To the editor:

When I first heard John Kefalas was running for county commissioner, I was thrilled. But then I realized I had no idea what the commissioner did. So I found a website from the NACo’s (National Association of Counties).

So why is Mr. Kefalas so qualified?

“The most important thing that a commissioner does is stay in touch with constituents. Daily, a commissioner speaks with citizens about what they want. A particular vote on a particular issue, a complaint about taxes, a problem with a sidewalk or a street light, are just a few things that commissioners address daily.”

John Kefalas does more public meetings and in-person conversations than any other public servant I have ever known. If fact, long before I knew John I would see him all over town knocking on doors and speaking with people on the street.

“Establishing a working relationship with the media takes time and trust on both sides.”

John has been working with the media for many years and understands the challenges the media has to deal with on a constant basis.

“Last, but not least, is working closely with other members of the county commission to build coalitions.”

John is well known in the Colorado State Legislature as a person who works well with,not only his own constituents, but on both sides of the isle.

Now with my new found knowledge, I know more than ever John Kefalas will make a great county commissioner.

Jill Sanford

Fort Collins

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To the editor:

I have known John Kefalas for over 20 years. That’s why I’m so glad he decided to run for Larimer County Commissioner. John is one of the finest public servants you will ever meet. He will make an outstanding county commissioner.

With John, what you see is what you get. John is genuinely kind, honest, smart, hard-working, and a great listener. His approach is always to bring everyone to the table, get to the heart of the matter, find consensus among people with varied opinions, and come up with a solution that works. That’s why Fort Collins voters like me have enthusiastically elected him, first to the Colorado House and then to the Colorado Senate, where he has been a champion for Larimer County.

John’s breadth and depth of experience, from helping balance billion-dollar state budgets, to prioritizing Colorado’s capital development investments, to making health, social and human service delivery more effective, to leading the effort to update the Colorado Open Records Act to make government more transparent and accessible, make him by far the most experienced candidate for commissioner.

Throughout his adult life, John has been a public servant, working as a Poudre school teacher, a migrant health outreach worker, a Larimer County job counselor, and a Peace Corps volunteer, among other positions.

In today’s polarized, hyper-partisan, inflamed political environment, we need more people like John Kefalas, who listen to us, not to special interests. Please join me in supporting John Kefalas for Larimer County Commissioner.

Cheryl Rayner

Fort Collins, Colo.

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To the editor:

Larimer County is large, diverse, and growing. We live in the mountains and on the plains. We must assure future generations there is water to meet our needs.

I believe Sean Dougherty knows these facts and has cared enough to study and to serve. He is not a spectator; he is an active participant in moving us forward.

Sean has a proven track record of investing his time, energy and ideas in Larimer County. From the Disabled Resource Services where he served for four years to the Planning and Zoning Commission where he served eight years, he is committed to our county.

He recognizes the importance of water storage and favors the development of more reservoirs, including the Northern Water Windy Gap and Northern Integrated Supply projects. Both are vital to our future needs.

Sean is a family man with a wife and 19-year-old son. He is a leader, respected by his peers. He was endorsed by the Loveland-Berthoud Association of Realtors.

Donna Rice

Loveland

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To the editor:

The purpose of this letter is to urge all Larimer County residents to re-elect Irene Josey as Larimer County Treasurer. As 23-year residents in Loveland we are convinced Larimer County deserves a treasurer of Irene’s integrity, honesty and over 30 years of service, who believes in limited government, personal responsibility, and keeping taxes in line with the intent of our communities. Her years of service have provided her a complete knowledge of the operation of the treasurer’s office, a thorough knowledge of tax collection procedures, applicable federal and Colorado law, investment instrument options, and internal tax-collection system development and management. She has willingly assumed responsibility for managing public tax dollars and intends to continue the practice of safely investing these funds, which has allowed her to return over half a million dollars in unspent, allocated funds as treasurer. In 1986 the treasurer’s office had 14 employees, but due to her enhanced office operations through efficiency and technology has reduced the staff to 13 members, including herself.

