1-Color
June 26, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 27, Issue 32 A publication of
highlandsranchherald.net
Spurlock, Weaver, Romann get GOP nods County primary election saw contested races for sheriff, commissioner and coroner Staff report Three elected offices featured contested races at the Republican primary level in Douglas County. The lone Democrat seeking a county office — surveyor candidate William Buntrock — did not have primary opposition June 24. With all votes counted, the following are results reported by the county in the contested GOP races:
Douglas County sheriff
Undersheriff Tony Spurlock will be the Republican nominee for Douglas County
sheriff after defeating write-in candidate John Anderson with an overwhelming majority of the vote. Spurlock, who garnered 85 percent of the vote, is a Colorado native and 17-year resident of Douglas County. He began his career at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in 1980. Spurlock has served as undersheriff for the last eight years, leading a staff of more than 460 and overseeing all areas of operations and Spurlock administration on behalf of current Sheriff David Weaver, who is seeking to become a county commissioner. Prior to his appointment as undersheriff, Spurlock commanded all major areas of the sheriff’s office, including the investiga-
tion, detention and patrol divisions. Spurlock has also served as Douglas County’s SWAT commander and as leader of the 18th Judicial District’s Critical Response Team. Anderson, a commander with the Castle Rock Police Department, has been a police officer for more than 36 years. Anderson also ran for the sheriff’s office in 2006 against Weaver, whose second term expires later this year. Spurlock will face Libertarian Brock McCoy in the November general election. No Democrat is seeking the office.
Douglas County commissioner
Sheriff David Weaver handily won the Republican nomination for Douglas County Commissioner, District 1. Weaver defeated entrepreneur Stevan Strain 68 percent to 32 percent. Weaver is vying to replace
Jack Hilbert, who was term-limited, in the November general election. Weaver has served as Douglas County sheriff since 2005 and says he comes with “in-depth knowledge” of issues within the county. During his campaign, he promised to be an “experienced, effective, honest and professional leader.” Both Weaver and Strain live in Parker. Weaver Strain has served on various local boards, including the Douglas County Libraries Board of Trustees, the Douglas County Planning Commission and the Douglas County Open Space Advisory Committee. Election continues on Page 12
County’s jobless rate hits 6-year low Douglas employment gains rank third nationally in 2013 By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@coloradocommunitymedia. com
Michael Rice takes the mic for a George Strait number as The Country Music Project performs during the HRCA Summer Concert Series at Highland Heritage Regional Park.
BORN COUNTRY The Country Music Project had folks, young and old, singing and dancing June 19 at Highland Heritage Regional Park as part of the Highlands Ranch Community Association’s Summer Concert Series. The concert series is free for all and held on Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. throughout the summer, providing a chance for people to get out and enjoy some music, food and beverages with the Front Range as a majestic evening backdrop. The remaining concerts are as follows. • June 26: Mint Edition (Rock n’ roll) • July 3: Hey Lady! (B-52’s tribute) • July 10: Eclipse (Journey tribute) • July 17: Michael Friedman (Funk/Jazz) • July 24: Under A Blood Red Sky (U2 tribute)
PHOTOS BY RYAN BOLDREY
Douglas County’s employment numbers continue to draw closer to pre-recession levels at a quicker pace than others, something that can be directly attributed to a fresh mindset, says county Commissioner Jill Repella. When the Great Recession hit “we really intentionally put forth efforts to make sure that we were listening to the business community, understanding their concerns, streamlining our regulatory process, shortening our permit process and really supporting their efforts in getting their businesses Repella open,” she said. The result has been company after company moving into Douglas County, which has helped to bring the unemployment rate down to 4.4 percent, the lowest it has been since it was 4.3 in October 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the Great Recession, it got as high as 7.6, up from a pre-recession low of 2.7 in April 2007. But along with changing how the county conducted business, and partnering more effectively with local municipalities, Douglas County wasn’t affected as much as other areas and things just continue to get better, Repella said. A report from the bureau released June 19, showed that the county’s employment gains were up 5.2 percent from the end of 2012 to the end of 2013. The data placed the county in a tie with California’s Sonoma County for the third greatest gains Jobless continues on Page 12
Christie Marie Gerwinat, of Highlands Ranch, belts out a Carrie Underwood cover as her band, The Country Music Project, performs June 19 during the HRCA Summer Concert Series at Highland Heritage Regional Park.
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