Fountain City Councilman Cory Applegate is hoping to bring experience to the El Paso County Commission and prioritize public safety, infrastructure and water.

Applegate, 32, is running as a Republican for the District 4 seat, in southeast El Paso County, and would replace Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez, who is term-limited and cannot run again. There are two other Republicans in the race, one Democrat and one unaffiliated, secretary of state records show.

The race for Board of County Commissioner seats long has been among Republicans and decided in the June primary. It has been decades since a Democrat was elected to the board that makes decisions on whether to allow new subdivisions in the county, where to invest in roads and the budget for the Sheriff’s Office.

Applegate said his work on the Fountain City Council and the community’s planning commission have prepared him to work across the county.

“I know what it takes to steward money and I know what it takes to make hard decisions,” he said.

As a Fountain councilman, he voted against allowing the Kane Ranch property, envisioned as part of a subdivision called Amara, from leaving the city limits. The developers of Amara wanted to leave Fountain because the town could not provide water immediately. The council voted to keep the land within Fountain’s boundaries, a decision that will allow them to oversee development there.

“We said, ‘You are going to honor your agreement. You are going to negotiate with us,” he recalled. Applegate said the decision showed he is willing to stand up to bullies.

He was inspired to run because he receives so many calls from people who live around, but not inside, his ward in Fountain. The residents call about issues, such as infrastructure

and code enforcement.

“There is so much more I could do for the people around my ward,” he said.

If elected, Applegate said he would prioritize public safety, particularly the Sheriff’s Office. Public safety is the largest share of the county’s budget.

Sheriff Joe Roybal has the office on the path to full staffing, a goal he expects to reach next month. Applegate said Roybal is also hoping to add positions, and the candidate would support finding funding for additional patrol deputies.

When it comes to infrastructure, Applegate said he would prioritize funding for roads and sees the need to improve roads as the biggest issue facing his district.

“I think there’s some main thorough-ways that have been beat up pretty well over the last few years, and they need a redo,” he said. He would not support asking the voters for a tax increase at this time and would instead work to stretch existing funding.

As the county grows, Applegate would also uphold the county’s requirement that developers ensure water is available to serve new subdivisions for 300 years.

The 300-year rule tends to drive less dense housing in the county, and Applegate would prefer to see that trend continue. He believes residents would also prefer to see homes on larger lots in the county.

The journeyman electrician expects to quit his job and work as a commissioner full time, if elected.