Monument Trustee Jim Romanello on Tuesday announced he is in the running to become the town’s next mayor.

If elected, Romanello said his priorities are to continue collaboration with the Board of Trustees, address the town’s “inevitable growth” in a “sensitive and responsible manner,” and support public safety.

“This is an opportunity I believe I am fit for,” he said in an interview.

Romanello, who was first elected to the Board of Trustees in November 2018, said he is the most experienced person on the board. He wants to use that experience to help guide the town through a looming recession, high housing demand, and see several water projects to completion.

Among those water projects are removing radium from two wells and building a new water laboratory and office space to accommodate the new radium removal systems; well redrilling; repairing an existing water tank; and building a new second water tank.

During his tenure as a trustee, Romanello highlighted his work to ensure Monument has adequate town staffing, supporting water projects, ensuring maintenance of the town’s water wells, and encouraging responsible growth and supporting public safety. That latter included backing a dedicated sales tax initiative to fund police, which was approved by voters in a special election last November.

During the pandemic, he also served as the town’s liaison to the county government to help bring economic assistance to Monument’s small businesses.

His more than two decades of work as a financial adviser and as a small-business owner have also made him “keenly aware that we are facing major economic issues,” he said in a news release announcing his candidacy. 

The best way to tackle possible fiscal restraints in the face of a looming recession is through open and respectful collaboration among the Board of Trustees and town staff, Romanello said. Monument government is not run through a “strong mayor” system, and the mayor shares more authority with the board as a whole. 

“It’s a majority vote to do anything,” he said. “If I’m in a meeting, I want to say, ‘Let’s look at all the facts and where we are in this economic curve and trend. If it goes in this direction in six months or if it goes in this direction, what might Plan A look like? What about Plan B?’ And make sure the board knows where we are all going.”

The same approach will be beneficial in planning the town’s growth, he said.

“There are three plates you’ve got spinning, and they’re all important. First, you have the rights of the property owner to develop. You have the will of the community and of the town. And you have to protect the fiduciary of the town itself — you’ve got to follow your own code and ordinances,” Romanello said. “… You’ve got to look at any project through all of those three lenses and come up with a solution that meets it all.”

He said he also supports a regional effort to find additional critical water resources and solutions. Leaders across the greater Pikes Peak region are seeking a sustainable water supply to relieve pressure on the Denver Basin, which provides water to thousands of El Paso County residents.

Monument trustees have heard several presentations on a proposed regional water project dubbed “The Loop” that local water district representatives have said could accomplish that goal. 

“It’s a wonderful solution,” Romanello said. “But here’s always the problem: money. … It’ll come down to real data. What’s the financial impact?”

Romanello is the second candidate to announce his run for town mayor. Fellow Trustee Mitch LaKind also is campaigning for the seat.

The town’s current mayor, Don Wilson, is the Republican candidate in the race to represent Colorado’s House District 20, which includes Monument and Palmer Lake. Wilson will face Democratic opponent and former El Paso County Commission candidate Tracey Johnson in the Nov. 8 election.

Jim Romanello

Gazette file