Four candidates for El Paso County Commission came together Friday night to argue policy and politics. Two challengers accused the incumbents of not doing enough to shrink county government, while the two sitting commissioners played defense and tried to justify their time in office.

The forum, hosted by the Rocky Mountain Black Tea Party (a minority within a minority, according to its founder), featured Commissioners Sallie Clark, of District 3, and Dennis Hisey, of District 4. Karen Magistrelli is running against Clark, and Auddie Cox is challenging Hisey.

Though Commissioner Amy Lathen, of District 2, is also up for re-election, her opponent dropped out of the race after failing to make the ballot at the county assembly.

During the two-hour forum, Hisey parried several shots from Cox, who said Hisey has helped drive the commission into debt, and Clark did her best to fight off Magistrelli, who repeatedly said she ignored constituents and had stomped on her property rights.

Hisey said it was easy for Cox to throw bombs, since he has never served as a government official, and told the audience that the commission has little flexibility in the county budget.

He said El Paso County residents pay almost 40 percent less for county services than any other county in the state.

Hisey said the suggestion that the county government is expanding “is a myth.”

“You are getting your money’s worth out of this government,” said Hisey, who won top-line ballot placement at the El Paso County GOP Assembly last week in the battle with Cox.

Cox charged that the commission had been illegally taking out loans and subverting the

Taxpayers Bill of Rights by not putting the financial measures on the ballot. Hisey replied that certificates of participation, which Cox was referring to, were completely legal and supported TABOR. Hisey said COP’s have helped pay for important infrastructure needs.

Magistrelli attacked Clark over those same infrastructures, and said the county had been severely mismanaged. She said it may be improper to request state and federal money to repair county roads, given the massive federal and state budget deficits.

Clark, however, said the county needed whatever help it could get to repair its crumbling roads. She said the county has paid great attention to the needs of residents, and described herself as “a great listener.”

Magistrelli also said the scandal over a badly-worded ballot question in 2010 that extended term limits for commissioners suggested the commission was corrupt. The ballot question appeared to many voters to limit commissioners terms rather than adding an additional term.

The issue made her “question the integrity” of all commissioners, said Magistrelli, who won top-line ballot placement at the GOP Assembly in her challenge against Clark.

Clark rejected that, and said the only reason the matter had not been brought before voters again was because the cost of a special election would have been huge. The issue will be on the November ballot, Clark said.

—Contact John Schroyer: 476-4825Twitter @JohnschroyerFacebook Gazette John Schroyer