BRIGHTON — Adams County Commissioner Alice Nichol, who is the target of a criminal investigation for her role in the Quality Paving scandal, said today she is running for re-election.
Nichol, only the second woman in history to hold the commissioner’s job in Adams County, said she wants to continue efforts to improve transparency in the county.
“Adams County has been through a lot of changes and it’s a new year with a new plan to move forward,” said Nichol, a Democrat, in a statement released this morning. “I’ve always been transparent in my dealings with the county. I’m inspired to continue my path of serving the resident of Adams County supported by reform efforts to improve the county’s financial transparency and integrity.”
Nichol served Adams County as a state representative from 1992 to 1997 and as District 24 state senator from 1998 to 2003. Nichol also serves on the Front Range Airport Authority as chairwoman and the executive board for Adams County Development.
Her dealings with Quality Paving is still being examined by special prosecutor Scott Storey , the Jefferson County District Attorney, said Jeffco DA spokeswoman Pam Russell.
“It’s still open and we continue to look at this but at this point no charges have been filed,” Russell said.
Officials at both Quality Paving and Resurfacing and with Adams County have been implicated in a scheme that cost Adams County taxpayers $8.6 million in fraudulent company billings.
Nichol has maintained she paid a fair price for the work Quality Paving did at her home.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
