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Vicki Burns was elected the first woman treasurer of the Colorado Association of Realtors, and later served two terms as president of the organization.

As one of the largest trade groups in the state with 26,000 members, Burns was honored to be the fifth woman ever selected to the presidency.

The run for Moffat County Commissioner has been a new experience for her.

"This is my first actual political involvement with local government," Burns said.

She said she is familiar with the issues facing the county and those facing District 3, which she is seeking to represent.

Should Burns come out of Tuesday's primary election victorious, she'll be one step closer to doing just that.

Burns said her work as a Realtor has raised her awareness to the difficulties Craig faces battling methamphetamine production and use. She has seen what it takes to clean up a residences after meth contamination.

"I know a lot still needs to be done, and it's a costly problem," Burns said. "It's a community problem that needs to be dealt with by social services, the police and in the court system."

Burns said the departments battling meth need financial support. The county can offer that support by finding revenue streams to help fund those departments, helping rid the community of the problem.

She is aware that users and dealers inhabit small towns such as Craig, where they can hope to blend in with the population.

"COMA (Communities Overcoming Meth Abuse) is a wonderful organization," Burns said. "We need to work together to fight this."

Methamphetamine is just one area Burns has researched during her bid for the commission.

Oil-and-gas exploration in Northwest Colorado is another.

"In talking with residents of Maybell and Dinosaur, they express concerns about the amount of exploration," Burns said. "There are water concerns, and we must be cognizant of that. We've got to make sure companies do not contaminate the aquifers. People depend on water for their livelihoods around here. They've got to be permitted and done correctly to protect the water."

During a candidate forum in July, Burns indicated that she'd read the county budget, making her the only one among the three candidates that had done so.

She has pledged to be a "good steward of the tax payers' money" as commissioner.