ALAMOSA — Alamosa has a new mayor and two new city councilors after Tuesday’s election, and ballot questions seeking approval of marijuana stores in the city limits were defeated.

Receiving more than 61 percent of the vote, Ty Coleman, a city councilor since 2014 who has served as councilor at large and mayor pro tem, handily defeated incumbent Mayor Josef Lucero on Tuesday, 1,301 to 819 votes.

"I'm just really thankful for all of the people who came out in the San Luis Valley who came out to support the campaign,” Coleman said. “I'm really looking forward to moving Alamosa forward and making a huge difference. I'm just thankful and grateful for everyone who came out and voted and just thankful to the people who encouraged people to vote as well. I'm just trying to do the best I can with whatever resources we have available."

Coleman, pictured above embracing his girlfriend Jenene Holcomb, is the assistant branch manager for Rio Grande Savings & Loan in Alamosa. He is also an author and motivational speaker, volunteer youth football coach, member of Communities that Care and Kiwanis and on the board of the SLV Development Resource Group and Alamosa Literacy Council.

Also by a decent margin, newcomer Michael Carson defeated incumbent Michael Stefano for Alamosa’s Ward 4 seat 217 to 166.

“I am happy I won, very happy to have won,” Carson said, “and I am hoping I can help bring some forward movement to some of the neighborhoods I feel have been lacking a little bit. I want to be a part of moving Alamosa forward as a whole, the entire city. I am excited to have won, and I want to be a part of a good bright future for the city.”

Carson is a lifetime resident of the San Luis Valley and has lived in Alamosa for more than 20 years. He is a database and network administrator and has worked in the IT and computer field for more than 15 years.

In a much closer race, it appears that David Broyles unseated Kristina Daniel for the Ward 2 seat on council. Broyles received 335 votes to Daniel’s 327 votes. These are the tallies as of Tuesday night.

“I am delighted I may have won,” Broyles said. “With my skill set I think I can serve well on city council and help them with their budget. I appreciate Kristina. She did a good job, and I didn’t run against her. I ran for city council. I appreciate what she’s done. The people that served did have their heart in it. I just think we need a new skill set, try to go to a higher level.”

Broyles is a long-time resident of Alamosa and most recently was president and CEO of First Southwest Bank. He has served on a number of local boards including Development Resources Group Board, Alamosa Local Marketing District Board, Alamosa Chamber Development Corporation Board, Alamosa City Planning Commission, Boys Scouts of America, Windsor Hotel Advisory Board and Alamosa Boys and Girls Club Board.

At-large Councilman Jan Vigil was unopposed in seeking re-election and received 1,553 confidence votes.

Alamosa had three marijuana questions on the ballot, one asking if residents wanted to allow medical marijuana stores in the city limits, one asking the same for recreational marijuana stores, and another asking for a tax on recreational marijuana sales, if that ballot question passed. Two of the three were soundly defeated Tuesday, with voters approving a tax on retail marijuana sales, a moot point since the retail marijuana issue did not pass.

Broyles, who was instrumental in defeating the marijuana questions on the ballot, said, “I think it’s a good day for Alamosa. I am glad Alamosa will remain a clean city. I think it will help us with economic development. I think Alamosa is a winner in this.”

The ballot question seeking approval for medical marijuana stores was defeated by more than 400 votes, 1,275 to 868 votes and the retail marijuana question by an even larger margin, 1,342 to 794 votes.

The marijuana tax question, which would have levied a 5-percent tax on retail marijuana sales, passed by a wide margin, 1,313 to 823 votes, but since the retail marijuana sales were not approved, the tax will obviously not be levied.

In other City of Alamosa ballot questions, voters:

• approved a broadband-enabling ballot question 1,442 to 600.
• approved a question permitting non-city residents who work full time or own property or businesses in the city but live in Alamosa County to serve on advisory boards and commissions (except the planning commission and personnel board), 1,180 to 887 votes.
• repealed a city provision with restrictive performance bonds on contracts, 1,192 to 792.
• narrowly defeated a request to give city councilors and the mayor a stipend increase, with 1,073 votes against the raise and 1,009 for it. The ballot measure would have increased annual city council stipends from $4,800 to $7,200 and mayoral annual stipends from $7,200 to $9,600.