[The views expressed here belong to John Hazlehurst and are not endorsed by the Pikes Peak Bulletin.–ed]
Especially in this time of national political instability, unpredictability and even outright lunacy, it’s important to elect local leaders that have none of these traits. We need experienced, stable and thoughtful County Commissioners and Colorado Springs City Council Members.
With a few notable exceptions, we’ve refrained from electing people who were unsuited for office. I served on Council from 1991-1997, and in retrospect I’m proud of my time in elected office. Foolishly, I resigned to run for mayor after Bob Isaac stepped down, and finished a weak third after fellow councilmembers Mary Lou Makepeace and Cheryl Gillaspie.
As is their wont, the voters made the right decision. Mary Lou was a splendid mayor, and I found a new career as a journalist. A third of a century later, Mary Lou is the Grande Dame of Colorado Springs politics and I’m still a hopeful scribbler.
Once again, it’s time for city elections. All six District seats are in play, and only two incumbents are running: Dave Donelson in District 1 and Nancy Henjum in District 5. Both have been competent and well-informed council members, and should easily be re-elected.
If you’ve dealt with spooked horses, fixed barbed wire fences, and done the nitty-gritty chores that country living demands, you won’t have any difficulty with blustering middle-aged men who think they know everything.
It’s therefore unlikely (but not impossible) that City Council would have a non-incumbent majority. District 3 includes Old Colorado City and most of the historic Westside, where we’ve lived for 25 years. It also includes Skyway, Broadmoor, much of Broadmoor Bluffs, and downtown south of Uintah and west of Union. Five candidates are on the ballot; Rick Gillit, Maryah Lauer, Christopher Metzgar, Greg Thornton and Brandy Williams.
Of the five, Gillit and Metzgar are unlikely to have much support (read the newspapers, or check their blurbs and you’ll probably agree), leaving Lauer, Thornton and Williams. Any of the three would be acceptable, but one would be superb: Brandy Williams.
Williams is a lifelong Colorado Springs resident with multigenerational roots. Her campaign photo features her with a horse – and in her case, it’s not pretense. Her parents were cattle ranchers and, she says, “taught her the value of hard work, responsibility and compassion.” She graduated from Rampart, and has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. I’ve known and respected Brandy for many years, and was delighted to vote for her when she was elected to Council in 2011. She did a good job then, and she’ll do a good job if elected again. She’s supported by the Gazette and by former Mayor John Suthers, current District 3 council member Michelle Talarico and former council members Scott Hente, Jan Martin and Bernie Herpin.
In person, she’s quiet and reflective, but can be loquacious among friends. She won’t bore you with her ideas and qualifications, but she’s no pushover. If you’ve dealt with spooked horses, fixed barbed wire fences, and done the nitty-gritty chores that country living demands, you won’t have any difficulty with blustering middle-aged men who think they know everything.
So rock on, Brandy! And if you win, I promise not to pester you with boring phone calls or foolish texts…
