Mar. 23—Longinos Gonzalez, a candidate for Colorado Springs mayor, has filed an ethics complaint against opponent Wayne Williams related to the City Council's recent approval of a controversial water rule.

But it was unclear Thursday if the city would investigate the complaint. Gonzalez, an El Paso County commissioner, first presented his concerns Wednesday in front of the Colorado Springs Utilities board rather than confidentially filing his objection with the city as required by city code.

Gonzalez raised concerns Wednesday that Williams had been aware, before the water rule was first proposed to the Springs Utilities board Oct. 19, that Norwood Development Group, the most powerful developer in town, had floated the idea of asking voters to adopt a more restrictive water rule. Williams is a Colorado Springs councilman and chairs the Springs Utilities Board of Directors.

In January when the City Council — which is also the Springs Utilities board — voted to approve the rule requiring Colorado Springs Utilities to have 128% of the water needed to serve existing city demand and the projected demand from new properties, Williams voted in favor of it.

"I believe as chair, Mr. Williams needs to hold himself at a higher level of ethics at these board meetings and he failed to do so," Gonzalez said. "Why was that comment not made public? That is lack of transparency."

Gonzalez told The Gazette in an interview this week he believed Williams purposefully withheld information from residents in October about Norwood's plans to attempt a voter-approved charter change, allegedly violating city ethics by creating the appearance of impropriety.

Norwood has also donated heavily to Williams' mayoral campaign, he said. An independent analysis by The Gazette of campaign finance records through March 15 showed Norwood and people associated with the company have given Williams $11,000.

Gonzalez filed the complaint with the city Thursday morning, he said. He requested the city's Independent Ethics Commission investigate whether Williams was aware of Norwood's plan to go to voters and, if so, why Williams did not disclose that information publicly on Oct. 19.

City code states the commission can dismiss complaints if "the complaining party failed to file the complaint confidentially as required by the Commission's Rules of Procedure."

The city did not confirm Thursday whether officials received or would look into the formal complaint. Spokesman Max D'Onofrio said all ethics commission complaints are confidential.

Colorado Springs Utilities spokeswoman Jamie Fabos said Wednesday Springs Utilities doesn't plan to investigate the matter.

On Thursday, Williams denied claims of impropriety and said no ethics violations occurred.

"The ordinance that was proposed by Norwood was not the ordinance that we were discussing," Williams said. "The ordinance we were discussing is the ordinance that Colorado Springs Utilities' professional staff recommended."

The Utilities-recommended rule the City Council ultimately passed 6-3 in late January had immediate impact. For example, it will likely block the pending annexation of a 3,200-acre development east of Fountain called Amara, proposed by La Plata Communities, the company that developed most of Briargate.

"The fact that the county land speculators who are backing Longinos' campaign opposed that (ordinance) does not make it a legitimate purpose for city resources to be used on, and it's sad that he is trying to use city procedures to prop up his failed campaign," Williams said.

The Gazette's analysis of campaign finance donations through March 15 show La Plata and people associated with it have donated $2,500 to Gonzalez's campaign and about $7,500 total to Williams. But their donations to both candidates came in 2022, before the water rule passed.

Ron Johnson, CEO of Central Bancorp with ties to Kane Ranch in Fountain, and The O'Neil Group, with ties to the Norris Ranch project at Curtis and Bradley roads seeking annexation into the city, also donated to Gonzalez's campaign, campaign finance records show. Both were opposed to the water rule. Johnson has donated $2,500 and The O'Neil Group has given Gonzalez $10,000.

Gonzalez said Thursday he is hopeful the city will consider his request.

"My hope is that regardless of the way it was submitted or relayed that it still be investigated. They should investigate every valid ethics complaint," he said.