GOLDEN — The political makeup of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners remained up in the air Tuesday night, according to initial results.
Seeking a second term is Republican Kevin McCasky of Golden in District 2, the county’s central portion. His challengers are Democrat Jason Bane and Green Party candidate Scott Zulauf, both of Lakewood.
Incomplete results showed McCasky with 41.78 percent, Bane with 40.77 percent and Zulauf at 6.22 percent.
Republican Faye Griffin had a slight edge over Democrat Sue Windels — 46 percent to 44 percent — in District 1, which is the county’s northern area.
Commissioner Jim Congrove chose not to seek a second term.
McCasky campaigned on his achievements, including changing the budget process to cut spending and finding inefficiencies, and creating a business-friendly environment.
Future issues for McCasky include making land-use decisions that encourage sustainable communities and working with business and community leaders to create jobs.
Bane, a former journalist who works in public relations, painted McCasky as part of a scandal-ridden bureaucracy. He said he wants to end “the culture of cronyism.”
Responsible growth, attraction of high-paying jobs in renewable energy, protection of open space and increased communication between the county, school district and business community are Bane’s top issues.
The election was a first for Zulauf, a teacher at Littleton Preparatory Charter School who used to tour with “Up With People.” He refused contributions and spent $300 on his campaign.
Zulauf supports open space, responsible development, redevelopment, mass transit, night public meetings and county LEED building standards.
Griffin is the county’s treasurer and served two terms at county clerk. Windels is term-limited in Senate District 19 after serving two terms. She also served one term as a state representative.
Windels noted the county’s reputation “has suffered greatly” from recent scandals. She supports open-space protection, the library system and use of long-range plans to guide land-use decisions.
Griffin also has pledged open-space protection and supports safeguarding mountain groundwater and building trust in elected officials.
Kathy Hartman, who is not up for re-election, has been the lone Democrat on the three-member county board.
Elsewhere in the county, Wheat Ridge had three issues on the ballot and the tiny town of Mountain View had two.
Wheat Ridge appeared to turn down a temporary 0.6 percent sales tax hike by a 58 percent to 37 percent margin that would repay up to $33.4 million in revenue bonds to reconstruct West 38th Avenue between Kipling and Youngfield streets.
Also headed for defeat was a 1.5-mill property-tax increase that would repay up to $19 million in general obligation bonds for drainage projects. The margin was roughly 58 percent to 34 percent.
A dead heat in initial vote tallies was a proposal to remove limits on building heights and densities from the city charter, allowing the City Council to make the determinations on zoning cases.
Mountain View residents were nearly tied on a proposal to levy a 3 percent use tax on retail construction materials, while they appeared to reject hiking property taxes 1.3 mills by a 54 percent to 43 percent margin.
Money collected on both issues would be used for basic town services.
Ann Schrader: 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com
