RE-2 Races Declare Death Notice for Ultra-Conservative Agenda; Home Rule Gets the Green Light in Cripple Creek
Rick Langenberg
“The Times, They Are A-Changin” in local cities and school districts in Teller County.
This Bob Dylan message got conveyed loud and clear in Election 2025, with voters opting for big changes, in picking a vastly different lineup of Woodland Park school board leaders, compared to four years ago, in what could represent the death notice for the ultra-conservative agenda in the RE-2 District. At the same time, voters in Cripple Creek signaled the initial green light for embracing home rule and proceeding with a charter commission, contrary to failed and stalled efforts on this issue that plagued the gaming community since the beginning of legal gambling. This is the first step for the town’s first-ever venture towards compiling its own city charter or mini-constitution, similar to the path taken by fellow gaming rivals Black Hawk and Central City and more than 100 communities across the state.
Also, RE-1 District residents heavily favored continuing with a previous mill levy so more teachers can be retained and facility improvements can occur. Woodland Park voters, meanwhile, handily approved a series of ballot proposals, aimed at city charter adjustments and technical changes pertaining to such issues as resident requirements in seeking a spot on the council, term limit changes for volunteer boards and allowing the city clerk more time in reviewing petition-related recalls.
But it wasn’t all love and kisses on the ballot front, with voters rejecting plans for making the city clerk/treasurer position into an appointed one, and in okaying a $400,000 tax increase for the Florissant Fire Protection District.
These are the early conclusions rendered from the preliminary results of Election 2025 in Teller County, which generated an impressive turnout of close to 50 percent.
Big Winners
The big winners for local elections are a group of women candidates in the Woodland Park RE-2 School District Board of Education, who have challenged the track record of the current board leadership and are part of a slate of contenders, often considered more progressive than the previous board. The victors, Laura Gordon, Kassidi Gilgenast and Carol Greenstreet, often dubbed by opponents as the “three Gs,” won big. All three did not run as a slate, but they expressed similar concerns regarding the need for more fiscal accountability, transparency and better relations with the staff and public. This election did not have the mudslinging that dominated this competition two years ago, but it still ignited quite a war on social media outlets.
The results could produce notable changes in the district, including a changing relationship with the Merit Academy charter school, which occupies the district’s former middle school building.
The swearing-in ceremony is slated for Nov. 12.
The only other competitive local race involved a contest for a city council Ward 4 seat in Cripple Creek, currently held by Melissa Trenary, who couldn’t run again due to term limits. As of press time, developer and property owner JR Gatlin was beating local postmaster Katherine M. Lewis Jerden by a 55 to 45 percent margin. The other council seat will be filled again by former mayor Bruce Brown who didn’t face any opposition in retaining this position. Voters also gave the green light for all proposed members of its new charter commission – Bruce Brown, Kirk and Zeb Pennock, Elwood Henson, Kelly Turner, Jonathan Smith, Shawn Naprawa and Steve DiCamillo. The commission must craft and support a proposed charter document, which also must get the green light for a final vote in 2026
Ballot Victors
The big winner in the ballot showdown was the city of Cripple Creek. By an approximate 20 percent margin, voters opted to give the town a chance in its effort to become a home rule city and operate with its own city charter. It’s still not a done deal, as voters would have to approve an actual city charter next year. With this initial verdict, voters picked a charter commission, which will be in charge of crafting a proposed home rule document, which in essence will become Cripple Creek’s new mini-constitution.
The yes on the home rule question represented a big win for the city. For a number of months, the city, at the direction head administrator Frank Salvato, held a number of public forums on the subject. These meetings tried to erase any fears that residents may have on the subject and outline the pros of the issue.
Not surprisingly, the home rule question generated some opposition and cynicism. Opponents worried that a pro-home rule effort would give the council more power, and that a yes vote could pave the way for more taxes.
But Councilman Jared Bowman, who led a pro-Home Rule campaign, noted that this is not the case and urged citizens to give the home rule bid a chance. He said the final proposed home rule charter could address some of these control concerns.
With a home rule government, local proponents believe it could help the city in addressing such issues as grappling with an excessive amount of vacant, deteriorating commercial buildings downtown and even having a better system for generating betting device than the one that exists now. The new charter commission now has their work cut out for themselves.
Statistically, Cripple Creek will be joining a growing movement in Colorado to become a home rule city and to escape more statutory, state regulations. The trend of having more local control is often mentioned as the big advantage of having a home rule government. Oddly enough, this concept has been mulled in Cripple Creek, ever since slots started ringing down Bennett Avenue. But voters have not wanted to bet on home rule until now. A previous effort, proposed in the late 1990s, got rejected.
In another ballot win for the southern Teller area, voters said absolutely yes in approving 4A, a proposition that would allow the RE-1 CC/V district to retain the same amount of tax revenue that existed from a mill levy that expired. As an added bonus, the extra revenue, which would not require any additional taxes, would be used for teacher retention and facility improvements. This plan, heavily supported by Community of Caring and the Aspen Mine Center, was okayed by more than a 20 percent margin.
Ballot issues for the Woodland Park, mostly dealing with proposed charter changes for a few technical issues, got okayed by huge margins.
Losers in the ballot showdown were the city of Victor, which fell short again in an effort to make its city clerk/ treasurer position into an appointed job, rather than have it continue as an elected role. This vote was extremely close, but not within a margin of possible error that would require a recount. Voters also gave the thumbs-down for a plan for a $400,000 tax revenue hike for the Florissant Fire Protection District.
Buoyed by several highly contested races and key ballot issues, the turnout for the off-year election was impressive, with close to 10,000 voters casting ballots. This is higher than expected for this type of an election.
