Voters favor incumbents and taxes, but remove judges

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Larimer County's lineup of elected officials will have one new face in January – Justin Smith, who will replace term-limited Sheriff Jim Alderden.

Smith, a Republican, received nearly 52 percent of the vote in a three-way race against Democrat Jay Harrison (39 percent) and unaffiliated candidate Dell Bean (9.2 percent) in the Nov. 2 election.

Republican Lew Gaiter, who was appointed to the post of county commissioner this year, was elected to a four-year term with 55 percent of the vote. His opponent was Democrat Adam Bowen.

Other Larimer County officials up for election ran unopposed.

Voters turned out two 8th Judicial District Court judges, Terence Gilmore and Jolene Blair, who worked as prosecutors during the 1999 trial of Timothy Masters on a charge of first-degree murder. Masters' conviction was overturned in 2008, and Larimer County and Fort Collins subsequently settled a wrongful imprisonment lawsuit for $10 million.

Gilmore and Blair will leave office by Jan. 11, when their terms expire. Under the state constitution, a local nominating committee composed of three lawyers and four nonlawyers will forward a list of candidates for each position to the governor. The committee has 30 days from Dec. 2, when the secretary of state will formally certify the election results, to recommend candidates to the governor.

All local incumbents seeking new terms as state legislators won their races. They are Republican Sen. Kevin Lundberg, District 15; Republican Rep. B.J. Nikkel, District 49; Democrat Rep. John Kefalas, District 52; Democrat Rep. Randy Fischer, District 53.

Colorado's new governor will be Democrat John Hickenlooper.

Voters also approved two tax measures for Poudre School District. A mill levy override, with 56 percent in favor, will give the district up to $16 million a year for staffing increases through higher property taxes. A bond issue, also funded through property taxes, authorizes additional debt up to $217 million for principal and repayments costs for facility upgrades. Yes votes for the bonds tallied 51 percent.

Budget manager Dave Montoya said the school district will phase in the mill levy increases and certify 51 mills for 2011, up from 47.989 mills this year. The district will soon issue $60 million in bonds and likely issue another $60 million in two years, Montoya added.

Nearly 60 percent of Fort Collins voters said yes to an additional 0.85 percent sales and use tax on purchases within the city limits. That translates into a tax of 8.5 cents on a $10 purchase of everything other than groceries and prescriptions.

Colorado will be represented by Democrat Michael Bennet in the U.S. Senate. Bennet was appointed to the post two years ago, making this his first election victory. Republican Cory Gardner defeated Betsy Markey, the incumbent Democrat, to represent Congressional District 4.