Political Battles, State Feuds, Big Developments and Mega Festivals Cap the Last Year
Trevor Phipps and Rick Langenberg
As we usher in a New Year and put the finishing touches on toasts for good health and prosperity for 2026, and round out an endless barrage of resolutions, it’s officially time to say good-bye to 2025.
For Teller County and the Ute Pass region, 2025 offered a mixed bag, when it came to big news. On the upside, it wasn’t a year for shattering any records for devastating disasters and horrific crimes; and more importantly, raging wildfires and out-of-control floods. Once again, big political fights and power maneuvers grabbed the spotlight, as did the area’s growing emergency as a great mountain venue for special events and festivals and new recreational opportunities and development projects. And as the year came to a conclusion, area sports buffs were enthused over the prospects of the state’s professional football team, the Denver Broncos, rising from the ashes and capturing the world championship. Go Broncos.
Without any further delays, here are some key highlights and overall trends of the past year from the news stories, photos and web postings of TMJ News. We hope all our readers and social media fans/critics have a great 2026!
Woodland Park, RE-2 School District and Teller County
School Tax Battle Concludes with a Bang
At the beginning of every year, TMJ likes to write predictions for the next year as our writers use their experiences of the previous year in an attempt to tell the future. And let’s face it, they are barely ever right.
But this year was different, as we correctly anticipated that the fight between the Woodland Park School Board and City Council, which actually started in 2024, would continue into 2025. In addition, we predicted that the city council would strip away the 1.09 percent sales tax increase that went to support the school district.
When the year first started, the city council kept trying to get transparent financial statements. After not succeeding, some council members switched gears into taking steps to remove the tax.
But once discussion of taking the tax away commenced, some community members fought back. A proposed citizen-driven recall effort started with just some council members getting targeted. It ended with a demand for ousting all of the council members and the mayor.
In the end, Councilwoman Teri Baldwin resigned from her spot before a recall petition was submitted. Councilwoman Carrol Harvey was the only member targeted by a removal campaign that could have resulted in a recall vote. However, she stepped down before a special election was called, mainly to avoid taxpayer expenses. The council then appointed Seth Bryant, a former candidate for a school board seat, and a big critic of the RE-2 School District administration, to fill Harvey’s seat.
But as the recall campaign was mounted, the back-and-forth kept going on over the school tax. Just when the council seemed to back off wanting to get rid of the tax, something happened that drastically changed this scenario.
Last March, a school board member agenda leaked that showed the majority leaders of the RE-2 District Board were attempting to sell the former Woodland Park Middle School Building to the Merit Academy Charter school. A stipulation said that Merit would stop paying for the building if the sales tax increase went away
Upon hearing the news, the city council grew infuriated. They held a special emergency meeting and voted unanimously to strip the tax away immediately. The school district filed a lawsuit, which was later dismissed by the judge.
STR Battles and Golf Course Purchase
The city of Woodland Park in 2025 also received another court victory a few weeks later. After the citizens voted to ban non-owner occupied short term rentals (STRs), some of the property owners affected filed a lawsuit arguing their rights were being violated.
But District Judge William Moller ruled in favor of the city. The judge said that since STRs weren’t technically legal, the city had a right to enact the new laws.
Another big news item on the development front occurred near the end of the year with the city announcing that it was going to purchase the Shining Mountain golf course in what many described as a sweetheart deal for a little more than $3 million. The package had been under negotiation for at least a year, with rumors abounding about this possibility for years. Under this deal, the city would acquire the 300-plus acre golf course, several disc golf layouts, and its two-story clubhouse facility and events center,and gain much open space. Last October, the city council voted unanimously to approve the purchase.
The city has started budgeting the operations for the golf course and open space, and plan to re-open it next spring. It is still uncertain what will happen to the bar/restaurant, and what the city will do with the 100-plus acres of open space that came with the property. With the deal, it will also gain more water rights. Initially, the city plans to operate it as a municipal course in a status quo manner, with improved maintenance. But down the road, more significant changes could occur. Proponents described this as a great opportunity and a way to enhance its recreational prospects for residents and visitors, while critics maintained that the city should not be investing this kind of money into running a golf course that has struggled financially for years. But during their public hearings, not much public opposition occurred.
