Colorado Springs District 5 candidates take on growth and affordable housing during forum gazette.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazette.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Incumbent Colorado Springs City Council member David Geislinger has a battle on his hands, according to campaign finance reports due Feb. 15, which also suggest Republican politics will play a role.
Two of the three candidates trying to unseat Geislinger have raised more money by far than Geislinger. The other, Dave Noblitt, has raised $7,260 â $5,000 from the Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee â and spent $6,363, leaving him with $897 on hand.Â
Geislinger has raised $3,254, compared to Randy Helms $11,361 and Jay Inman s $7,233.
Helms got a $5,000 boost from Gary Erickson, developer of Polaris Pointe, while Inman gave his campaign $10,000 and also received $100 from former Republican state representative Gordon Klingenschmitt.
Mayor John Suthers powers would change under a proposal that would give veto power over Council votes to refer certain measures to the ballot. Courtesy City of Colorado Springs
City Council discussed a variety of topics ranging from mayoral veto powers to a raise for City Administrator Emily Evans. The day-long meeting also touched on a pending measure to prevent city employees from keeping their jobs if they run for elective office.
Regarding veto powers, Councilor Don Knight notes the city s code and charter aren t aligned in defining the mayor s veto powers. On one hand, he s allowed to veto any measure referred to voters, including a citizen-initiated measure that requires the circulation of petitions. On the other, he is not allowed to veto such measures.
Paramedics claimed sick time at a lower rate than some other sworn firefighters. File photo
Sick time claimed by Colorado Springs firefighters hit a high mark in 2019, compared to the previous seven years, according to a city audit.
Battalion chiefs (about 80 hours) and paramedics (about 130 hours) claimed sick time at a lesser degree annually than engine drivers (about 150 hours), captains (just under 150 hours) and lieutenants (about 160 hours), the audit found.
Sick time ranged from a low of 3.26 percent of total hours worked and claimed as leave for a variety of reasons in 2013, to a high of 4.17 percent in 2019. City of Colorado Springs Auditor s Office