Three seemingly unassuming positions within Adams County government have become a hotbed for political activity this year. The race for County Clerk and Recorder, Treasurer and Assessor afford voters an opportunity to continue in the right direction with one office and correct significant issues with two others.
County Clerk and Recorder
This race has been surprisingly contentious but not without good reason. The Clerk and Recorder’s office is one that has historically struggled to be efficient at its core duties – witness the 200+ duplicate ballots and 100 incorrect ballots mailed out to voters or the ridiculous inability to return timely election returns. Clearly some changes are in need here. Voters need to decide who is best to do that – Stan Martin or Cynthia Martinez.
Stan Martin is a Brighton native and small businessman. He is someone who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and has proven to be an exemplary manager. Managing people, balancing budgets, and running projects are second nature to him.
Then we come to the very problematic Cynthia Martinez. Martinez has come under a cloud of questions about her residency. She claims her primary residence is with her mother in Brighton while she owns a home that her husband and children live in in Boulder County. Does that pass the smell test? I don’t think so. The last thing Adams County needs is to install yet another elected official with questionable ethics. Martinez needs to be sent packing to wherever her home is for the day.
Vote for Stan Martin.
County Treasurer
This is another race with candidates that have stark contrasts and makes for an easy decision on the ballot.
Brigitte Grimm is the incumbent having been voted into office four years ago with a mandate from the voters to clean up the treasurer’s office. Since then she has been entirely successful. She holds an MBA in Accounting and Finance and before becoming treasurer had extensive experience in private industry finance. With that experience, internal reforms have improved efficiency and residents now have far greater insight into the county’s spending. Unlike most other county offices, credibility to of the treasurer has been restored.
The other candidate in the race, Steve Douglas, is a partisan with zero – zip – nadda – experience to support his candidacy to run an office in charge of managing the county’s money. He is a union activist that has said his major goal is to “win the seat back for our party.” What about the rest of the people of Adams County? Where do they figure into that equation? Campaign finance filings indicate trouble ahead as Douglas spent $425.02 of his campaign’s money for tires on his truck “to install signs.” Someone who has so little regard for other people’s money is clearly not the one to be in charge of the county’s finances and our money.
Vote wholeheartedly for Brigitte Grimm.
County Assessor
The fact that we have two new candidates vying for this office is cause for celebration. Gil Reyes, the current occupant of the seat, is on his way out the door and after 12 years of his criminal and unethical behavior, we get to start fresh.
Patsy Melonakis is a longtime resident campaigning hard on the premise that a new face is needed to clean up the assessor’s office. That is undoubtedly true. With a background in property management and real estate, Melonakis’ background isn’t entirely foreign to the job of assessor.
Current deputy assessor, John Schaul would appear to have a resume well-suited to the job. His ties to Reyes and the current regime in the assessor office however are problematic. As scandal after scandal erupted, where was Schaul? He didn’t sound an alarm over the illegal and unethical actions of Reyes and appears to have sat silently while it was going on.
Vote for Patsy Melonakis.
