dubbed Simpson a municipal “watchdog” and encouraged him to continue in that role.

A disappointed Simpson said he was reconsidering his involvement in Grand Junction municipal affairs.

Rick Taggart won a two-year term on the city council with his 51.4 percent to 31.8 percent victory.

“I’m thrilled and relieved, trying to promote yourself when you’ve never run for office is difficult, and I’m just thrilled it’s over,” Taggart told the local NBC affiliate.

He said he would use his extensive business background as CEO of Swiss Army Brands to bring some “budget savviness” to the city’s finances.

“I’ve just really been amazed and I plan on staying really involved and finding my niche really contributing to the community still,” Kerk told KKCO.