Four announce candidacy for county commissioner jobs

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

The 2008 election will see competition in two of the three districts that make up the Larimer County Board of Commissioners.

Districts 2 and 3 already have candidates seeking those offices. Incumbent Glenn Gibson, 68, of Loveland has announced he will seek a third term. County Surveyor Tom Donnelly, 37, of Loveland, who was elected to that post in 2006, is also seeking the Republican nomination for the District 3 job.

Gibson has been in office for seven years and is eligible to serve a third term. No Democrats have announced at this time.

In District 2, Democrat Randy Eubanks, 43, of Windsor is running for election. He was appointed to the post last July to replace Karen Wagner, who resigned partly because of conflicts with Gibson.

State Sen. Steve Johnson, 47, of Fort Collins is seeking the Republican nomination for the District 2 commissioner seat. Johnson is term-limited as a state senator, and his current term expires in 2010. He served in the Colorado House of Representatives for six years before being elected to the District 15 Senate seat in 2002.

Commissioner candidates must live in their geographic districts, but all county voters cast ballots in their races. The District 1 commissioner is Republican Kathay Rennels, who was elected to her third term in 2006.

Donnelly's first challenge is to get Republicans to put his name on the primary election ballot.

"I realize that in challenging an incumbent the burden is on me to explain to Larimer County voters why a change is needed in county government," Donnelly said. "And I am prepared to do just that. Let me make it clear, however, that my campaign will not be a personal attack on Glenn Gibson."

The candidate said he would offer a different approach than Gibson. "I think it's time for some fresh thinking on the county commission," he said. "Any institution can benefit from new people and new ideas."

Donnelly said that it's time to end some of the petty bickering in county government. "With serious issues needing to be tackled, I believe that citizens are frustrated when unnecessary, personal squabbles dominate county government," he said.

Donnelly also said he would offer a "strong fiscally conservative voice on the commission" and that he wants to implement policies that will provide incentives for county department heads to locate inefficiencies in their budgets.

"I believe in zero-based budgeting," he said. "No department should automatically start with last year's budget." He said his budget priorities would be roads and public safety. The job of county surveyor is part time, so Donnelly also has a private practice. He is a member of the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado. He is a former member of the Loveland Planning Commission, the Loveland Title 18 Zoning Review Committee and the Loveland Annexation and Master Plan Committee.

Gibson said he decided to run for a third term so that he can work on the financial challenges Larimer County is facing. Unless it can find new sources of revenue, the county will have to reduce its annual budget by $15 million over the next six years, when a 0.2 percent sales tax to expand and operate the detention center expires.

"I won't have to worry about re-election when making decisions," said Gibson, who could serve one more term.

Gibson said his goal is to meet the upcoming shortfall by adjusting county expenses. "We're going to have to think outside the box," he said.

The three commissioners are already working on solutions that will be implemented with the 2009 budget. One option is to ask voters to continue the existing jail sales tax. Gibson also suggested the county could encourage employees over 60 to retire early if they had the option of keeping the county's health insurance plan until age 65.

Gibson said he would favor an additional tax for up to five years for a rural transportation authority project that would expand County Road 17 or 19 into a four-lane road from LaPorte to Berthoud.

The incumbent is also considering a ballot measure for a sales tax to build and operate a recovery center for alcohol and drug abusers and for those with mental illness. "Our jails should not be a mental health facility," he said.

After six months as a county commissioner, Eubanks said he enjoys the job and wants to continue serving.

As a commissioner, he also serves as liaison to the Environmental Advisory Board, Office on Aging Advisory Board, Parks and Open Lands Boards, and the Workforce Investment Board. Eubanks said he wants to continue developing policies that protect the environment, bring a business perspective to address the county's budget challenges, and provide a voice to the under-represented - military veterans and middle- to low-income wage earners.

"I am proud of my accomplishments of the last six months," Eubanks said. He listed advocating for a public forum for discussion of uranium mining in the region, the initial drafting of 1041 powers to provide citizens a greater voice in government, seeking greater protection for county open spaces, promoting performance-based outcomes in budgeting and pursuing federal funding for military veteran support.

Before his appointment to the commission, Eubanks worked as an electrical engineer at Hewlett-Packard. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and also has a background in the utility industry.

Johnson, a former veterinarian, has lived in Larimer County for 30 years. Johnson said he decided to run for county commissioner rather than end his public service career because of term limits. "The office of county commissioner gives me the opportunity to continue to use my experience and knowledge to work for the citizens of Larimer County," he said.

Johnson said he will stress the economy, education and the environment in his campaign. "Providing good jobs, supporting our local businesses, and addressing the problem of poverty in our county requires a big-picture approach," Johnson said.

The legislator is known for his bipartisan efforts. He worked with Democrat Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff in writing Referendum C, which addressed the state's budget crisis after the recession of 2001. He is currently working with Fort Collins Democratic Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas to update the state's mining laws in the face of proposed uranium mining in northern Colorado.

As Larimer County faces budget challenges, Johnson said his service on the state's Joint Budget Committee as one of six legislators writing the state's $17 billion budget will serve him well as he deals with Larimer County's budget.

Before being elected to the legislature, he served on the Larimer County Planning Commission for nine years. He also chaired and served on the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area Review Board, which plans for orderly growth in the area around Fort Collins, the first such board in the state. During his tenure in the Colorado House he served on the House Local Government Committee.