Dacono Recall Election Guide

6/28/2023 Updated to include Recall Election results, which determined that Jackie Thomas and Jim Turini would be recalled and replaced by successors Tony Cumming and Michelle Rogers. https://cityofdacono.com/1181/Recall-Election–June-27-2023

Intro

Only the candidates running to recall city council members were willing to speak with YS for the Dacono Recall Election Guide. This presents only one side of the story, but to be fair, the council members being recalled have not been forthcoming with much information in general. From the abrupt firing of longtime city manager A.J. Euckert to secretive meetings to the refusal to answer questions, we cannot in good faith endorse either current sitting council members. Small towns facing potentially large growth like Dacono need open and transparent leaders or else they run the risk of decisions being made behind closed doors and personal interests clouding what is best for a very unique community.

Candidates

Tony Cummings:

Tell me a little about yourself, your experience, and why to vote for you?

I was born and raised here in Colorado. I currently work for the government and have so for about the last 20-plus years. I have a lot of experience with open meetings and board meetings. I graduated here at Regis University. I hold a master’s degree in Legal Studies from Arizona State.

Do you think an at-large government or a ward-structured government is better for Dacono?

Dacono has grown so much, I think that the city needs to transition to more of a ward-based representation across the demographics of the city. I think that’s the way to go. I understand that it’s been at large for a long time, but given how it’s grown, I think it’s more representative.

What is the best path for growth for Dacono?

Well, I think there’s a lot of uncertainty right now. There has to be a balance of both, as long as those businesses cater to the citizens of the city. I don’t think something like a large truck stop is just going to be beneficial at this point, not given how the city has grown so much.

How would you improve cohesiveness on city council?

Communication and having discussions. I don’t think you have to agree with everybody all the time, but you at least need to have the discussion, based on a logical thought process, and honestly, it seems to me that there’s people who don’t want to have discussions on the city council right now. That’s not beneficial for anyone — not for the citizens and not for the cohesiveness of city council. Whether we agree or not, that’s a different issue, but at least having a discussion is the starting point.

Does there need to be more oil and gas extraction in Dacono?

I don’t think right now that that’s, that should be a priority. But I think it should be a priority to expand the tax base. That’s my main focus. Not so much oil and gas, not that I’m not opposed to it, but I just don’t think it should be the main focus right now. From my understanding and talking to people, they want more infrastructure. They want the ability to go to a restaurant and not have to drive 20 minutes to the grocery store.

Thoughts on the termination of longtime city manager A.J. Euckert?

Doing it so abruptly put the city in a bad position. I did feel the way that it was done was improper. It did put the city in a bind. You have no city manager, we still have no city attorney, and don’t have an interim city manager. That’s not the way you’re supposed to go about doing it. Honestly, I think it was preplanned. I mean, I think that’s fairly obvious from the outside looking in.

Closing statement

My overarching goal is broad representation, not just a select few. I think that’s what city council should be, whether you come to the same decisions as everybody else or not, that’s the democratic process.

Jackie Thomas:

Declined interview.

Michelle Rogers:

Tell me a little about yourself, your experience, and why to vote for you?

I don’t have political experience. I don’t consider myself a politician. I have going on 20 years of public policy experience. I’ve worked at the local, state, and federal level as well as now on my own consulting business on writing policy that serves older adults and people with disabilities. When I worked at the state, they gave me programs that were broken. They would ask me to step in and fix it. I’ve worked with programs for medically fragile kids, people with disabilities, persons with autism — some of our most vulnerable populations.

Do you think an at-large government or a ward-structured government is better for Dacono?

There are benefits and downfalls to both. It’s worked very well for communities that have been well represented. I think a ward structure down the road would be great. I don’t think we have the people to step into those roles, especially in the neighborhoods that want to be left alone. As we grow it may become a necessity.

What is the best path for growth for Dacono?

I was knocking on a door last week, and this gentleman had a beautiful 1964 Thunderbird, and he said he tried to fix it up, but he was having a hard time. He was thinking about selling. To me, it summed up Dacono, we’re like a classic car. Sometimes it’s hard to balance — restoring it, taking care of it, and there are people who say, ‘Let’s just sell the car and buy a brand new one.’ You could do that, but it’s not the same. I think it’s worth it to have something that’s amazing and classic and has its own character.

How would you improve cohesiveness on city council?

That’s honestly going to be a challenge because there are still two members on city council that are part of the old guard that probably wouldn’t like me and probably aren’t going to like the fact that they’ve lost a little bit of their control. I vote on what I think is right for what I know and the research I’ve done. If this is what it’s like at the local level, I can’t even fathom what our federal government is like. It’s very scary. You know, we have a large Hispanic population and community, and I don’t feel like they have felt heard in the past. How come our info is not out in Spanish? I don’t know why. We should absolutely be supporting our Spanish-speaking population.

Does there need to be more oil and gas extraction in Dacono?

We’re Weld County. We are oil and gas. It was here before most of us were. And it’s part of the people who live here. It’s important to them. It supports all of us. I think what’s important is how we manage it. Nobody wants an oil rig in their backyard. We all want oil and gas to follow the safety rules, take care of their equipment, and treat it like their house is built next to it. And I think if we go with that mindset, it’s a partnership that we require to keep our city funded.

Thoughts on the termination of longtime city manager A.J. Euckert?

I don’t personally know A.J. I don’t have a stake in the game. I felt like losing him was a loss for the vision that I have for Dacono. They [city council] had the majority, they could have fired him the right way, and we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation. The way this was done was so bizarre. So I’m a person who always follows the money, and my thought is, what do they have planned?

Closing statement

You know, we have a large and a speaking population and hispanic community and I don’t feel like they have felt heard in the past. how come our [town] info is not out in Spanish? I geek out about Dacono. I actually really love this place. I light up and get excited to tell people what a great thing we have. We’ve got something special here. Despite how we’ve become a joke in the news, but you know, I always love it here.