After a divisive local election season, incumbent mayor Glant Havenar and challenger Shana Ball are within a percentage point of each other in early results to take leadership in the town of Palmer Lake.

Neighboring Monument might not have the votes to institute a new lodging tax.

Unopposed Teller County incumbents will remain in office, while the makeup of the Monument Town Council is on track to stay the same as incumbents take the lead.

As of 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, Ball had just four more votes for mayor over Havenar, for a difference of less than 1%. Three term-limited town trustee positions were also up for grabs among five candidates. Tim Caves, Amy Hutson and Atis Jurka appear to be in the lead to win a position with about 24%, 23% and 21% of the vote, respectively.

If Ball is the winner in the mayoral election, her seat on the town board of trustees will be filled via appointment.

Running for her second term, Havenar said previously that she would continue to bring Palmer Lake a “seat at the table” in regional politics.

Ball, a former Palmer Lake firefighter and current trustee, said she would focus on stewarding growth for her hometown.

The two were in a public disagreement this year on the fate of a 28-acre property called Elephant Rock gifted to the town. Ball voted against tearing down existing cabins on the property, while Havenar supported the tear-down.

Down the road in Monument, the town council is likely seeing no new faces this year despite three seats being up for grabs. The election is the first since the town approved its home-rule charter in 2022.

Current councilwoman Laura Kronick, running unopposed, will retain her spot for District 1. Kenneth Kimple and Marco Fiorito, both current councilmen, will also retain their terms in District 2.

Kimple with a higher share of votes at about 51%, will likely take a four year term while Fiorito will take a two year term.

Jim Romanello, the council’s longest serving member, is set to retain his position as at-large councilman over challenger Chad Smith.

Based on preliminary results, the town might have failed in its effort to institute a 5% lodging tax to generate about $220,000 in revenue for the town’s parks. The measure in unofficial returns is failing by a slim margin of 51.93% of votes against.

Teller County commissioners Dan Williams and Erik Stone, each seeking a second term, are set to retain their positions in uncontested elections, as us incumbent county treasurer Krystal Brown.