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Magistrelli will run for county commissioner

November 7th, 2011, 12:25 pm by

Karen Magistrelli of Crystola will vie for the District 3 El Paso County Commissioner’s seat next November. The district covers the county’s western section and includes Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs, Chipita Park and Green Mountain Falls. Commissioner Sallie Clark currently represents the district.

A 27-year county resident who runs a nonprofit organization that helps ex-prisoners rejoin society, Magistrelli said she’s concerned about “government shenanigans,” including the “confusing, deceptive language of the term limit ballot issue” and “unreasonable, excessive government regulations.”

“I’m ready to fight back to reduce waste, restore trust and integrity, and return to the principles of freedom,” she said, in announcing her candidacy.

Magistrelli became familiar with county government during a three-year struggle to win approval to build residences on land her family owns in the western-most part of the county.

Magistrelli said she’s “not a career politician,” and her qualifications come from life in the private sector.

Two other candidates have announced they will seek office in the November 2012 election. Commissioner Amy Lathen, current chairwoman of the board of county commissioners, has said she will run again for the eastern District 2, and Auddie Cox, a military veteran, will challenge the seat currently held by Commissioner Dennis Hisey, who represents the southern part of the county.

Posted in: El Paso County • El Paso County Commissioners • elections • • • • | Post a Comment »

Auddie Cox announces candidacy for Commission District 4

October 28th, 2011, 9:44 am by

Auddie Cox, candidate for El Paso County Commissioner District 4

Auddie Cox, a 25-year military veteran, once again will seek the District 4 county commissioner seat, which represents southwest El Paso County, including Fountain, the Security-Widefield area and Fort Carson.

Cox, ran against current El Paso County Commissioner Dennis Hisey in 2004 but lost the primary race with 34 percent of the vote.

Cox is a recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for more than 5,000 hours of volunteer work  with the American Red Cross, Lions Club International, Pearl S. Buck Foundation and the Fountain Valley Senior Center.

In a written statement announcing his candidacy, Cox said he wants to restore respect that he believes has been lost due to a “lack of ethical behavior” regarding the term limits debate.

He also wants to “realistically address issues in our region, which include fiscal responsibility, transparency in government, job creation, growth and natural resource development.”

Three commissioner offices will be on the November 2012 ballot. Commission Chairwoman Amy Lathen also has announced she will seek re-election for District 2.

Posted in: El Paso County • elections • • • | Post a Comment »

Election costs breakdown: Mail-in versus precinct voting

August 1st, 2011, 9:00 am by

Sunday’s story about whether next year’s primary should be an all mail-in ballot or traditional polling place format generated several interesting comments, including this from Neil Talbott: “A mail-in ballot is perfectly acceptable, especially if it saves the county $71,000 in election costs, IF you can assure citizens that the vote count is accurate and verifiable.”

El  Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams ran on a platform of “protecting voter  integrity” last fall when he was running for the office, so we’ll wait for his reply to a letter Talbott sent, asking what assurance the public has that the mail-in ballots are counted accurately, verification of ballot counts and other protective measures.

Several Colorado counties, including nearby Teller County, had problems with voter registration fraud in 2004 — 18 of the state’s 64 counties had registration rates greater than their voting-age populations, for example, which created exaggerated voter rolls.

 Some readers also asked for a breakdown of the estimated costs of next June’s primary election. Here they are, from the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Office:

Mail Ballot: Ballot printing, mailing, postage: $295,560

Polling Place: $234,862

Mail Ballot: Election Judges/Personnel: $120,730

Polling Place: $376,600

Mail Ballot: Three Ballot-on-Demand Printers: $61,500

Polling Place: $0.00

Mail Ballot: Judges’ Materials: $0.00

Polling Place: $22,650

Mail Ballot: Election Printing and Supplies: $4,500

Polling Place: $31,700

Mail Ballot: Info cards mailed to unaffiliated voters: $69,520

Polling Place: $0.00

Mail Ballot: Other: $41,620

Polling Place: $7,700

 TOTAL: Mail Ballot: $593,430

             Polling Place: $664,512

Posted in: Clerk and Recorder • El Paso County • elections • Wayne Williams • • • | 5 Comments »

Second public forum on term limits Thursday morning

June 29th, 2011, 1:13 pm by

If you missed the first public forum on term limits, there’s another chance to voice your views. El Paso County commissioners will hear more public testimony during Thursday’s regular meeting, which starts at 9 a.m. at the county office building, 27 E. Vermijo Ave.

This issue has been a topic of debate since last November’s election, when voters approved three, four-terms for most elected county officials. Vocal protesters are calling for a re-vote, saying the wording was deliberately confusing.  

One of the most interesting developments is that this movement has become bipartisan. Democrats and Republicans have banded together to fight county government and get a question with clearer language on the Nov. 1 ballot.

The reason is simple, says Jeff Crank, a conservative radio talk show host and director of the Colorado chapter of Americans for Prosperity: “It’s not about term limits. It’s an issue of trust.”

Interestingly enough, voters who claim both GOP and Democrat affiliations also are fighting to let the outcome of last year’s ballot measure remain. Their point: every election is essentially a term limit and why should this ballot question be different from any other.

People who want a re-vote have a website: www.ElPasoCountyTermLimits.com.