Dick and Sue Rehg

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To the editor:

November 6, 2018, election day is upon us. I am writing to urge everyone to vote. The United States of America is under siege and in a Cold Civil War. Abraham Lincoln said “there is no grievance that is a redress by mob law” we all know that the financing General of this ugly opposition is non other than George Soros, and friends, spurred on by Satin, himself. This opposition force is totally dedicated to undermining and destroying our constitution and our individual freedoms granted by the BILL OF RIGHTS. When you vote, you must, for your family’s own good, A. Lincoln also said “The people—THE PEOPLE—are the rightful masters of both congresses, and courts – not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow the men-(women sic) who pervert it.” Or the continuance of a lawful and prosperous society, that you are comfortable living in, will cease.  Vote to put an end to this ugly Civil War. Should the opposition win this battle of minds, be prepared for full fledged socialism and taxation, be prepared for open borders which allows not only allows some hard working good immigrants in but also allows in the underworld (MS-13) and their style of crime, also be prepared for an opposition force that does not care about anything except  GOVERNMENT  POWER over you, and not the real needs every citizen desires.

Venezuela is a good example of a prosperous people falling to this kind of government. When you vote make your first decision on what you want your USA to be, for you and your family. Also vote for the programs listed on the ballot  that really make sense. Put some thought into what you are doing.

Brad Pickert Sr.

Berthoud, Co

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To the editor:

Angela Myers has done an outstanding job as our clerk and recorder these last five years. This is a woman in government who we can all be proud of and we should all support for re-election. There has to be value in a job well done. There has to be acknowledgement of the exceptional way she has treated every citizen with respect and doggedly ensured partisanship has no place in the office or in the processes of conducting elections. There has to be a focus on what really matters in this race – proven experience.

If we don’t support quality work, and simply replace it for an unproven alternative, why should anyone work hard for us. This is not a partisan office – let’s keep it that way. Thank you Angela Myers, for the great work you have done for all of us. As a Marine, I ask all my fellow veterans and fellow citizens to support the outstanding work of this woman and re-elect her.

Art Pforr

Fort Collins

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To the editor:

When you compare the qualifications of the two candidates running for Larimer County Treasurer this year you will find incumbent treasurer, Irene Josey, stands out as the star.

We have been fortunate in Larimer County to have had stability in the office of treasurer for many years, with the rating to prove it. Irene Josey worked her way up through the ranks serving as chief deputy for 26 years before being elected as Larimer County Treasurer for her first term.  She:

•           Invested our public tax dollars safely

•           Returned over a half million dollars in unspent, allocated county budget funds

•           Enhanced office operations through technology to avoid hiring

•           Has been instrumental in creating three property-tax collections systems and conversions in the past 32 years

•           Worked together with her fellow elected Larimer Country officials to receive the award of Moody’s highest credit rating, Aaa

•           Will qualify for the Colorado County Treasurer certification at the end of her first four-year term (has already completed educational credits)

Let’s re-elect Irene Josey Larimer County Treasurer to keep Larimer’s tax dollars and investments safe.

Phyllis Ortman

Source: Candidates’ Literature

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To the editor:

I have known Rob Woodward for 12 years, and he has made a huge positive impact on my life. I started out as just a sandwich artist with his company and have become the area manager for six of his Subway locations. He has been somewhat of a father figure to me in my life, at times giving me the guidance and support you would only expect to get from a parent. His integrity and knowledge have been instilled in me over the years and he has helped develop me into a very strong, intelligent business woman. I am very thankful I started working for him.

Anyone who knows Rob and has spent any time with him knows he is the man to vote for. His involvement in his community is tremendous, which tells me he is interested in what the people want and making this world a better place for our children to grow up in. He holds high morals and values, believes in honesty and doing the right thing. I was honestly so excited when I heard he was running for Senate. I thought to myself, man he is going to do some very amazing things for us.

