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April 17, 2014 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 119, Issue 11 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
Rowland target of another complaint Colorado Ethics Watch accuses commissioner of violation Staff report An Elbert County commissioner under fire again for alleged improper use of county resources says the latest complaint against him stems from an unconstitutional court ruling. Robert Rowland, a member and former chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, was named in a complaint filed last month with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission that accuses him of violating state ethics laws. Colorado Ethics Watch, the nonprofit that lodged the complaint, says Rowland failed to recuse himself from a vote that provides a personal benefit. Rowland voted in January to use the county attorney to appeal a December
ruling that imposed a $1,000 fine against him. The December decision was made by Administrative Law Judge Robert Spencer, who found that Rowland and the BOCC violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act when they spent $15,000 to hire a consultant to organize meetings in support of a ballot initiative that would have increased taxes. Rowland was the only party ordered to pay a fine. The judge ruled that orderRowland ing the BOCC to pay a fine would not be appropriate “because such penalty would likely be satisfied from county funds, and thus would only penalize the Elbert County taxpayers.” Rowland was joined by fellow Commissioner Kurt Schlegel in the January vote to use the county attorney for the appeal. Commissioner Larry Ross voted against
the move, arguing that an appeal would be an additional drain on county resources. Rowland, the only individual named in the initial complaint filed with the Secretary of State’s Office by Elbert County resident Jill Duvall, says the judge made an error by ordering him to pay the fine. “We operate as board and we find it unprecedented — and so does CCI (Colorado Counties Inc.) and the secretary of state and the attorney general’s office, for that matter — that he would rule that one of us could be singled out for punishment for the action of a board,” Rowland said. “It’s unconstitutional and I have every expectation that it will be found to be so.” The filing deadline for the appeal is not until May, but Luis Toro, director of Colorado Ethics Watch, said taxpayer money has already been used because the county attorney filed a notice of appeal. “A county commissioner should not be able to vote when they have a direct finan-
cial interest,” Toro said. “He had the county pay for his personal appeal to not have to pay the $1,000. He’s getting free legal services. It’s a pretty clear conflict of interest.” Colorado Ethics Watch is “not taking a position” on the original campaign finance case, but filed the latest complaint based on Rowland’s actions in the appeal of the ruling, Toro said. Rowland was a deciding vote when the appeal was approved 2-1, he said. Rowland says the fact that Duvall, who ran against Rowland in the 2012 election, wrote his name on the lawsuit is “not a sound foundation” for a legal decision to levy a fine against him. “It’s never been done in Colorado. To be punished in a greater fashion than the board would be — it sets a dangerous precedent,” said Rowland, who chalked up the
Ethics continues on Page 7
Elizabeth Middle gets new principal Jodi Elkins hired from among 46 applicants Staff report
Junior Natasha Breakall won in competition of the Family Career and Community Leaders of America, FCCLA, at Elizabeth High School and will go on to Nationals on July 6-10 in San Antonio. Courtesy photo
Teenagers noted for leadership Five Elizabeth High competitors qualify for nationals Staff report Young leaders are developed through participation in the Family Career and Community Leaders of America, and POSTAL ADDRESS
five Elizabeth High School students have reached the status of national qualifiers. FCCLA promotes leadership and personal growth through its Family and Consumer Science Education program and competition in Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) events. After the State Leadership Conference on April 3-5, the following students are national qualifiers (nationals will be July 6 to 10 in San Antonio, Texas):
Bronze Medals: Chandra Roth and Giana Craig — Illustrated Talk. Silver Medal: Shelby Graham — Focus on Children. Gold Medals: Breean McElroy — Career Investigation; Megan Reyher — Teach and Train — First Place Gold; Sierra Stein and Taylore Bunch — Life Event Planning — First Place Gold out of 33 teams. The No Kid Hungry National Outreach Online Event by Natasha Breakall and Anthony McConnell has reached level three, the only Colorado online entry that qualified for national competition. Adviser Mrs. Melanie Darter was presented the “Spirit of Advising” Award by the Colorado FCCLA Executive Council and will be recognized at the national conference. Breakall, a junior, after many speeches and interviews, was named the vice president of events and will represent Colorado at the nationals.
The board of education last week approved the hiring of Jodi Elkins as the new principal of Elizabeth Middle School. Elkins, a longtime educator at the middle school level, bringsmore than 20 years of experience with her. A familiar face to the district, Elkins was a teacher and counselor at EMS early in her career. She then went to work for Douglas County School District and Littleton PubElkins lic Schools in counseling and administrative roles. Most recently, she served for seven years as the assistant principal for Euclid Middle School in Littleton. “Jodi’s background and experience is ideal for this position,” Superintendent Douglas Bissonette said in a statement emailed to parents. Elkins — who took part in a fifth-grade student orientation last week — was the pick from among 46 applicants who sought the position since it was publically posted in late January. She takes over for interim principal Terry Miller. Elkins has a master’s degree in counseling education from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Northern Colorado. She completed her teaching certification in business and marketing at Metro State. She was named the state’s School Counselor of the Year in 2001 by the Colorado School Counselor Association. Candidates for the post went through a “rigorous” interview process with a committee of teachers, staff and parents, Bissonette wrote in his statement, adding that finalists also interviewed with a group of students.