When the final votes are tallied in the Woodland Park mayoral election April 2, the city will have a new leader. Mayor pro tem Kellie Case and former planning commissioner Jerry Penland are hoping to replace the term-limited Hilary LaBarre.

In addition to two years as Mayor Pro Tem, Case has spent 17 years as the city’s finance director/treasurer and served on the City Council for four years. Penland, who served as planning commissioner for five years, is hoping his diverse career background and lack of affiliation with any special interest groups will be enough to convince voters he is the right person to be Woodland Park’s next mayor.

Four seats on the Woodland Park City Council are also up for grabs.

Here’s a look at candidates.

MAYORAL RACE

Kellie Case

What are your top three priorities for this office?

To lead the new council to bring them along and learn their jobs as newly elected officials.

Continue to support the staff and the community in their endeavors with regards to water, wildfire, mitigation, and continuing to find qualified staff to fill positions that are vacant. We need to support them with funding to be competitive in hiring great folks to work for the People in our community.

And to continue to keep a balanced budget and a solid funding source for the services that we provide to our citizens and pay off our general fund debt as quickly as we possibly can with reserves that we’ve been saving for sometime. We already paid off one debt issuance early actually 12 years early had a savings of over $700,000 in interest. I’d like to continue that trend.

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is, and how do you plan to address it?

We have two challenges that we have to always be aware of one of them is fire mitigation as we live in a forest. The other is our water resources and to continue to pursue the purchase of shares of water as we find them available and to continue funding and persevering, the construction of our new reservoir.

What makes you the best candidate for this position?

I have 30 years of experience in municipal government, first, for five years as an internal auditor for the city of Colorado Springs, and then 17 years as the finance director and treasurer for the City of Woodland Park. I’ve served for six years now on the city council, the last two as the mayor pro-tem. I believe I have the knowledge and skills to this council forward to do great things for the people of our community.

We have some challenges that we need to be aware of and continue to monitor, but I believe that with a good group of folks that are community will elect we can make that happen.

Jerry Penland

What are your top three priorities for this office?

Be the driver to help move our city leadership to a Citizens Focused Government.

To ensure safe water sustainability that will support the collective Citizens Vision for Woodland Park’s future.

And to use our Envision Woodland Park 2030 Comprehensive Plan, that was developed with input from hundreds of volunteers (including me) and survey responders, as a major driving force when making strategic decisions that will impact the future of our city.

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is, and how do you plan to address it?

Our largest challenge is the same as most cities in the Western part of our nation…sustainable safe water for the long term. I can help move this forward and help make sure each of our zoning decisions have a short-term and long-term water sustainability and other critical infrastructure components in our decisions.

What makes you the best candidate for this position?

My background, experience and skills do not stop at the Woodland Park city limits.  I not only have local government experience as a Woodland Park Planning Commissioner for five years but I also have been a spokesperson at numerous City Council meetings as the Citizens Voice.

I have executed internal operating budgets for decades.

My career includes over 30 years, with the US Army, Corps of Engineers.

In the last decade of my career, I was responsible for executing over $25 billion worth of Army and Air Force construction projects…reportable to the US Congress.

I have the background, experience and skills to help move Woodland Park into the future.

CITY COUNCIL

When Woodland Park residents cast their votes for City Council, they will be choosing from a packed field that includes longtime public servants, relative political newcomers and one council incumbent.

Teri Baldwin, Frank Connors, Don Dezellum, Jeffrey Geer, George Jones, Eric Lockman, Tim Northrup and Steve Smith are vying for four seats on the council. Connors, the incumbent, is running for re-election.

During a March 5 forum, the candidates answered questions about zoning codes, the city’s comprehensive plan, the voter-approved 1.09% sales tax to the schools and the school board, which has recently come under fire for a perceived lack of transparency and the adoption of the American Birthright social studies model.

Baldwin, Connors, Dezellem, Geer, Northrup and Smith shared with The Gazette their reasons for running and their respective visions for Woodland Park’s future. Jones and Lockman had not responded to emailed questions at press time.

Teri Baldwin

What are your top three priorities for this office?

Fire mitigation, water resources, economic development and support of local businesses

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is?

Keeping Andrew Wommack’s desire to “take over” Woodland Park, at bay. I’m running for City Council and hope to educate the community about the very real threat that AWM presents to Teller County and Woodland Park. It’s not just about an unaccredited Bible college in Woodland Park.

The Ministry is well on its way to turning this County into a destination for Christian Nationalism. I believe very strongly in the separation of Church and State. That wall protects everyone on both sides of it.

