Lochbuie – The April 4 election wiped out much of the government in this plains town with the swiftness and force of a tornado.
Gone immediately were the mayor and two town board members. The next day, the town administrator, police chief and treasurer quit. The town clerk wasn’t reappointed, and two police sergeants have left.
Suddenly, a new town board ready to govern didn’t have much government to work with. Their motto: Help wanted.
The political upheaval couldn’t have come at a worse time, say some residents, as the town needs stability while managing development that has made it one of the 20 fastest-growing cities in Colorado.
Not to worry, say the survivors of a brutal campaign that produced allegations of fiscal mismanagement and accusations that one official e-mailed pornographic material.
Such bickering is just a part of politics, they say.
“For whatever reason, people decided to elect a new board and said, ‘Let’s get on with the business of this town,”‘ said Bill Webb, one of the new town trustees.
Now, the Weld County town of 4,000 must scramble to fill the vacancies. At a meeting Wednesday night, trustees were doling out vital functions of government – from basic check-writing to landscaping – to members of the city staff who remained.
The ones who are now in political exile say a deep bitterness lingers from a campaign that led to the turnover of so many public positions.
“If the people running for politics could be put in jail for lying to the public, some on this board would have multiple life sentences,” said former Police Chief Steven Davis.
The upheaval has left many in the town just shaking their heads, while some residents such as Ruby Sharp are amused by the notion of watching a pair of husband-and-wife teams make decisions on the board.
“I would almost like going to the meetings to witness the fights,” Sharp said.
Resentment among current and former trustees has been brewing for months, say recall supporters. Their complaints included:
Committing $1.2 million for a new maintenance building for the public works department.
The $90,000 annual salary for Town Administrator Jack Russalesi and $55,000 paid to the police chief.
The rezoning of certain parts of the town that raised fears of the condemnation of homes and other property.
A proposal to change addresses in the town, which critics said would be time- consuming and expensive.
“There was a lot of excess spending going on that was over and above our income,” said Leonard Bales, a leader of the recall.
Critics also assailed what they described as haughtiness from some trustees. Residents chafed under rules that allowed them only 3 minutes to speak to the board.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the proceedings were more informal, as residents called out questions to the board without being called on, and sometimes while someone else was speaking.
One recalled trustee – Kenneth “Kenny” Anderson – was also chastised for sending what some called pornographic e-mails to female members of the board and the town staff.
Anderson said he sometimes sent risque jokes and cartoons out on his personal e-mail, but they were hardly pornography.
“It wasn’t derogatory, bad or demeaning,” Anderson said.
Anderson said he and the other departed leaders helped modernize Lochbuie with audited financial records and led the effort that generated a new building department, community development department and parks and recreation master plan.
The town, they added, is also on solid financial legs. Lochbuie collected more funds in the last two weeks of 2005 than total revenues in any year before 2002.
Lochbuie’s annual operating budget is now $3.5 million.
“The town is not going bankrupt or going under,” Anderson said. “It’s in the best financial shape it’s ever been in.
“But after April 5, all the good we did is all gone.”
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