Still, the deal has raised a number of questions, pertaining to the immediate future of the facility under city operations.
Woodland Park RE-2 School District
School Board Changing of the Guard
The year started off with the school board attempting to give transparent financial reports to the city, aimed at explaining where the sales tax dollars were going from a previous ballot question approved by the voters. A chief financial officer resigned and it seemed like whatever option the school board pursued; they never could please the city with a detailed, itemized account of where the nearly $3 million in annual taxpayer money was being spent.
Finally, the school tax was stripped away on March 6, leaving district officials enraged. The next day, the district’s superintendent Ken Witt suddenly resigned. Aaron Salt took over as interim superintendent before resigning a few months later. Now, Ginger Slocum serves as the district’s interim superintendent until the new school board finishes a thorough search. She is one of the top candidates for the permanent position.
Election of 2025
After so much turmoil within the district, the November 2025 election was highly anticipated, with six contenders vying for three seats. The race got a little heated on social media, but it wasn’t nearly the divisive controversy it had been in the past.
In the end, three candidates who had spoken against actions made by the former board, Carol Greenstreet, Kassidi Gilgenast and Laura Gordon, sometimes referred to as the three Gs, won by landslide. Their victory was part of a trend in the region in which more progressive candidates and those supporting better relations between elected leaders and teachers and staff and favoring more public transparency, won key seats. The ultra-conservative school district curve ball, highlighting parental choice, book censoring and charter schools, couldn’t find home plate, even in a fairly conservative area. In essence, most voters appeared tired of all the political fights and the departure of so many students from the district. The board members were sworn in during a meeting in mid-November and have already hit the ground running. They have opted for continuing the permanent superintendent search, doing a detailed district audit and terminating the district’s attorney
Teller County
To start the year, it seemed like the Teller County commissioners live in Denver. They spent considerable time testifying at the state capital against many bills being introduced by state lawmakers.
The main issue that drew their ire in 2025 was the attack on gun ownership. The commissioners spent a ton of energy and time attempting to fight a bill requiring citizens to receive training before purchasing an assault-style firearm. Despite their efforts, the governor signed the bill into law and it goes into effect later this year.
Also, throughout the year, many across the state (including Teller residents) have been focused on wild wolf movements. This concern stems from a previous ballot issue, narrowly approved by Colorado voters but heavily opposed in rural area, calling for the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado on a limited basis, as part of an effort to establish a better ecosystem in the wilds of Colorado. The program, implemented by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency, has been heavily criticized. Many of the wolves introduced have attacked cattle from Colorado ranchers, and the packs have incurred many deaths. By law, they cannot be killed, unless a wolf endangers someone’s life. If they attack a dog or a person’s pet, they cannot be shot.
Wolves have mostly been seen north and west of Teller County, but there was a lone female wolf that crossed into Teller territory this year.
Also, this year, the county officially broke ground on their giant multi-million-dollar service center. After years of renting offices spread across the county, Teller will now have all of their offices in one central location in Divide after saving up for this plan for a number of years.
Then towards the end of the year, the commissioners played a lead role in a massive coordinated effort to assist local residents during the federal government shutdown, as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits were suspended. The commissioners helped launch a massive food drive that stocked up local food banks and raised more than $150,000. The response effort may become part of a strategy for handling massive emergencies and disasters.
On the political front, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell grabbed much media attention, as he became the first local elected leader in recent memory to enter the race for governor. He joins a highly competitive field of GOP candidates seeking to capture the seat, which will be vacated in 2026. Current governor Jared Polis can’t run again due to term limits. Mikesell, in his campaign, has stressed many of the concerns voiced by the commissioners, in stressing the lack of support for rural residents.
