2 seats up for grabs this November on Board of El Paso County Commissioners

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Two Democrats are looking to unseat two Republican incumbents on the El Paso Board of County Commissioners this fall.

In the upcoming November election, Ryan Lucas, who has worked as a campaign manager, is challenging incumbent Holly Williams to represent the county's District 1, which includes portions of northern Colorado Springs, Monument and Black Forest, and the communities of Gleneagle and Woodmoor.

Librarian and self-described "local politico" John Jarrell, a senior associate in the Pikes Peak Library District's creative services department, is challenging incumbent Cami Bremer to represent El Paso County's District 5, which includes much of Colorado Springs. Libertarian Janet Turner, an occupational therapist, is also challenging Bremer for the seat.

District 1: Holly Williams (R) vs. Ryan Lucas (D)

Williams, Holly (incumbent)

Party: Republican

Phone number: 719-385-0722

Email: hollyforcolorado@gmail.com

Website: hollyforcolorado.com

Mailing address: 3472 Research Parkway, Suite 104 PMB 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Education: bachelor of arts degree in American government, 1986, University of Virginia; master of public administration, 2007, University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

What is the first program you plan to enact if elected?

El Paso County government is the most fiscally conservative among the top 10 largest Colorado counties, with each citizen only paying an average of $306 per year for our government. Our quality of life, excellent schools and low taxes will continue to attract individuals to move here. As our community grows, I will continue to increase funding for transportation infrastructure, support our law enforcement and public safety, increase funding to our county park system, and maintain an efficient government.

What do you feel are this office's top 3 needs?

Our most pressing infrastructure need is our road infrastructure, including improvements to major arterials and neighborhood roads. Additionally, road safety and driver speeding has increased the need for more law enforcement.

In the past four years, I have supported increasing the road maintenance budget by $13.1 million in ongoing revenue. This year, I supported dedicating $24 million in one-time revenue for roads. I will continue to support additional ongoing revenues for roads as well as adding additional one-time revenues each year.

As chair of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, I support a proposed renewal of the 1-cent sales tax, which will build the connection of Powers Boulevard from Colorado 83 to Voyager Parkway.

What do you feel should be the county's top 3 spending priorities?

El Paso County's most pressing need is continued investment in our road infrastructure.

I hope to increase funding to our county parks and trail system so we can preserve the natural beauty of our parks.

I will continue to support our law enforcement community, including our sheriff's deputies and our District Attorney's Office, so our community remains safe.

Lucas, Ryan

Party: Democrat

Phone number: unavailable

Email: ryan@ryanlucasforcolorado.com

Website: ryanlucasforcolorado.com

Mailing address: unavailable

Education: bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology, 2006, Lake Forest College.

What is the first program you plan to enact if elected?

My first priority would be to make next year's redistricting process 100% transparent.

What do you feel are this office's top 3 needs?

— Representation: The county is less than 35% Republican, yet the Board of County Commissioners has been five Republicans for 50 years.

— Dedication: The county needs to focus in on Colorado Springs being larger than Denver in 15 years. We have to bolster public services significantly. And "home rule" is not a responsible solution.

— Vision: We need a very different approach to our growth that focuses development on sustainability, including jobs and infrastructure. We've fallen behind in both. Our houses are too expensive and our workforce doesn't match our jobs. This is why I've partnered with other Democrats on the "Cradle of Space Technology" plan.

What do you feel should be the county's top 3 spending priorities?

Obviously, we have priorities that already exist. Those are still the priorities, but they need to be tuned to the future. Roads, yes; but with multimodal transit. County employee pay increases, yes; but with improved benefits. And economic development funding, yes; but significantly more.

District 5: Cami Bremer (R) vs. John Jarrell (D)

Bremer, Cami (incumbent)

Party: Republican

Phone number: 719-963-5543

Email: cami.bremer@gmail.com

Website: camibremer.com

Mailing address: P.O. Box 26594 Colorado Springs, CO 80936

Education: master in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, 2006, University of Colorado Colorado Springs; bachelor of arts in journalism, 2002, University of Georgia

What is the first program you plan to enact if elected?

We don't need new county programs to grow the government. We must continue to demand efficiency and reduction of red tape for the current programs. I will continue the work I did my first term on reducing the hassle and headache of interacting with the government at all levels, thus allowing business and individuals to thrive where they live, work and play. I will also work to foster positive working relationships with all of the rapidly growing municipalities and communities that make up El Paso County.

What do you feel are this office's top 3 needs?

— We need to have tough conversations about the smart and sustainable growth of El Paso County. We must develop and adhere to a long-term plan for roadway, water and land infrastructure.

— We must continue to support our law enforcement, ensuring they have what they need to keep our citizens safe.

— We should continue to cut administrative red tape, enabling the private sector to create opportunities for housing at different income levels. This must be paired with an emphasis on economic and workforce development (to) ensure the sustainable economic health of our county.

What do you feel should be the county's top 3 spending priorities?

Funding priorities must align with the needs listed above and be restricted to those services that only the government can provide. Infrastructure (roads and water), public safety (law enforcement) and efficient, modernized service delivery should be invested in. All the while, we must ensure the state and federal funds coming to the county are efficiently and transparently used.

Jarrell, John

Party: Democrat

Phone number: 1-919-440-2638

Email: johndjarrell@gmail.com; info@electjarrell.com

Website: electjarrell.com

Mailing address: unavailable

Education: bachelor of arts degree in economics and history, 2010, University of North Carolina-Asheville; master of arts degree in American history, 2016, East Carolina University.

What is the first program you plan to enact if elected?

My first priority will be to reduce the cost of housing across the county by enacting inclusionary zoning policies in areas of new development.

What do you feel are this office's top 3 needs?

This office's top three needs are as follows:

— Ending the one-way relationship with local developers that favors short-term profits over long-term community growth.

— Representing the 40% of the population whose political views have been repressed by decades of gerrymandering.

— Blocking a radical board from enacting inhumane policies that are not popular even within their own party, such as converting El Paso County into a "sanctuary county for the unborn" (i.e., restricting abortion access).

What do you feel should be the county's top 3 spending priorities?

The county is deficient in the following three spending priorities:

— Investing in a robust public transportation system that will not only better serve the existing community, but will also allow the county to more effectively develop in new areas.

— Repairing and expanding existing infrastructure without relying on regressive sales taxes, which put the burden of taxation on working families.

— Investigating and improving the conditions at the county jail that have led to an inexcusable number of deaths.

Turner, Janet

Party: Libertarian

Phone number: Unavailable.

Email: jlittlegirl.jt@gmail.com

Website: jlittlegirljt.wixsite.com/website

Mailing address: Unavailable.

Education: Unavailable.

Turner did not respond to our questionnaire.