Montezuma County, CO elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Montezuma County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Montezuma County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Jim Candelaria Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Kent Lindsay Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3Gerald Koppenhafer source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
AssessorLeslie Bugg Unaffiliated sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk and RecorderKim Percell Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerGeorge Deavers Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffSteve Nowlin Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SurveyorRita Jeanne Caffey Unaffiliated sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
TreasurerEllen Black Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Montezuma County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 32 local governments in Montezuma County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships30
School districts (school boards)30
Special districts (elected boards)250

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Montezuma County

26,412people
44.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$65,244 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
31.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$331,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.1%U.S.: 8.4%
57%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
30.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 12.5% · White 70.5% · Black 0.7% · Asian 0.9% · Other or more than one race 15.4% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Montezuma County

5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.6%. Colorado: 4.4%.
545people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
10,214people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
10,759in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Montezuma County 0.0%1.9%3.8%5.7%7.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)5.1%54510,21410,759
August 20265.3%57610,29010,866
July 20264.7%51010,23610,746
June 20264.6%48910,20410,693
May 20264.4%46710,26610,733
April 20264.4%46210,15210,614
March 20265.1%54010,04510,585
February 20266.2%6619,93310,594
January 20266.4%6779,91610,593
December 20254.8%51610,32510,841
November 20254.8%52610,43810,964
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.6%51310,73311,246
August 20254.3%48810,78411,272
July 20254.5%50210,70111,203
June 20254.6%52410,80011,324
May 20254.6%51110,71711,228
April 20254.7%51910,63711,156
March 20255.5%60810,53111,139
February 20256.3%69510,41611,111
January 20256.3%70310,38411,087
December 20245.2%58410,64311,227
November 20245.1%57910,68411,263
October 20244.5%52511,13111,656
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.0%55510,58811,143
20245.1%58110,74911,330
20234.4%49110,68111,172
20224.2%46610,71611,182
20216.6%75310,65311,406
20207.2%84110,77611,617
20194.4%52011,25811,778
20184.8%57011,29611,866
20173.9%46411,31111,775
20165.1%59111,07411,665

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Colorado's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.1% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Montezuma County

263.5 per 100,0002025. Colorado: 421.7.
1,086.1 per 100,0002025. Colorado: 2,143.6.
1murders2025, 74 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202574263.53051,086.1
202474265.33851,380.0
202388317.24711,697.9
202292335.64121,503.0
202186317.34421,630.8
202073270.04881,804.6
201960221.64351,606.4
201855202.23791,393.6
201733117.24551,616.1
201635128.44021,475.3
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Montezuma County Sheriff's Office20251910216,595
Cortez Police Department2025531939,247
Mancos Police Department20252101,291

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Colorado · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.15 per 1,000 residents2024, 3 agencies serving 26,965 people.
58sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
56civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (3), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Montezuma County Sheriff's Office253516,581
Cortez Police Department29219,120
Mancos Police Department401,264
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2024582.15563
2023612.28633
2021602.30683
2020572.19703
2019602.30593
2018602.29573
2017562.06643
2016622.36613

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Montezuma County Assessor?
Leslie Bugg (Unaffiliated) is the Assessor of Montezuma County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder?
Kim Percell (Republican) is the Clerk and Recorder of Montezuma County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Montezuma County Coroner?
George Deavers (Republican) is the Coroner of Montezuma County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Montezuma County Sheriff?
Steve Nowlin (Republican) is the Sheriff of Montezuma County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Montezuma County Surveyor?
Rita Jeanne Caffey (Unaffiliated) is the Surveyor of Montezuma County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Montezuma County Treasurer?
Ellen Black (Republican) is the Treasurer of Montezuma County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Montezuma County commissioners?
Jim Candelaria (District 1); Kent Lindsay (District 2); Gerald Koppenhafer (District 3).
What is the population of Montezuma County?
About 26,412 people, with a median age of 44.5; the median household income is $65,244 and 13.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Montezuma County?
5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 545 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,759, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Montezuma County?
32 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 3 school district and 25 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Colorado Secretary of State's 2023-2024 Biennial Abstract directory of county officers, with districts and parties from the Secretary of State's certified 2022 and 2024 general election results; officials appointed since it was published may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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