What makes you the best candidate for City Council?

My integrity, my commitment to Woodland Park, my ability to consider different perspectives and make sound decisions, and my desire to serve all constituents.

Frank Connors

What are your top three priorities for this office?

To create an authentic economic plan — start a business retention program to enhance existing businesses, and encourage collaboration within the business community to draw vitality and unique experiences for our city guests.

Expanding and supporting Woodland Park’s outdoor space to provide our city with generations of outdoor enjoyment.

I will also continue the new reservoir we voted for and approved. The need for securing an inclusive and sustainable water supply for our city is obvious.

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is, and how do you plan to address it?

Water Security, creating modern day ordinances that outline our drought restrictions and also work to bring future storage solutions into reality. Much more to do…

What makes you the best candidate for City Council?

I am the only candidate running who is an incumbent for city council. My 2 years experience on council and the one year as the Chairman of the city’s  Charter Review committee is experience the other candidates do not have.  I am a proven servant leader proudly serving the citizens of Woodland Park.

Tim Northrup

What are your top three priorities for this office?

Continue to be an advocate who will listen to the citizen’s concerns.

Restart regular meetings between the city, county, school, fire, etc. elected officials.

Good governance with fiscal responsibility and transparency.

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is, and how do you plan to address it?

Planned growth for attainable housing with sustainable water is the city’s largest challenge. The city has started on this process with a housing study and their comprehensive 2030 master plan. The city council will assist the city manager in guidance with the city’s natural resources and planning departments.

What makes you the best candidate for City Council?

I have talked to over a thousand of our citizens in the past year or so listening to their ideas and issues in the city, bringing many of those issues in front of city council.

I have worked with the former city manager over revisions to a couple of contracts, and was an election judge for the city clerk, refining the election process.

I believe my former banking management experience, current involvement at city hall and other county group’s board meetings, and trust from the citizens as their advocate, will bring me to the position of councilman in Woodland Park.

Jeffrey Geer

What are your top three priorities for this office?

Water security, infrastructure maintenance (potholes, water main breaks due to legacy infrastructure are two examples of this), and fire mitigation and wildfire preparedness.

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is, and how do you plan to address it?

I think the largest challenge is responsible growth and how best to do that while preserving our water security.  We have to grow to increase our tax base otherwise eventually tax collection will not keep up with the costs of running a city which would eventually require tax increases and I am opposed to any tax increases.

What makes you the best candidate for City Council?

I’m a regular guy who cares about Woodland Park and its future. That means putting the citizens who pay taxes above all other outside influences or organizations that seek to exploit our community, and it’s services, for their own private and personal gain.  This is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, but it will not remain that way if we don’t have people on the council who will fight the good fight.

Steven Smith

What are your top three priorities for this office?

Water, roads and getting our community back together.

What do you think the city’s largest challenge is, and how do you plan to address it?

Large outside entities trying to change our community.

What makes you the best candidate for City Council?

Our community, laws, and City Charter tell me how to vote on issues — not how I feel or my opinion. That’s why our community asked me to run.

Don Dezellem

What are your top three priorities for this office?

Growth- residential or commercial, does it meet zoning requirements and the 2030 Comprehensive Plan.  Is it the right project, in the right place for Woodland Park and the future. Creating a budget-that provides for needs (infrastructure, safety, adequate reserve, debt reduction) while reducing mil levy and sales tax for the citizen. And water — securing additional water rights, completion of the Boy Scout Reservoir, and implementing innovated stewardship of water resources.

What do you see as the city’s largest challenge?

The major challenge to our community is the division in Woodland Park.  This division has been creeping in our community over the last 6-7 years.  We have become fragmented over tiny homes, Charis Bible College, and Woodland Park RE-2 District school board elections among the debated issues.  When elected I will strive to provide for citizens and council members an environment to discuss issues with respect for the individual to reach solutions for the community.  I will always make time to listen to our citizens over coffee, the phone, or during public comment at council meetings.

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

I’m the best candidate for council due to being involved and knowledgeable on city matters.  I have attended council regularly for the 6 years.  I have served subsection chairman for the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, served on 2022 Charter Review Committee, graduated from Woodland Park Citizens Academy, and serve on both the Parks, Recreation, and Parks Advisory Board and Woodland Park Planning Commission.

I have been involved with the Pikes Peak Rotary Club helping to the wooden playground at Gateway, bell ringing for Salvation Army, was co-chair of the committee which established the annual scholarship for local high school seniors, and was Rotarian of Year.