Profiles for local candidates

Colorado Community Newspapers shares this feature to give voters a chance to meet those candidates who face opposition in the November general election. Ballots are due by 7 p.m. Nov. 2, at the Douglas County clerk and recorder’s office. Voters who live in Castle Pines North, Parker and points south face a choice in the races for Douglas County treasurer, coroner, clerk and recorder, assessor, county commissioner, District 1 and surveyor and the Colorado House of Representatives, District 44. We hope you find these candidate profiles helpful as the deadline to cast your vote approaches.

Douglas County Clerk and Recorder

Charles C. (Chuck) Patrick, 67, is the Democratic candidate for clerk and recorder. He lives in Lone Tree and has been a county resident for 15 years. He has been married to Bette Davis for 29 years and the couple has two sons, Justin and Skyler. Patrick has two more children, a son, Chuck Jr., a daughter Margot, and six grand children. He has a Masters degree in Computer Science from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelors degree in Mathematics & Physics (double major) from the University of Missouri.

What is your professional background?

I have experienced a wide variety of professional achievements, accomplished in small and large companies, as a U.S. Navy civilian employee, across multiple disciplines, and in commercial and Federal government markets. I have built my career on business analysis and organizational performance improvement, and have founded and run several successful small businesses. I am passionate about running business organizations efficiently while producing exceptional services to my clients.

What is your previous experience in public service?

In 2008, I volunteered to support the Technology Subcommittee of the State of Colorado Election Reform Commission. My efforts consisted of studying Colorado Election Law and Election Rules promulgated by the Secretary of State, and developing a business process model of the election process. I also reviewed the voting procedures followed by the Office of the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder. In addition, I developed a business process model of voting machine certification in Colorado.

Why are you running for county clerk and recorder?

I have had a very busy professional and personal life, and have neglected my responsibilities to my community. I love Colorado and Douglas County, and want to give back to my fellow residents, utilizing the professional skills I have developed in my career. I want to ensure that election systems and processes are secure and that all services provided by the county clerk and recorder are cost effective, efficient, and totally satisfactory to the residents of Douglas County.

What is the primary role of the clerk and recorder?

The county clerk and recorder is the chief election official of the county, responsible for developing and distributing ballots to registered voters, promoting voter registration, managing periodic elections, counting and reporting votes, and keeping voters informed of any issues pertaining to elections. Another important role of the clerk and recorder is to staff and manage the facilities in Douglas County that provide services on behalf of the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles—issuing and renewing driver’s licenses, titling and registering motor vehicles, etc.

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

The functions of the county clerk and recorder require a leader with proven skills in business management. I have started and managed several successful small businesses, and have run business operations of large companies. The challenge of leading the office of the county clerk and recorder is largely a managerial challenge. I am expert in running such organizations, controlling and reducing costs, understanding the needs of staff and clients, and delivering superior cost-effective services. I am also expert in going into a business organization, meeting and interviewing the staff, understanding the organization’s business processes, and identifying areas for performance and cost improvement.

What are your primary goals in this position?

My primary goal is to have the residents of Douglas County tell me that they are thrilled with the level of service they are now receiving from the office of the county clerk and recorder and are confident that our election process is secure. “Thrilled” is a high bar to which I aspire for my office’s services to the residents of Douglas County. I want to achieve no less.

If you are elected, what changes to your department, if any, can residents expect?

This is always a challenge for the non-incumbent — how can you know what changes you would make before you can look inside the organization? However, I anticipate that I will find, by working closely with the office staff and leadership, performance and cost improvements that will result in smoother elections, shorter waiting times at the DMV office, greater use of modern and emerging social networking technology, and better communication to you of urgent matters, such as “You are about to incur a large fine for late re-registration of your car: here are your options….”

What is the greatest challenge or shortcoming facing the clerk and recorder’s office and what is your proposed fix?

