October 30, 2020
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 50
Special election needed to fill vacancy Parker Town Council did not appoint an interim councilmember Oct. 21 BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A Douglas County resident gives a thumbs up as he submits his ballot at the Douglas County Parks and Trails Division in eastern Highlands Ranch Oct. 21. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER
Voter turnout rises inREGISTRATION DouglasBY CITY County That’s due in part to ballots going out earlier, officials say BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County is seeing a higher volume of ballots cast compared to the same period in 2016, according to county officials. As of Oct. 23, about 58,500 more ballots had been returned in Douglas County compared to the same period in 2016, said county Clerk and Recorder Merlin Klotz. “Volume is higher, there’s no SEE TURNOUT, P12
PARTY REGISTRATION BY COMMUNITY IN DOUGLAS COUNTY
Here is a breakdown of the voter registration figures in the most populous communities in Douglas County as of Oct. 21, according to numbers compiled by the county: REPUBLICAN
DEMOCRAT
UNAFFILIATED
Castle Pines
41.9%
19.2%
37.9%
Castle Rock
41.0%
17.8%
39.5%
Highlands Ranch
35.2%
22.8%
40.7%
Lone Tree
37.1%
21.9%
39.8%
Greater Parker area
38.4%
19.4%
40.8%
COUNTY TOTALS
38.2%
19.6%
40.8%
The Town of Parker will hold a special election in early 2021 to fill the vacancy left on town council. Parker Town Council met Oct. 21 to entertain a motion to appoint an interim councilmember. None of the remaining five councilmembers nominated an appointee, leaving the vacant sixth seat up for a special election. The meeting ended in one minute. The sixth council seat became vacant following the resignation of Renee Williams, made official Sept. 21. Town council had until Oct. 21 to appoint an interim replacement. Now, the matter will be voted on in a special election, likely in the spring. Mayor Mike Waid, who did not have a vote in the matter, attempted to organize discussions among council for the past month to appoint a new councilmember, he said Oct. 22. The day of the official vacancy, Sept. 21, Waid made a formal request of council to provide him with three names of people they felt would make a good councilmember, Waid said. The names would remain confidential. The request was meant as a starting point for discussion, and two councilmembers felt Waid’s request was not appropriate and chose not to submit names to him, Waid said. Waid did not disclose the names of the town councilmembers, but the Parker SEE ELECTION, P31