Two Council Seats and Home-Rule Designation Up For Grabs
Rick Langenberg
The starting gates will soon open for one of Cripple Creek’s most pivotal off-year, municipal election races this Nov. with contests that could determine the town’s destiny for the next decade.
At issue are two elected council seats and initial tallies on whether the town will get the ball rolling in an ambitious bid to become a home rule city. More specifically, voters will decide if they want to form a home rule charter committee, and then select the top nine candidates to represent this panel.
Next month is the starting period for interested candidates to throw their hats into the ring for the forthcoming council seats and for the possible home rule committee.
Voters will decide the fate of Ward 4 and Ward 5 council representatives. These seats are currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Brown (for Ward 4), who is eligible to run for re-election; and Melissa Trenary (for Ward 5), who is term-limited and can’t seek re-election.
Brown is a well-known local figure, having served as mayor for about a decade. However, it is still unclear if he will try to retain this seat.
Candidates for these seats can start the petition process on Aug. 5, with the deadline for submitting petitions set at Aug. 25. Contenders for these elected council positions must be a registered voter in Cripple Creek and reside in the ward they hope to represent.
Home Rule Focus
Most of the election drama, though, will center on a subject that has generated a slew of town halls and mixed opinions: home rule. The council has approved an ordinance setting the stage for an initial vote for starting the process on becoming a home rule city, a status that the majority of tourism and entertainment-based communities in Colorado (similar to Cripple Creek’s size) now have. Cripple Creek is somewhat of an exception in that it still operates under strictly statutory government guidelines and must full abide by state regulations. With home rule, the town could enact its own city charter, defined as a mini-constitution, and have more flexibility on certain matters. Proponents of the idea cite the advantages of having more local control, with a home-rule designation. Critics, though, fear it could give the elected leaders too much power.
But in order to enter the home-rule arena, voters at the Nov. 4 municipal election must give the okay for forming a charter committee Also, they must pick nine representatives to serve on this board. “This really starts the process,” said City Administrator Frank Salvato, when outlining the timeline and initial home rule votes, at a previous council meeting.
This will become the thrust of the 2025 municipal election in Cripple Creek. Unlike council members, home rule charter representatives aren’t restricted to specific wards, and will run as at-large members. Candidates also don’t face too many restrictions, as they mainly need to be registered voters in the city of Cripple Creek and obtain 25 signatures from valid local voters.
The deadlines for beginning the candidate petition process for contenders for the proposed charter committee is similar to the dates set for the council positions. There are no limits on how many candidates can try to obtain a seat on the home rule charter panel. Under the rules set by the city, the nine charter candidates that receive the most voters will become part of this committee, entrusted with the task of developing a Cripple Creek city charter.
The home rule issue has generated much support from the current council. But the city administrator has stressed that “this is a community decision.”
As a result, voters will have the final say. And if most voters say “no” on the initial question, dealing with a bid to form a home rule charter committee, the issue will die immediately.
Overcoming Past History
The big hurdle Cripple Creek faces in the push for home rule is its past history. The idea of home rule has not exactly hit the political jackpot locally. The idea was rejected by the voters in its initial stage a number of years ago, shortly after limited stakes gaming got rolling in the 1990s. Since then, it has been mulled over several times by city leaders and officials, but never really progressed to the ballot stage, as the local casino industry often gave the concept the cold shoulder.
But this time, the city conducted a lengthy public education process, featuring experts on the issue who have played a key role in the formation of home rule charters for other communities in Colorado. These forums didn’t get that many participants but did not spark any negative feedback. Another motivating factor favoring the home rule movement deals with the explosion of new state regulations, imposed by Colorado lawmakers.
Still, a few council members are worried about potential apathy regarding this issue, with some residents on social media outlets posing the question, “Why are we doing this?” The council can’t actively lobby for the idea, but individual members can express their support for the concept as citizens. The most probable way to lobby for home rule would be to form a campaign-oriented issues group, according to city attorney Erin Smith.
If the home rule movement progresses, the eventual charter committee also faces stern deadlines as when it must first meet and the timeline for developing a charter.
If all hurdles are leaped, then voters will most likely decide the fate of the proposed charter during a second home rule vote in 2026.
