“Giving Peace a Chance,” Dream On!
Trevor Phipps
With the heavily heated and controversial presidential and congressional elections reaching a conclusion, politically matters may be cooling off somewhat across the region and our Centennial state.
The election results in 2024 didn’t pose any big surprises, with Colorado declaring herself as a solid blue state, but most rural areas, such as Teller County, clearly waving the Donald Trump flag and making it clear they are against gun restrictions and more pro-green regulations and more laws, period. On the state level, the progressive movement may have peaked, with the state now dealing with a huge deficit and the Dems stopping short of gaining a super-majority in the legislative bodies (see related story), contrary to earlier predictions.
Locally, most of the public offices are set for the next few years. However, there will be a hugely significant school board election in November 2025, which could determine the political future of the district and even impact current relations between the RE-2 School Board and the Woodland Park City Council. Other than that showdown, this year could be a hard one for which to make any solid predictions.
The following are a few trends to look out for:
Banning Short Term Rentals Banned in Woodland Park’s Residential Neighborhoods?
At the start of the year, a citizens’ ballot measure that was passed in 2023 that outlawed short term rentals (STRs) that are not owner-occupied in residential neighborhoods, starting in Jan. 1, 2025. Those who own STRs in the city’s residentially zoned districts will now have to find another use for the property or put it up for sale.
However, the small group of property owners that own the STRs in the city have been fighting since the beginning to stop the ban. A lawsuit was filed, then dropped and some said they were trying to file another suit just to keep the ban from taking place right away. Who knows what will happen in the end, but it is safe to say the STR owners won’t go down without a fight. This is one issue that could trigger marathon meetings in the council chambers.
Council and School Board Tension May Escalate Again
Even though the Nov. election settled the school tax issue for now, since voters chose to keep allowing the RE-2 District to retain the money, don’t expect certain council members to back down. It is fair to expect more scrutiny and arguments over the school district not giving enough information regarding how these tax monies are getting used.
And even though the sales tax was supported by a far majority of the residents, the council still could axe the hike on their own. They have the power to take this action, as the recent vote just called for repealing this levy. That scenario, though, is highly unlikely. But if political tensions continue, this threat won’t go away. A more likely possibility is that some members of the council could try hard to make certain school board members look bad every chance they get, until the highly anticipated school board election in November. The council still features several elected leaders who strongly oppose the current agenda of the RE-2 School Board.
Besides the school tax, it is tough to say what the next heated issue will become for the Woodland Park City Council. In past years, they often got bogged down on six-hour long marathon meetings, especially during fights over STRs and the school tax. Just about any issue these days has a chance of striking up a verbal battle at council meetings.
If the last election can give any insight into the future, then residents can expect a real battle starting at the start of the ’25-’26 school year that will last until the election in November. This will emerge as the pivotal local election.
School Board Directors David Rusterholtz, Cassie Kimbrell and Suzanne Patterson (all of whom are part of the board’s “conservative slate”) will most likely all be seeking re-election in November. Therefore, the election results could decide the make-up of the majority of the board. This election could even determine the fate of the current superintendent Ken Witt.
Teller County
County Commissioners To Keep Battling State Legislators
Just like last year, there’s a good chance that the county commissioners will be spending a lot of time at the state capitol arguing against proposed bills. With a majority of Democrats lawmakers still running the state, there will likely be a number of bills that will upset the Republican county commissioners. However, the Dems did lose a couple of key seats in the state legislature.
Regardless, more gun control bills will be proposed. Plus, with Donald Trump as the commander-in-chief, expect more sanctuary laws dealing with immigration. The commissioners may be able to get their partnership with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) back, but it will take a fight.
Another issue across the county that could be brought up this year is what to do about STRs. Last year, the county commissioners said they would look at their options on regulating STRs, but it never happened because they were waiting on the outcome of Woodland Park’s STR fight. Maybe this year it will get addressed.
Crime Activity
In the last couple of years, law enforcement agents have been warning the public that serious crimes have been on the rise. With more and more people moving to the state, an uptick in criminal activity is likely.
Local and regional law enforcement leaders will continue to ask for more resources, and they will need extra help. With Trump back in office, there is a chance that protests could plague the blue state depending on what decisions occur regarding immigration and other sensitive matters the future president will make.