Teresa Newman         

Wellington

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To the editor:

I am voting yes on measures 5A and 5B. I don’t like tax increases, but I will invest in things I value like the vibrancy of my community, people who will care for me as I age, and the democratic values of our country. Education is key to each of these. These measures are an investment in our communities, and at $6.82/ month per $100k of home’s value, it comes at a relatively low cost to property owners. (That’s about $20/ month for those of you lucky enough to own a $300,000 property. There’s a calculator on the district website.) This seems reasonable to ensure our children have safe and inspiring places to learn (leaky roofs and outdated materials are unlikely to foster innovation or communicate value in education) and that Thompson’s great teachers are compensated fairly. (A teacher with a master’s degree and 10 years of experience makes about $47K here. That’s 10K less than Poudre – and not enough to buy one of those $300K homes.) This isn’t political. This is about kids and our community. Join me in voting Yes on Measures 5A and 5B and encouraging others to do the same. (I found www.yes4thompson.org helpful.)

Sharon Newman

Loveland

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To the editor:

Alexis Smith for assessor

I recently attended the League of Women Voters debate for local candidates and can say that – Alexis Smith is the most competent, qualified candidate for assessor. She has a Certified General Appraiser License, 17 years of local experience, and has been chief deputy assessor for many years. She has been instrumental in making available on the counties website – property details, sales, maps, forms, and general information available to the public 24/7. The openness of the staff for call-ins, walk-ins and the website makes the state-mandated property system open and transparent for all. The Colorado property statues are quite unique, and re-appraise all properties every odd-numbered calendar year, using mass-appraisal techniques to appraise well over 150,000 properties. She was at the forefront in starting on-line protests during the State Mandated Protest Period every May, which has made it more convenient if there’s a problem, and work with you to make it as fair as possible. She’s a dedicated, hard-working leader who works for us all, while passing annual independent state-mandated auditing requirements. This important position not only affects every property owner, but our community as well, from the school districts, first responders, sheriff’s office, emergency response, road and bridge, and many more services we all pay for. If you want continued innovation, openness and accountability to the public – the only candidate for assessor ready to work for you and hit the streets running

David Muse

Loveland

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To the editor:

I have been a Larimer county resident for over 18 years and I enthusiastically support Sean Dougherty for county commissioner. I have known Sean, both personally and professionally, for over 12 years. I was drawn to his love for this community. He has selflessly given his time and money to the great people of this county through volunteerism and charitable giving. He has spent a number of years learning about Larimer County and how he could do more. I was so excited when he announced he was throwing his hat into the race. I was equally happy to hear that County Commissioner Lew Gaiter III (RIP) gave his endorsement. Larimer County needs Sean Dougherty. All you have to do is meet him. Thanks for sharing this. Vote for Sean.

Respectfully,

James Morrissette

Fort Collins

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To the editor:

Sean Dougherty was elected to fill the commissioner seat until the election. This speaks volumes to our county. He is knowledgeable, experienced, kind and fair. He listens to all opinions regardless of party affiliations and treats everyone with respect. Sean has worked tirelessly for several years serving our county and learning how the people want him to vote.
It is crucial to get out and vote in November.
I am looking forward to voting for Sean in November to make his appointment permanent.
Please consider doing the same.
Denise Morgan

Fort Collins

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To the editor:

My name is Corey McAuliffe, and I am a Colorado State University Class of 2017 alumni. My major was political science with a focus on public policy, and minored in legal studies. Additionally, I am anticipating attending law school in fall of 2019.

Throughout my college experience I was fortunate enough to have become acquainted with State Senator John Kefalas who is now running for Larimer County Commissioner this upcoming midterm election. I first met John Kefalas when he gave my FRCC Local Government class a lesson and then hosted us at the state capitol to assist in educating us about the functions of local and state government. A couple years later I was lucky enough to have participated as a legislative intern for Senator John Kefalas in the 2016 legislative session. I continue to proclaim John Kefalas as a mentor because of his rational demeanor, compassion for all of his constituents, and his whole-hearted effort to consider all stakeholders affected in a particular issue. Furthermore, John Kefalas strives to be as transparent as possible and values civility in government. In my mind these characteristics all contribute to John Kefalas being a successful public servant who puts constituents of all political ideologies at the forefront of his actions and motivations. My time associating with him, as well as my experiences in continuing to learn about governance, has led me to confidently support John Kefalas and his race for Larimer County Commissioner.

Regards,
Corey McAuliffe

Fort Collins