Views From the Editor
Rick Langenberg
In our growing era of ballot insanity, often the simplest proposal represents the best route for local voters and citizens.
As a result, TMJ News is fully backing 2A, a proposition that would finally open the door for Cripple Creek to become a home rule city. This is a plan that has been under discussion since the beginning of gaming. The question merely asks the following: “Shall the proposed home rule charter for Cripple Creek be adopted?”
“Short and sweet,” just like we like our ballot issues these days, prior to the bizarre time when questions had to cover every subject Under the Sun.
But like many ballot issues, timing is everything. And yes, the time is right for Cripple Creek to join a growing slew of smaller towns in Colorado by releasing the added buckles of state restraints and heading more into the direction of much-needed local control.
For years, Cripple Creek resisted pursuing a home rule type of government, largely because of ongoing tensions between the gaming industry and city hall. Local casinos feared town leaders would use it to impose additional taxes and exercise excessive authority.
But those days are in the past, with the town more united than in past years, especially when it comes to the effort to diversify its economic gaming engine more by generating more tourists and out-of-town visitors, Relations between the two entities have vastly improved from the old days, when we almost needed a gun fight on Bennett Avenue to settle the score. Yes, the Good Old Days of early Gaming were a definite trip that I sometimes miss.
But with a state government clearly out of control regarding new laws, business leaders would have much better luck dealing with a city council than a tyrannical government that cares more about problem wolves and criminals, than addressing the needs of average citizens and law-abiding residents. Bad craziness, these days in the state Capitol.
The time has come for a change.
The city, contrary to past attempts, made a solid effort during much of 2025 in convincing residents of the values of waving the home rule banner. The public education campaign, mostly orchestrated by former city administrator Frank Salvato, was a definite success.
Last November, voters overwhelmingly approved the formation of a charter committee, which spent exhaustive time in proposing an approximate 35-page document.
Now, the final step must occur with the ratification of this charter.
The proposed charter is not perfect. In fact, contrary to comments made by Kim Monson, the president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, I almost feel the charter group could have taken things a step further in grappling with such issues as deteriorating, vacant, rotting commercial buildings and such, located in the core section of town. At the same time, their restraint had to be respected in not changing the current way gaming revenue is tabulated, a possibility that could have offered the town more money to the detriment of the casinos.
Kim, who opposes the document, argued against such efforts to elevate the position of city administrator to a city manager, which would require a two-thirds vote of elected leaders to terminate an employment contract, instead of just a simple majority.
But times have changed in old Cripple Creek. Moreover, the town can’t keep enduring a town government with a different manager every year. More local stability would occur under the changes adopted by the charter committee.
It sure would be nice to have a city manager with a decent level of longevity.
Most of the other measures proposed mainly follow past business practices. If a town served as a model for Cripple Creek’s proposed charter, then Loveland probably emerged as the main culprit. And that is not a bad example to follow.
I say give local control a chance and keep the door open towards making needed changes with the charter as time progresses.
This is the route Woodland Park has taken, which constantly puts issues on the ballot for minor technical changes with its charter. That formula has worked well for the City Above the Clouds and should work well in Cripple Creek.
With the challenges facing Cripple Creek, Home Rule is a Smart and Winning Bet.
