​​Waller and Velasco discuss housing, education, and community at House District 57 forum

In a race that highlights the diverse needs of Colorado’s Western Slope, Republican Caleb Waller and Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, took center stage at a forum on Tuesday, each making their case to represent Colorado House District 57. 

The two candidates met at the First Presbyterian Church in Glenwood Springs for an invite-only forum hosted by the Glenwood Springs Lions Club.

The forum opened with brief introductions, where Waller, who lives in Silt, shared his background and his journey into politics. Waller, who works in commercial real estate, emphasized his connection to the community and passion for local issues.

---

---

“I’m a family man who got involved in the community right away,” Waller said. “I hit the ground running and began serving through Rotary and other local initiatives.”

Waller highlighted three key areas of focus for his campaign: housing, education, and energy. He discussed his experience on the Garfield County Planning and Zoning Commission and his belief in free-market solutions to address the housing crisis.

---

---

“Housing is a major issue here,” Waller said. “But we have to be careful not to infringe on private property rights. I’m a free-market guy, and I believe we need to pull the government back a bit and give people more freedom as far as growth.”

Velasco, who was elected to represent District 57 two years ago, shared her experiences over the past two years and her reasons for seeking reelection.

“It’s been the hardest job I’ve ever had, but also the most rewarding,” Velasco said. “There’s so much more to do, and that’s why I’m running again.”

Velasco highlighted her work in supporting working families, protecting public lands, and preparing the community for natural disasters like wildfires. She noted that she has worked closely with local governments to ensure their voices are heard at the state level.

“I care deeply about the well-being of our community members,” Velasco said. “I’ve worked hard to bring people together and advocate for the resources we need.”

Waller expressed concern about the rising cost of housing in the valley, particularly for young people like himself. He noted that many entry-level jobs don’t pay enough to afford the current housing prices.

“When I first got here, I worked at Lowe’s making $14 or $15 an hour,” Waller said. “How do you afford a home on that salary?”

Education was another priority for Waller, who argued that there are too many agendas in the education system. He called for more local control and emphasized the need to focus on core subjects.

“There’s a lot of agendas in the education world,” Waller said. “It’s concerning to me and I would love to see the state kind of empower more locals.”

Velasco highlighted the state’s recent efforts to fully fund schools and increase investment in rural education, emphasizing the progress made in Colorado.

“We took out the budget stabilization factor, and our schools are fully funded,” Velasco said. “But really to the levels from 1989, which are so we need to invest much more in education.”

Energy was the final pillar of Waller’s platform. He stressed the importance of supporting Garfield County’s role as an energy-producing region and advocated for reducing regulations to boost the local economy.

“Garfield County is an energy county,” Waller said. “We need to get out of the way and show the world what energy looks like. We’ve got a lot of massive amounts of natural resources here that are available that could massively boost our economy, providing amazing jobs for our community. And that, to me, is something that’s important.”

The forum allowed the candidates to delve into the issue of housing, which has become increasingly unaffordable in the Roaring Fork Valley. Both candidates agreed that the housing crisis is a major problem but offered different solutions.

“We need more affordable housing, not just luxury homes,” Velasco said. “We need affordable housing for teachers, firefighters, servers, doctors. I think that that’s real. Housing really affects our access to retaining and holding talent.”

One of Velasco’s key accomplishments during her term, according to the incumbent, was passing 33 bills in the legislature, with a focus on issues like water quality in mobile home parks and wildfire prevention.

“Mobile home parks are the last unsubsidized affordable housing in our communities,” Velasco said. “I grew up in mobile home parks, and I know how important they are.”

Waller, however, cautioned against overregulation and expressed concern that too much government intervention could stifle growth and drive up costs.

“We don’t need the large homes that we’re seeing here in the valley, so it’s incentivizing more of those,” Waller said. “Creating rent control programs as that, you’re going to kill the market, you’re going to destroy any property values in the valley. You’re going to destroy any sense of future.” 

The conversation also touched on the challenges of balancing growth with preserving the character of local communities. Waller acknowledged the concerns of residents who oppose new developments but argued that creative solutions are needed to address the housing shortage.

“The problem that I’m seeing is when we see greater regulations, greater government intervention, they tend to create greater restrictions, and it holds people back from wanting to say, let’s dream, let’s find the future,” Waller said. “That’s what I want to see. I want to see young people in the valley seeing a future that’s exciting for them.”

Velasco acknowledged that community involvement is crucial for successful development but stressed the importance of addressing tangible concerns such as water availability and emergency access.

“We need to involve everyone,” Velasco said. “There are real concerns that people have that are real, that need to be addressed, to bring them along and bring them so that we can continue to work together.”

Education was another significant point of discussion. Waller, however, took a different approach, advocating for school choice and emphasizing the need for parents to have more control over their children’s education. He argued that such measures would lead to better outcomes for students.

“We need to move Colorado towards school choice,” Waller said. “Let’s empower parents and kids to make decisions about their education.”

The candidates also offered contrasting approaches on immigration. Waller expressed support for working immigrants and emphasized the importance of legal immigration processes but voiced concerns about the impact of large-scale immigration on the community.

“As I’ve worked with these Hispanic communities, I’ve really fallen in love with the culture that I’ve found there,” Waller said. “But I believe we need to ensure that we support immigrants who are here legally and want to contribute to our society, without relying on government handouts.”

Velasco, who chairs the Latino Caucus at the state level, highlighted her personal experience as an immigrant and underscored the importance of supporting all community members, regardless of their immigration status.

“I am the first Mexican-born legislator in the state,” Velasco said. “We have to support everyone, people who are here that are undocumented, people who are here that are working on their immigration status.”

As the forum came to a close, both candidates made their final appeals to the audience. Velasco asked for continued support in her bid for reelection, underscoring her commitment to the community.

“My door is always open,” Velasco said. “I’ll continue to work together with my colleagues and advocate for our district.”

Waller, in his closing remarks, highlighted the importance of empathy and understanding the diverse needs of the district.

“Our district is incredibly diverse,” Waller said. “We need to represent everyone. I’d be honored to have your vote, and I’m ready to work hard for you in Denver.”

The election is set to take place on Nov. 5.