Curious about who’s running for Gilpin County Commissioner and what their visions for the county’s future entail?
On September 20, 2024, The Mountain-Ear hosted a candidate forum at the Historic Courthouse at 203 Eureka Street, providing Gilpin County residents an opportunity to hear from commissioner candidates for District 1 and District 3 – the seats up for election this November.
Moderated by Managing Editor Barbara Hardt, the event featured questions submitted by the public, covering topics such as economic development, budgeting, and public service. Candidates had five minutes for introductions, and then responses to questions were kept to three minutes.
District 3 Race: Corey Marshall vs. Sandy Hollingsworth
Corey Marshall, a long-time Gilpin County resident and owner of a horse-boarding ranch, said, “It’s about controlling costs and keeping our taxes low,” and later mentioned that unincorporated Gilpin does not have a sales tax. He advocated for using a business-minded approach to County governance.
Incumbent Sandy Hollingsworth pointed to her first-term accomplishments, including eliminating the County’s debt and maintaining $30 million in reserves. She stressed the importance of fiscal responsibility, particularly in managing the County’s budget, and her role in establishing a $4 million fund for wildfire mitigation.
Among other accomplishments, Hollingsworth emphasized her participation on the task force to open Clinica Health Clinic.
District 1 Race: Marie Mornis vs. Jeremy Fey and Jeff Aiken
The District 1 race sees incumbent Marie Mornis facing challengers Central City Mayor Jeremy Fey and Central City Councilman Jeff Aiken.
Mornis is originally from Michigan, where she acquired her engineering degree. She later worked for Shell and Excel, but is now retired.
Jeremy Fey’s platform focused on restoring trust in government through a radical transparency program. He believes that increased openness and accountability will bridge the gap between residents and local government. He also encouraged residents to volunteer for various agencies in the county and become leaders in foster care.
Jeff Aiken said he would commit himself full-time if elected to the position of commissioner. He volunteers at the jail, providing counseling for drug addicts. He said he loves serving the community.
Black Hawk IGA proposal
One of the most discussed topics was the proposed IGA with Black Hawk, which involves a $1 million contribution to fund the Community Center, and whether the candidates would endorse the proposal.
Aiken expressed opposition to the agreement, arguing that it favors Black Hawk and limits the County’s financial flexibility. He said that the City of Black Hawk is the major factor in the costs associated with the county jail, which now takes up almost a third of the county budget.
Fey stated that, while not perfect, the agreement offers real money for services and could be beneficial until further negotiations take place or until they are no longer eligible. He suggested volunteering to lower the costs of operation.
Hollingsworth, meanwhile, noted that the proposal had some concerning elements, such as limiting taxes in special districts, which she said is beyond their power to mandate. She said $1 million would not cover the full operation of the Community Center 7 days a week, but might help them get to 5 or 6 days a week, an improvement from the current 4 days a week.
The proposal prohibits a transportation district tax, which Hollingsworth said goes against their work on the Mountain Rail. She also said she wished the Black Hawk council could have met with the commissioners to discuss the proposal.
Mornis and Marshall both said they would sign the agreement, which was evident by their verbal statements of support at a recent Black Hawk City Council meeting. Mornis stressed that the agreement can be terminated at any time and is a good-will offer, not a deceptive tactic.
Marshall said that it does not prevent the County from raising taxes for things other than the Community Center. He said the only reasons for not accepting the IGA would be because of an intention to raise taxes or from a perceived negative relationship with the City of Black Hawk.
Other topics
A question about the budget and the County’s reliance on gaming prompted Marshall to discuss his plans for economic diversification, including exploring industries like mining reclamation and skiing.
Marshall pushed for long-term financial planning and said the County does not have enough long-term projections. He said deferred expenses will cost the County more in the long run, due to inflation. He said assets should be managed better.
Fey cited Central City’s potential and the new residential/commercial developments. “We need to become another hub of hospitality in Colorado,” he stated.
Mornis said Gilpin should aim to be more than a one-industry town. She echoed Marshall’s sentiments about mining reclamation.
Aiken said that if budget cuts were necessary, he would take a ten percent reduction in his salary. He said he would be open-minded toward working with the County Manager and Board, if elected.
Hollingsworth said that the County does in fact have long-term budget plans. She noted that the County’s reserves are being used to fund deferred maintenance and essential services, including public safety. She said that their Finance Director instructed them not to keep too much in reserve, and to be mindful of TABOR laws.
She said one effort to bring industry to Gilpin County is to ensure that the infrastructure, like internet, health care, housing, water, etc. are sufficient and in place.
“Government is really about serving the community,” she said.
Questions from one candidate to another
Jeff Aiken wished to ask the candidates, “Are you willing to make this job 100% your only job for the next 4 years?”
Fey said, “It's about how good you are at your job. That's where I'm very confident that I'm the right man for this job or I wouldn't be running. I would never run for a position of community service where I didn't truly believe that I was the best man for that position. So that's why I'm running. As far as the incompatibility of offices, and maybe you can give me more than three minutes, the two offices of mayor and county commissioner are absolutely compatible. If your mindset on either of those positions is, ‘I'm going to do what's best for this community,’ and that's adverse to what's best for that other scale of community, you're really going to roll very differently than I am.
“I'm looking at what's the best thing for our community, of 800 in Central City, 6,000 in Gilpin County.
“It's complementary. I would never put this community that I want to spend the rest of my life in, in bad stead for some personal ego trip. I'm running for County Commissioner because I think, I believe, and I know I will be the best County Commissioner.”
Questions from the Audience
As the forum concluded, audience members had the chance to ask their own questions. Former Commissioner and Senator Jeanne Nicholson asked whether the candidates would support a County resolution to create a Colorado-owned business enterprise that would fund a comprehensive, affordable health plan.
Fey, Mornis, and Aiken all expressed interest in learning more about the proposal, though they emphasized the need for more information before committing.
The forum also touched on the funding of the Recreation Center and the food pantry. Hollingsworth defended her position on the 1A tax initiative proposed last year, which would have increased taxes to fund the Recreation Center.
Although the tax was not passed, she explained that it was important to let the voters decide.
Another audience member questioned Hollingsworth on the allocation of $1.8 million for the food pantry while the Recreation Center faced budgetary challenges. Hollingsworth clarified that she never advocated for closing the pool and that her support for the food pantry was based on community need. She also explained that the 1A tax proposal was introduced at the request of County staff and ultimately left to the voters to decide – and ultimately the voters said no.
Closing Thoughts
The forum gave Gilpin County voters a detailed look at the priorities of their candidates. As Election Day approaches, residents will need to weigh the experience of incumbents like Hollingsworth and Mornis against the fresh ideas proposed by challengers such as Marshall, Fey, and Aiken. Economic diversification, public safety, transparency, and budget management are all likely to play pivotal roles in shaping the county’s future trajectory.
To hear the entire recording of the forum, click the link here to The Mountain-Ear YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4d91PVubWc
