Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Supporters of a new courthouse walked away from their phone bank for the last time Monday evening.

Today, Routt Citizens for Safe Courts will learn how effective those last-minute phone calls were.

Referendum 1A, a property tax increase to fund a new courthouse, is not the only ballot issue on the line today. Voters in Steamboat Springs will decide the fate of a proposed water district consolidation, an initiative to fund fire and ambulance services and a proposed excise tax.

Referendum 2C asks residents whether the city and the Mount Werner Water District should merge to create the Steamboat Springs Water Authority.

Referendum 2A, which asks voters to support a 5 mill tax levy to raise $1.9 million for fire and ambulance services, would free up $1.3 million for capital projects in the city.

A yes vote on Referendum 2B would replace an impact fee with an excise tax.

Hayden residents will vote on a pay increase for teachers in the Hayden School District.

Local ballot issues have dominated this election season more than local races.

Many Republican candidates are guaranteed a return to office because April caucuses did not yield Democratic challengers for several positions in Routt County.

County Commissioner Dan Ellison, County Clerk and Recorder Kay Weinland, County Treasurer Jeanne Whiddon, County Assessor Amy J. Williams, County Sheriff John Warner and County Coroner Doug Allen face no opposition from the Democratic Party.

Bill Haight, chairman of the Routt County Republican Party, said volunteers in his party have been calling people to encourage them to vote.

With local races in the bag, Haight said Republicans would gather tonight at a local restaurant to see how their party fares at the state and national level.

Incumbent Republican Al White will try to hold on to his District 57 State House seat. Democrat and Craig resident Terry Carwile is running against the Winter Park resident.

Routt County voters will decide if Routt County Judge James Garrecht and District Judge Joel S. Thompson should return to the bench.

The14th Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommended that voters retain Garrecht but not re-elect Thompson.

Registered voters can cast their ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at one of 20 polling places in the county.

Early voting, which gave voters an opportunity to vote at the courthouse from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, yielded 1,513 ballots.

More than 17,000 registered voters live in Routt County.

Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak encouraged voters to read the blue 2002 Ballot Information Booklet mailed to Colorado residents earlier this fall before they head to the polls.

The booklet contains valuable information about each of the state's ballot issues and reviews by judicial performance commissions.

Voters who want to follow the numbers as they come in tonight can log onto the Routt County Web site at www.co.routt.co.us and click on "2002 unofficial general election results" at the top of the page.