I see the greatest challenge to be the way elections are conducted in Douglas County and what technology is employed. I see the current emphasis on mail-in ballots to be short-sighted. This is a labor-intensive and mistake-intensive approach that sends us back in time and encourages the “hanging chad” problem we saw in Florida. It’s time for us to recognize that we are in the 21st century. For example, we all rely on ATMs, automated express check-out lanes in the super market, and the internet every day. We carry out our most sensitive financial transactions by relying on computers. However, we all know there is risk in relying on computers and data bases. I understand computer security—I work for a company dedicated to understanding computer security within a business context and am very concerned about the possibility that your sensitive personal information might be compromised, stolen, or destroyed. I will carefully examine this issue of “how to vote”, giving fair attention to all points of view. I do not have a proposed fix for this issue. I will solicit the opinions of the residents of Douglas County, integrate that input with my own professional experience, consult with my office’s experts and my fellow county clerks, and design and implement a long-term solution that will be the best for the residents of Douglas County. The solution may range from and include paper ballots, voting machines, voting by internet. Let’s work together to decide this important issue.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and amendments 60 & 61?

Adamantly opposed. I dread the prospect of the negative impact these initiatives would have on our educational system in particular. Our children and their education are the future of Douglas County and our nation. Many other aspects of our economy would also be devastated by these terribly misguided ideas. It is very important that you vote against these ballot measures that were initiated by people who refuse to identify themselves.

Jack Arrowsmith, 60, is the Republican candidate and incumbent clerk and recorder.

He lives in Castle Rock, is a Colorado Native and has lived in Douglas County for 26 years. He has been married to wife Joan for 35 years and the couple has one daughter, Krystal, who lives in Lone Tree. Arrowsmith graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. His post-college education includes numerous courses in management and election administration.

What is your professional background?

I started as a high school teacher and later joined a travel company specializing in student travel, eventually becoming the Vice-President and General Manager of the organization. In the winter of 2002 I was asked by Governor Bill Owens to become Douglas County's first appointed Public Trustee. I served in that position from 2003 to 2006. Carole Murray, the current County Clerk, was term limited and a number of citizens convinced me to run for that position, my first time at running for public office. I was elected and have been serving in that office since 2007.

Since taking office I have been appointed, first by Bill Owens and again by Bill Ritter, to the Statewide Internet Portal Authority where I currently serve as Vice-Chair. I was appointed by the Director of Revenue to CSTARS (Colorado State Title and Registration System) that oversees registration processes for motor vehicles in Colorado. I have been appointed by the Colorado County Clerks Association to the position of co-chair of the legislative committee that works with the State Legislature on all legislation affecting the clerk’s office. I was elected as a National Director for NACRC (Nation Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks).

What is your previous experience in public service?

As a citizen volunteer I was appointed to the Douglas County Economic Advisory Committee and served as committee chair for three years. I was appointed to the Douglas County Planning Commission and served in that capacity for five years - two years as vice-chair and my final year as chair.

Why are you running for county clerk and recorder?

We have accomplished a significant number of things since my taking office four years ago. We opened a new Drivers License Office in Castle Rock. We worked with the Department of Revenue to develop an on-line renewal process for motor vehicles. Our Recording Office started offering Passports and Colorado State Parks passes as well as on-line marriage license applications. We hosted the largest election in Douglas County with the 2008 election and had no problems or lines of any kind.

While I am proud of these accomplishments, there is still much work to do. In the area of elections, Colorado must establish a long-term, sustainable vision for the election process. Every year elections become more complicated and expensive. We need to solidify this process and bring costs under control. As the legislative co-chair for the Clerk's Association, that will be my number one election priority in 2011.

Identity theft has become an increasingly difficult problem. I sit on a committee from both the private and public sectors that will be working on this problem and hope to develop both legislation and a series of "Best Practices" that will reduce the risk of identity theft especially on public records.

What is the primary role of the clerk and recorder?

The Clerk and Recorder's Office employs 58 people in four separate offices with an annual budget of $5.8 million. The divisions include Elections, Motor Vehicle, Recording, Driver's License and the function of Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners. Certainly during elections, much of my attention is diverted to that process, but when a citizen has a problem with a DMV registration or getting an important recorded document, that takes precedence over anything else. The primary role of the Clerk and Recorder is to provide the citizens of Douglas County with the highest level of customer service at the lowest possible cost. Since taking office I have been under budget every year and have reduced the size of the staff by almost 10 percent and yet our customer survey responses give us a positive rating in the high 90s.

