Former Vice Mayor and restaurant owner Richard Skorman is the newest City Council Member for District 3, which encompasses the Colorado College campus. Skorman won with 57 percent of the vote over Chuck Fowler in Tuesday’s election. Skorman, who previously served on City Council from 1999 to 2006, was vice mayor from 2003-2005.
In addition to Skorman’s victory, all three ballot issues in the municipal election passed with a wide margin. Issue 1 passed with an overwhelming 81 percent of voter’s support. Its passage amends the city charter to require 60 percent of a citizen vote before Colorado Springs Utilities is allowed to sell any substantial part of the city’s utility infrastructure. Previously, only a simple majority was necessary.
Issue 2, arguably the most publicized ballot issue of the three, allows the City of Colorado Springs to keep sales tax revenue that, without passage of Issue 2, the city would be required to give back to voters under the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).
The kept revenue will total $12 million over the next two years and will be directed to storm water infrastructure improvement in Colorado Springs. Storm water issue groups have been searching for funding ever since 2009, when $15.5 million-a-year funding stream was cut. Mayor John Suthers was an ardent proponent of Issue 2.
“I give credit for passage of Issue 2 to the popularity of Mayor Suthers,” said CC Professor Emeritus Robert Loevy. Suthers’ support of Issue 2 stemmed in large part because of the relationship between storm water and Colorado Springs’ ability to develop the Southern Delivery System (SDS). SDS is an $825 million Colorado Springs Utilities project to pump water north from the Pueblo Reservoir. As part of the agreement with Pueblo County to facilitate the SDS, Colorado Springs agreed to pay $460 million over the next 20 years on storm water. The passage of Issue 2 provides some, though not all, of the funding necessary to satisfy that requirement.
While Issue 2 was not as decisive a victory as Issue 1, it still won easily with 66 percent of the vote.
Issue 3, which garnered support from 61 percent of voters, is in response to Colorado Senate Bill 152, which puts limits on the ability for local governments to provide and negotiate competitive contracts for high-speed internet, cable television and telecommunications services. The passage of Issue 3 allows the City to opt out of SB 152, which many other municipalities in Colorado have also done.
Skorman supported all three ballot measures. “I was very pleased, I was in favor of all three,” said Skorman. However, he noted that “the storm water is a band-aid.”
In addition to previously serving on City Council, Skorman served as Board Chair for the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments in 2000 and again in 2005. He is also the owner of multiple downtown businesses, including Poor Richard’s Restaurant, Poor Richard’s Books and Gifts, and Rico’s. Skorman is also a Colorado College graduate; his first year was the first year of the Block Plan.
Skorman was one of three non-incumbents to win seats. David Geislinger won in District 2 and Yolanda Avila won in District 4. In the other three districts, incumbents Don Knight, Jill Gaebler, and Andres Pico were all re-elected.
Between the passage of all three ballot issues combined with the elections of Skorman, Gaebler, and Avila, the night was largely seen as a shift towards more progressive policies. For Loevy, this did not come as a complete surprise. “Colorado Springs voters are very conservative when it comes to national issues but are progressive locally,” he said. Loevy gave the example of the municipal-owned utilities system, which he calls “socialized utilities.” He admitted that he is the only one who uses the word “socialized.”
The results of Tuesday night were also a rebuke to policy group Colorado Springs Forward (CSF), which had played a large financial and publicity role in many races. CSF endorsed Greg Basham in District 1, who lost to Don Knight, and Fowler, who lost to Skorman. In addition, the group unsuccessfully campaigned for Lynette Crow-Iverson over Jill Gaebler, as well as Deborah Hendrix, who lost to Yolanda Avila. The only successful recipient of a CSF endorsement was Andres Pico in District 6.
Loevy understood CSF’s shortcomings as the result of a city that has long elected candidates who ran as individuals. “There is a tradition in Colorado Springs of not being a part of a coalition,” said Loevy. “This was a reaffirmation of the way we have done things.”
Skorman, who did not receive an endorsement from CSF said, “There was a strong message sent by voters that they don’t want a Council beholden to an interest group.” He added that CSF may have turned off voters by using negative adds. “All three of us [Skorman, Avila, and Gaebler] never went negative,” Skorman said. “People don’t like negative ads.”
As to what comes next, Skorman mentioned his initial priorities include working on proactive prevention of wildfires, retiring the Drake Power Plant, and ensuring city parkland is not sold without the vote of the people. Regardless of the first issue that arises, Loevy said it will be a “lively Council with a wide array of views.”
**All voting results reflect 97 percent of precincts reporting.