WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2025
VOLUME 38 | ISSUE 28
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Voters eye home rule as election approaches Public debate has intensified as June 24 balloting nears BY JULIA KING SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The owner of Sold Out Vinyl Records, Joe Magoonaugh, stands behind the register of his shop, which opened in its new location on South Broadway PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY in March.
Highlands Ranch resident turns poster hustle into thriving record store business BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In the heart of Englewood just off South Broadway, Sold Out Vinyl Records is buzzing with energy in its new location. Rows of neatly organized records, cassette tapes, CDs and vibrant poster racks fill the store — a place that feels both retro and fresh. For owner Joe Magoonaugh, what began as a side hustle selling posters online has blossomed into a brick-andmortar record store. “We’re kind of a traditional or classic record store,” Magoonaugh said. “That’s basically what we are. When you
walk in the doors, that’s the goal — like the old record stores you used to walk into with all the fun stuff. The posters, the CDs, cassette tapes, records and everything you need to play them.” Magoonaugh, who lives in Highlands Ranch but is originally from Chicago, didn’t set out to own a record store. He spent over 15 years working in the restaurant industry. But when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses in 2020, he and his wife relocated to Colorado and he turned his poster-collecting hobby into a full-time online business. “I had a really good online business and online busi-
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nesses were booming in 2020, so I decided to put everything behind that poster store and kind of went all in on that,” Magoonaugh said. Sold Out Vinyl Records began as Sold Out Posters — a homegrown site inspired by a personal experience with a sold-out concert poster at a 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival. “There was this awesome poster up there for sale, and I was like, ‘oh, I’ll get it on my way out,’” Magoonaugh said. “And then, of course, on my way out, I went to get one and it was gone. It was sold out.” Years later, his brother surprised him with that same
poster as a birthday gift — a moment that launched Magoonaugh into collecting and eventually selling music posters. As for the record store? It happened almost by accident. “We were doing primarily online sales and we had a small little area up front of the old store that we just weren’t utilizing,” he said. “So I kind of put some of my records out there. And when people would come in to pick up their online orders, they’d browse the records and be like, ‘hey, can I buy this?’ And I was like, ‘oh, sure.’” SEE RECORD STORE, P8
Douglas County voters have begun to receive ballots for a June 24 special election that could change how the county is governed. Introduced by county commissioners in March, the home rule vote has grown into a countywide conversation marked by division and debate. The ballot asks whether the county should write its own home rule charter — and if so, who should help write it. Nearly 9,000 residents attended or livestreamed a county-hosted town hall on May 28 designed to explain the home rule process. Commissioner Abe Laydon opened the meeting by framing the measure as a chance to reclaim local autonomy. “It’s not that deep. This is all about local control,” he said. “Are we OK with how the state handled the COVID pandemic? And are we OK with how the state has enabled illegal immigration?” County Attorney Jeff Garcia followed with a 30-minute presentation on the legal and procedural mechanics of home rule. But as the meeting moved into public comment, tensions rose. Only six questions were taken, leaving more residents in line, and the session ended with commissioners calling for order as attendees demanded additional time to speak. One resident who did get to ask a question during the public comment period challenged both the need for structural change and the tone of the presentation. “It was very clear to me … that you’re trying to sell this to us, and that’s not your job as a county attorney,” the attendee said. In response, Garcia acknowledged that the process could bring legal risk — but said that the potential benefits to residents outweigh the uncertainty. “There’s a chance the charter oversteps and we have to defend ourselves,” Garcia said. “But if it’s for the betterment of the residents, I know our … commissioners are OK with my office taking that on.” Garcia also acknowledged the financial reality of the June 24 election, which is expected to cost up to $500,000. SEE ELECTION, P2
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