Dacono residents recall councilmembers Jackie Thomas, Jim Turini

Jun. 28—Dacono City Councilmembers Jackie Thomas and Jim Turini have been recalled, according to the unofficial election results that were posted to the city's website Tuesday night.

Residents had until 7 p.m. Tuesday to turn in their ballots.

Results showed 546 Dacono residents voted "yes" to recall Thomas, and 354 voted "no." Similarly, 546 residents voted to recall Turini, and 353 voted not to.

As a result, the two successor candidates — Tony Cummings and Michelle Rogers — will replace Thomas and Turini on the Dacono City Council.

Cummings received 535 votes, and Rogers tallied 562 votes.

In an interview Tuesday night, Cummings said that he was working in his front yard when he learned of the results.

"I had faith in the process," Cummings said. "It worked out how it should've, in my opinion."

Rogers also said Tuesday night that Dacono's residents and families made the challenging recall process all worth it.

"I actually don't think we are as divided as we think we are," Rogers said. "But, there's a lot of mending to do and a lot of bringing us together to ... make it better."

The recall's organizers alleged that Thomas and Turini violated Colorado's Open Meetings Law when they, along with Councilman Danny Long and Mayor Pro-Tem Kathryn Wittman, voted to terminate former Dacono City Manager A.J. Euckert during the Feb. 13 City Council meeting without providing any advanced public notice.

Euckert worked for the city for more than 20 years.

A recall petition was not pulled for Long because he had just been reelected in November 2022. In accordance with state statute, an elected official may not be recalled until they have served at least six months in office.

Wittman's term already expires in November, which is why organizers did not pull a recall petition against her.

Since voting to fire Euckert, Thomas and Turini have maintained they did nothing wrong, and the city needed to go in a new direction.

Turini declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday night.

Thomas did not reply to a request for comment.

Recall election results will be certified July 7, and Rogers and Cummings are scheduled to be sworn in July 10.

The two will complete what would have been the remainder of Turini's and Thomas' terms in office.