The Town of Basalt will hold its regular municipal election on Tuesday, April 7. Three council seats are up for election, each to serve a term of four years. Ballots have been mailed and can be returned by mail, or dropped off anytime at the ballot box behind the Basalt Town Hall, 101 Midland Avenue, through April 7 at 7pm.
The Sopris Sun presents a few getting-to-know-you questions and candidate responses.
1. What inspires you to run for election/re-election?
2. What qualifies you to represent the interests of Basalt residents?
3. What’s one thing you’d like to see completed with a four-year term?
4. Besides housing affordability, is there anything about Basalt’s current trajectory that worries you, which you’d hope to address?
Angela Anderson
1. Basalt is home — and I want to continue doing my part to care for it. I’m a mom of three boys, a regular guest teacher at Basalt Elementary, and proud to represent the thriving Willits neighborhood on Town Council. Four years ago I showed up with zero government experience and a lot to learn. Now I know how things work, I know the right questions to ask, and I have real relationships with town staff and my co-councilors. With housing, childcare, and the airport closure all coming to a head, re-electing a seasoned councilor is the best choice for Basaltines.
2. Four years on Council means four years of real decisions with real impact. I helped shepherd Basalt’s Midland Avenue redevelopment from start to finish. I voted to implement a short-term rentals fee that feeds directly into our affordable housing fund. I’ve helped direct around $250,000 in tobacco tax dollars to local nonprofits — YouthZone, Focused Kids, the Family Resource Center — organizations that make daily life better for our neighbors. But beyond the résumé, I’m embedded in this community. I know how to listen at school pickup and in front porch conversations, get concerns addressed, and help good ideas become real outcomes.
3. A new police station. This isn’t glamorous, but it’s urgent. Basalt has grown significantly, and our police department has simply outgrown its building — and that has consequences. We’re talking about hiring and retention challenges, inadequate space for evidence, no proper break room or interview room. We recently had to contract with Pitkin County for additional officers just to keep up. That’s a sign we’ve fallen behind. Our community deserves a police force that’s fully equipped and properly housed. Getting a new station built is one of the most tangible, meaningful things this council can deliver in the next four years.
4. Our aging population. Basalt’s most recent housing study shows the majority of homes are occupied by people aged 55 and up. We should make a focused effort to engage them at the town level. I’ve spent four years focused heavily on families and young children, and I’m proud of that work. But in my next term, I want to show up for our seniors the way they show up for us. Because they do — I see them substituting at schools, tutoring at the library, filling gaps in medical offices. They’re active, they’re vital, and they’re essential to a healthy Basalt.
Benjamin Fierstein
1. Building off the meaningful changes that the current staff and Council have already established. The upcoming projects planned throughout this entire valley provide proactive opportunities for Basalt to see its own rapidly increasing worth. I intend to provide the Council an understanding of the development lens.
2. In the development world, every day I am asked to evaluate decisions involving community impact, schedule, and cost to ultimately decide on the appropriateness of these choices. This analysis never operates in a vacuum as I seek and aggregate the expertise of those most qualified for greater context. My track record with P&Z involves listening and weighing the words of the citizens of Basalt, the applicant, and my fellow commissioners.
3. There are visionary goals, like continued connection and collaboration with our surrounding partners within the Valley. There are needed improvement goals like seeing the Basalt Police Department and Public Works building constructed. Lastly, there are small achievable goals that need to come to fruition. Both the Basalt Connect and our after school programs/bussing should serve Crown Mountain Park — that simple microtransit change would allow our students, our families and our seniors to take advantage of one of our most used mid-valley resources. We cannot be defined by these invisible barriers at the detriment of our community members.
4. Sustained financial revenue trajectory. As developable parcels become the limiting reagent, the Town’s revenue sources will need to evolve. We all feel the tax fatigue and recognize the areas of deferred maintenance. Our goals require us as a town to be creative to take advantage of unique funding sources and evolving strategies.
Elyse Hottel
1. When I left office in 2024 due to housing insecurity, I was deeply disappointed. The Town and Council were on a strong trajectory, and I felt I was stepping away with important work unfinished. After four valuable years of service — much of it during COVID, when our focus necessarily shifted from advancing strategic priorities — I was reluctant to pause that momentum. I’m seeking to return to pick up where I left off and help move the Town forward, particularly in sustainability, affordable/workforce housing, and overall community vitality.
2. I moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2005 and have lived in Basalt on and off since 2009. I’ve watched it evolve from a quiet retirement village to an Aspen “suburb,” and now into a self-sustaining resort community with small-town charm, as demographics shifted. Today, Basalt serves as a mid-valley hub whose influence extends well beyond its city limits, requiring thoughtful regional partnership. I understand the community’s commitment to advancing sustainability, expanding housing opportunities and strengthening the local economy; I’m eager to contribute my experience and energy in these areas.
3. I’m especially excited to help shape the future of Parcel 2E on Lewis Way, across from TACAW and adjacent to Linear Park and nearby homes. As one of the last Town-owned parcels, it presents a rare opportunity — and responsibility. Determining its highest and best use, whether for workforce housing, community or senior space, childcare, or emergency shelter, will require thoughtful study, careful design, and community input. Real-time pilots, such as TACAW’s after-school space request, can help inform decisions. Getting this right will demand balance, creativity and a clear understanding of long-term community needs.
4. Basalt has few remaining undeveloped parcels within town limits, making careful consideration of their long-term use essential. Discussions around annexation and mid-valley density must balance economic vitality with the land’s carrying capacity. Like many mountain communities, Basalt is inseparable from its physical environment. This year’s low snowpack and the potential for limited water supply heighten concerns about drought and wildfire. While these challenges aren’t unique to Basalt, they demand foresight and thoughtful planning, particularly as decisions about how and where we grow will shape our community’s resilience for decades.
Greg Shaffran
1. Living in Basalt has shown me how much local decisions shape everyday life. My neighborhood was the result of a long development agreement between the Town and a developer that began in 2007. After moving in and serving as HOA president, I worked with neighbors, the development team and town staff to address issues that became clear once people were living there. That experience showed me how thoughtful local government, productive conversations with developers and strong communication with neighbors can solve real problems. The Roaring Fork Valley has been part of my life since the day I was born, and I’m eager to help shape the future of the community my daughter will grow up calling home.
2. I’ve spent much of my life showing up for the communities that shaped me. For more than 15 years I’ve served with Mountain Rescue Aspen, including leadership and board roles where decisions often involve public safety and complex, high-stakes situations. I also serve on the board of the Alfred Braun Hut System and have volunteered with local organizations such as Response and Meals on Wheels. Those experiences — along with working a wide range of jobs in this valley over the years — have taught me to pay attention to the quieter parts of a community: the people and issues that may not always be the loudest, but still deserve to be heard.
3. I would like to see Basalt make measurable progress on affordable housing so the people who work here have a real chance to live here. That means aligning land use policy, development agreements and regional partnerships to create more attainable ownership and rental opportunities. Housing solutions take time, but four years is enough to move projects from discussion to implementation. My goal is to ensure Basalt consistently advances practical housing solutions that support local businesses, families and the long-term health of the community.
4. Public safety and community preparedness are becoming more important for mountain towns. With changing weather patterns and winters like the one we’ve seen this year, Basalt should continue strengthening contingency planning for natural disasters and other emergencies. I would like to see the Town prioritize strong emergency planning, regional coordination, and clear communication with the community so we are prepared to respond when challenges arise.
Find more information about each candidate at www.bit.ly/Basalt-candidates