Courier View Pikes Peak
Teller County, Colorado • Volume 51, Issue 49
December 5, 2012
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourtellercountynews.com
Davidson issues election report By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com The election Nov. 6 in Teller County was deemed a success with no pervasive equipment or personnel issues. In a status report to county commissioners, Al Davidson, manager of elections for Teller County, emphasized the high points of the general election. The longest documented wait time was approximately 10.5 minutes for a person
Warm night for a cool parade
who chose to wait in order to have access to a touch-screen voting machine rather than a paper ballot. This is in contrast to the reported waits of up to two and a half hours in 2008 and 2010. “I believe our judges were adequate in number and sufficiently trained to make the election a success at all of the voting locations,” Davidson writes. The report is glowing in its praise of the county employees. “Perhaps the single biggest contribution by a non-elections staff member was that
of Dee Bordage who accepted the responsibility to resurrect a totally-failed effort to recruit and manage election judges,” states the report. “She, along with Kathy Davidson, pulled this important effort from certain failure to success that manifested itself on Election Day.” Bordage is the administrator’s assistant. As well, Davidson praised employees Cathy Fabiano, Sheryl Decker, Sandi Stratton, Sheriff Mike Ensminger, Susan Halterman, the facilities-management department and other county staff who served as
election judges. In the report, Davidson cited voting statistics in Teller County: 2,675 residents, 22 percent, took advantage of early voting 2,451, or 20 percent, voted at the Vote Centers Nov. 6 7,108 registered voters, 58 percent, voted by mail ballot As well, there were no complaints from voters, the political parties or other governmental agencies to the county or the Secretary of State’s office, Davidson added.
Jamison excoriated By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com
The Colorado Springs Christian School Woodland Park Campus float featured a Nativity scene and marching gingerbread cookies.
PHOTOS BY NORMA ENGELBERG The 24th annual Lighter Side of Christmas Parade on Dec. 1 was a lot warmer than usual and the turnout reflected that more clement temperature as what might have been thousands of spectators lined U.S. 24 in downtown Woodland Park after dark. This year’s parade honored the Girl Scouts of America, celebrating their 100th anniversary. After the parade, spectators gathered in the Ute Pass Cultural Center for the annual Woodland Park Tree Lighting, featuring music from Woodland Wind Symphony and the Summit Singers and to pick the city’s craziest hat.
The Kettler family visits with Santa at the annual Kiwanis Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 1 at the Ute Pass Cultural Center. Hundreds of children waited in line for a chance to tell their Christmas wishes to Santa.
Slow to boil in public, Teller County commission chair Jim Ignatius erupted in anger at the commissioners’ meeting Nov. 21. He started with a simmer, reading from a report on the November election by Al Davidson, manager of elections in Teller County and representative of the Secretary of State. Davidson was hired after the secretary, Scott Gessler, mandated that J.J. Jamison Teller County Clerk and Recorder J.J. Jamison from her election responsibilities. “We have had no complaints from voters, the (political) parties or other government agencies,” states the report read by Ignatius. “I also want to mention the tremendous effort given to us by our three lead judges, Rich McKee in Cripple Creek, Rip Blaisdell in Woodland Park and Catherine DiMauro in Divide. I want to also recognize the other 63 judges and 21 student judges who attended training and performed so well on election day.” But Davidson issued a note of caution. “The fate of future elections is in good hands with Krystal Brown and Stephanie Fisher, as long as they are allowed to do what is necessary to conduct successful elections,” the report states. Still burned over the snafus that happened during the June primary, Ignatius boiled over. “This man is a class act; without him, I think we would have had an absolutely devastating outcome,” said Ignatius, speaking to Jamison. “I have mixed Excoriated continues on Page 2
Jamison’s staff draws praise; clerk doesn’t By Pat Hill phill@ourcoloradonews.com There is no relief for J.J. Jamison, Teller County’s embattled clerk and recorder. Sanctioned by the Secretary of State in August for inefficiencies prior to the primary election in June, Jamison was forced to relinquish her responsibilities to a representative from the secretary’s office, Al
Davidson. Last month Davidson issued a report praising Jamison’s staff for contributing to the success of the general election. However, the report was glaring in its lack of praise for Jamison. “My focus was on leaving the staff in a position to conduct successful future elections; however, I spent little time with the Clerk and Recorder, so whatever issues were
there before, probably remain,” Davidson writes. Reacting to Davidson’s assessment of the election, county commission chair Jim Ignatius was blunt. “While I am extremely proud of the accuracy and outcome of this election especially the staff we hired in Al (Davidson) and Deb (Silva) as well as the extremely dedicated staff with Krystal Brown, Stephanie Fisher and all the support staff from various departments, I am very dis-
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appointed in our clerk’s continued lack of abilities as is mentioned and witnessed once again, throughout the process,” Ignatius writes in an email. Jamison’s inefficiencies came to light when her office failed to include a signature line and affidavit on the mail-in ballot envelopes for the primary in June. Subsequently, the county incurred additional expenses to pay the salaries of Davidson and Silva. “This has cost the taxpayers of Teller County about $225,000 for this year’s election which is approximately $143,000 more than it should have and the bills are still coming in,” Ignatius writes. In bullet points, Davidson offered assurance for future elections in Teller County: • I believe the staff is fully capable of carrying out the elections that will occur in 2013 and 2014.
• I will be preparing an after-action report that will detail some changes I think should happen. This may be several weeks in the making but I will submit it to the board of commissioners when it is complete. • I am leaving all of the documents and records that we created for the staff to use. • I have recommended that they schedule regular staff exercises that are a form of mock elections, so that forms, procedures, etc., can be tested and improved. • I have found the staff eager to learn and participate. I believe Stephanie Fisher and Krystal Brown now have an excellent concept of what goes into a successful election. • This election was not a good model for that, as we started months later than we should have to prepare; however, I have discussed Praise continues on Page 7