Posted in: El Paso County • El Paso County Commissioners • elections • term limits • • • • | 3 Comments »

County explains cost of November election

June 27th, 2011, 2:54 pm by

The first public hearing on term limits will be held Monday night, at 6:30 p .m. at Pikes Peak Regional Development Center, 2880 International Circle. Because some El Paso County commissioners have raised the question of how much it would cost the county to put the issue of term extensions on the November ballot for a re-vote, the county released this statement:

“In response to citizen and media inquiries, El Paso County Budget Officer Nicola Sapp provided the following explanation of how the costs of a coordinated (off-year) election are allocated among the governmental entities which place issues on the ballot:

 “Each year, we designate a line item in the county budget for anticipated election costs, but that is contingent upon our municipalities, school districts, fire districts and special districts reimbursing those costs in the “off year election cycle.  If you just look at the expense budget and don’t look at the offsetting revenues, you might conclude that taxpayers countywide pay the full cost of the election no matter who puts questions on the ballot.

But state law recognizes that it wouldn’t be reasonable to ask all county taxpayers to foot the bill for an election in which only a few voters in a single school district or fire district could participate, therefore only governmental entities with issues actually on the ballot are asked to pay for the cost of a coordinated election.  Election costs come out of the county’s general fund budget, so when you are considering placement of a question on the coordinated election ballot you are spending money that could otherwise be spent to buy badly needed equipment for the coroner’s office, hire additional prosecutors in the district attorney’s office, put more sheriff’s deputies out on the street or provide longer service hours in county parks.”

The statement, from the county’s public information office, also said, “ The county is required to conduct general (even-year) elections and all voters participate in those elections. When the county is on the ballot election judges must be hired and voting machines set up and all polling places throughout the county must be open and staffed.  This is much more expensive than providing election services to a limited number of voters in a smaller district election. The Clerk and Recorder estimates it would cost the county $300,000 to be on the November ballot.”

Posted in: Clerk and Recorder • El Paso County • El Paso County Commissioners • elections • term limits • • • • | 3 Comments »

Local election specialist to study Albanian election

May 3rd, 2011, 1:10 pm by

Emily Rome, who works as an election specialist in the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, left for the Republic of Albania Tuesday, May 3, and will spend eight days there, studying the election process in the city of Tirana.

Rome took a temporary leave of absence from her job to volunteer with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a United Nations-chartered agency. Rome and another observer will monitor the city’s entire election, from the opening of the voting centers to ballot counting and tabulating the results.

Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams said he hopes Rome brings back insights from the emerging democracy’s electoral process that can be applied in next year’s presidential election here.

Last year, Rome observed the presidential election in Ukraine, then later returned to watch the run-off election.

“Traveling to these foreign countries and seeing people’s struggles and challenges all to be able to cast a ballot in a newly free society is an unbelievable experience,” she said. In Ukraine, she saw elderly women and men climb steep staircases and stand in line in subzero temperatures to cast their ballots.

Rome will blog about her trip at the Clerk and Recorder Office’s website: http://car.elpasoco.com.

Posted in: Clerk and Recorder Office • El Paso County • elections • Uncategorized • • • | 1 Comment »

County commissioner not wasting any time with new City Council

April 6th, 2011, 1:53 pm by

El Paso County Commissioner Peggy Littleton seems eager to work with Colorado Springs’ new City Council members – so eager, in fact, that she’s scheduled a town hall meeting and issued a special invitation for them to attend, before they are sworn into office.

Littleton, elected last November, announced at Tuesday’s commission meeting that she will  hold her first town hall meeting from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on April 16 at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave.

Littleton said she is extending a special invitation to the six new council members and one incumbent who won  in Tuesday’s municipal election. But they won’t be seated until they take the oath of office on April 19.

“My Commissioner District 5 sits squarely in the center of Colorado Springs, and many of these new council campaigned on a willingness to look seriously at ways to improve service and reduce costs through greater city-county collaboration,” Littleton said. “I really hope that this will be the informal start of a collegial discussion involving the county, the city and our citizens about shared services.”

Maybe, but maybe not before they start their new job.

At the meeting, Littleton plans to provide an overview of county services and give an update on the relocation of county offices. More than half of the county’s 2,000 employees are being reshuffled to different buildings to consolidate offices and create a service center with multiple county services in one place. Commissioners and top county staff will move to Centennial Hall later this year, as the Sheriff’s Office moves into the county administration building on Vermijo Avenue.

Citizens are invited to attend Littleton’s town hall and give input. Free parking will be available in the El Paso County juror parking lot directly south of Centennial Hall.

Posted in: city of colorado springs • El Paso County • El Paso County Commissioners • elections • Uncategorized • • • • • | 7 Comments »

City elections could be different next time around

April 5th, 2011, 3:44 pm by

  In a municipal election, like the one being held today, leadership at the city of Colorado Springs independently gets to choose who conducts the election. The city typically has decided to contract with a private entity and do some of the work in-house.

But it could be a different story next time a city election rolls around.

El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams, who took office in December, said Tuesday that he is open to playing a “more active role” in city elections. His office runs all other elections, including county-coordinated ballots and general elections.

“It depends on the new mayor and city council, but I’d be surprised if this wasn’t something we looked at more of sharing services,” he said.

 His office did provide voter registration lists and signature verification for the April 5 city election.

Posted in: city of colorado springs • Clerk and Recorder Office • El Paso County • elections • Uncategorized • Wayne Williams • • • • • | 1 Comment »