Meet the rancher and retired educator running for Pueblo County Commissioner
While he ran as an unaffiliated write-in candidate in 2020, Adolph Vigil is running for Pueblo County Commissioner District 1 as a Democrat in 2024.
Vigil is the owner of T'Bar in Vineland and is a lifelong farmer and rancher. He worked in education for 20 years — holding positions as a teacher, counselor and administrator — in Pueblo School District 60 and Pueblo School District 70.
"There's a lot of work to be done in this county... and when I hear that we live in one of the most dangerous cities in the nation, that bothers me," Vigil told the Chieftain.
Vigil is running his campaign for commissioner on five "core values"— public safety, recreation, education, water, and jobs. He also stresses the importance of government's responsibility to be transparent with taxpayers.
"We all got our local property taxes and I think we can all say they went up," he said. "People have a right to know where that money goes."
On the issue of public safety, Vigil said law enforcement needs to be well-trained, well-staffed and have the community's support. He said the county should not continue to allow a small percentage of wrongdoers to violate others' rights.
"Safety is a primary concern for many of us," he said. "When women go to a grocery store, they want to feel safe and comfortable and they can go without being harassed in some form. With parents, when they allow their kids to go out with their buddies or friends, they want to know they are safe also."
Vigil also supports increased investment in education to build a skilled workforce and attract new businesses.
"I don't think we have enough vocational programs, school-to-work programs, apprenticeships, internships — we've kind of gotten away from that," Vigil said. "I realize that those are expensive, especially vocational programs, but it's an investment in our youth."
Additionally, Vigil would prioritize investments in recreational programs for kids, maintenance of public parks and water rights for farmers as a county commissioner. If Pueblo County does its due diligence with regards to public safety, education, recreation and water, "jobs will come," Vigil said.
"Our children go off to college, opportunities are there and they don't come back," he said. "My thinking is, if we do things right... jobs will come. We'll have a skilled workforce. We'll have water to provide for these companies. Our crime rate will be low. If we can take care of those first four core values, those opportunities will come."
More about Vigil's background
Prior to becoming a certified teacher, Vigil worked in the mental health field, taking on caseloads at the Colorado State Hospital in Pueblo and Fort Logan Mental Institute in Denver. He has a bachelor of science degree in meteorology with an aviation management minor from Metro State University.
After earning his degree in 1987, Vigil decided that he wanted to return and stay in Pueblo. He turned down offers to work at the Limon Radar Station and had hoped for a position to open up with the local weather service.
"That didn't happen," Vigil said. "They didn't expand that office until a few years after."
Vigil began teaching in 1991 at Heaton Middle School and was on the counseling staff when Pueblo West High School opened in 1997. He also spent time as a counselor at Pueblo County High School, as an assistant principal at Heaton and as a science specialist in the Pueblo D60 administration building.
Eppie Griego, the current commissioner of District 1, is running for reelection as an unaffiliated candidate. Vigil, Darren "Woody" Percival and Miles Lucero are the three Democrats who've registered to run for the seat, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's website.
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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Who is Pueblo County Commissioner candidate Adolph Vigil?
