Dear Editor,
I have known Sandy for four years and have worked closely with her during this time. I have witnessed her commitment to serving the public on a regular and frequent basis; serving the public comes naturally to her. Through decades of experience, primarily in the public sector, she leads in a quiet and straightforward way. She has always made herself available to the people in addition to her long-standing commitments to work with state legislators, neighboring county officials and volunteering to support several local organizations.
One of Sandy’s most admirable qualities is her willingness to make difficult decisions that may not be popular. I was talking with a friend recently who said, “They should stop building new things and fix the old broken stuff”.
I replied, “Yes, they’re planning to build a new and functional food pantry but, they got a grant to secure a major portion of the funding. And more to your point, they are committing around $7 million to repair and upgrade existing facilities and equipment.” Sandy was a leader in the effort to secure the grant and a staunch advocate of the capital improvement plan.
While others support taking the easy route to funding Community Center operations, she recognizes the flaws in Black Hawk’s so-called “generous offer”. Subordinating the County’s sovereignty and the will of the voters for a sum of money that is “attractive at a glance” but woefully inadequate for the intended purpose, is not truly in the interests of the public at large.
Other fiscally responsible and forward-looking leadership actions include prioritizing broadband, implementing a contingency reserve fund for natural disaster relief (currently $4 million), a water rights acquisition fund of $2 million, and advocating for economic and capital improvement plans.
Sandy’s years as a social worker have led her to support initiatives such as childcare, senior housing, access to local healthcare and providing meals to those who are less fortunate. She has the training and governing experience to get the jobs done.
Phil Gibbs
Vice Chair, Gilpin County Democratic Party
