Amy Gillentine, Publisher and Executive EditorÂ
Last week, Colorado Springs City Council decided El Paso County Public Health s board didnât need representation from women of color, opting to replace Councilwoman Yolanda Avila, who is Latina, with a white man. Itâs almost as if there havenât been yearlong discussions about equity all around the country. Or maybe leadership in the Springs just havenât been listening to the rising voices of the disenfranchised?
Council opted to replace Avila, who represents the Southeast, with brand-new councilor, Dave Donelson, who represents District 1. Avila just started her second term â she was elected to the board of health in 2019, and served on it during its most challenging year, helping connect health officials with those who most needed assistance during the pandemic. Last year, she represented the cityâs most diverse neighborhoods and the ones with the highest rate of COVID infections in the county.
Newly elected Colorado Springs City Councilman and physician assistant Dave Donelson is expected to replace Councilwoman Yolanda Avila, an outspoken advocate for public health disparities in southeast Colorado Springs, on
Three new Colorado Springs City Council members and three incumbents won the six district races in the April 6 election, early returns showed.
The upset came in District 2, the northern portion of the city, with retired Air Force Col. Randy Helms defeating incumbent Councilman Dave Geislinger.
“I am very proud of the campaign that we ran,” Helms said.
The other new faces are, based on early results, retired physician assistant Dave Donelson in District 1 and executive coach Nancy Henjum, in District 5, early returns showed. Both were running for open seats in highly competitive races.
Incumbents Council President Richard Skorman, Councilwoman Yolanda Avila in District 4 and Councilman Mike O’Malley will keep their seats.
Colorado Springs City Council election results 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.
District 4 incumbent Yolanda Avilla, right, celebrates with her daughter Dulce Garcia Tuesday, April 6, 2021, during a watch party at the Club Tilt & Grill after early results showed Avilla leading Colorado Springs City Council candidate Regina English. Garcia and her family from Hunnington Beach, Calif., surprised Avilla Saturday to spend the weekend and election day with her. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Christian Murdock/The Gazette
Chancey Bush
Chancey Bush