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

A proven track record of success. We have used technology, planning and hard work to meet every challenge thrown at the office. The moment I took office, the Secretary of State decertified all of our election equipment. We worked fiercely to prove why the process we used met the perceived challenges and were able to get the decertification lifted. When the Revenue Department determined that they were never going to reopen the Drivers License Office in Castle Rock, we decided to open our own office. We handled every challenge and continued to reduce staff and stay under budget.

What are your primary goals in this position?

Regardless of the service we provide to our citizens, my goal remains to provide the highest level of service at the lowest possible cost. Customer service is a primary focus and we set very high expectations with our staff. Our goal in Motor Vehicle is to assist our citizens within 20 minutes of walking into our office on the busiest day of the year. With very few exceptions we meet that goal month after month. We work for the Citizens of Douglas County.

If you are elected, what changes to your department, if any, can residents expect?

The Citizens of Douglas County want government to be available 24/7 not just during normal business hours. I will work to put more functions on the web and will continue to improve our web-site. Much of the notification we do in both elections and motor vehicle has been in the paper world and I will work through legislation and out-reach to make electronic communication permissive.

What is the greatest challenge or shortcoming facing the clerk and recorder’s office and what is your proposed fix?

We are in difficult economic times and most predictions see difficult times for several years to come. Government can not be immune to the challenges. Government MUST continue to provide a high level of service with fewer resources. Partnerships are a great way to handle some of these challenges. We have trained the phone bank at the Douglas County Library to answer general election questions during the election and they can provide this service at a lower cost than if we hire temps to do the job in house. This is just one example of how partnerships and shared resources can help us meet these difficult times we face. Just like the average family, government must stay within their budgets. We have met these budgetary challenges by cutting our expenses and reducing staff and will continue to do so.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 & 61?

I have said that it is inappropriate for the clerk to comment on candidates or questions on the ballot. Having stated that, it is very important for every citizen to research these questions and understand the sweeping ramifications, should they pass. Proposition 101 will have a dramatic affect on the Clerks Office. People need to understand that when we register a vehicle in Douglas County more than 140 taxing entities receive some of those dollars. This includes Fire and Water Districts, Municipalities and a host of others. The single largest recipient of ownership taxes in Douglas County is Douglas County Schools who get nearly 24 cents out of every registration dollar. Please study the issues carefully before voting on these questions.

Douglas County Assessor

Teri Cox is the Republican candidate and the incumbent Douglas County assessor. She lives in Castle Rock and has been a Douglas County resident for 32 years. She is married and has two children. Cox has a Bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University.

What is your professional background?

I have private sector experience in real estate, office management, surveying and drafting, graphic design and bookkeeping. I have been a secondary school teacher, GIS conversion coordinator, Colorado Division of Property Taxation Instructor, International Association of Assessing Officers presenter and expert witness on property legal descriptions and chain of title.

What is your previous experience in public service?

I have been with the Assessor’s office for 23 years, with experience in every position in the office including eight years as deputy and four years as assessor.

Why are you running for county assessor?

I am running to ensure that the Assessor's office continues to maintain its high degree of professionalism and accuracy.

Please describe the role of the county assessor.

The assessor is charged with discovering, listing, classifying and valuing all real and personal property within the county with the goal of producing the tax warrant with fair and equalized values. In order to do that, the assessor maintains property ownership, land use and improvement characteristics, parcel maps, exemptions, and taxing authority boundaries; values all property following valuation criteria as stipulated by statute and procedures issued by the Property Tax Administrator, sitting to hear protests to the valuations and testifying at higher levels of appeal; certifies values to taxing authorities for determining mill levies; produces an abstract of assessment for the state legislature's use in determining the assessment rate; and finally produces the tax warrant and forwards it to the Treasurer for collection of taxes. Plus other duties too numerous to mention!

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

Thorough knowledge of Colorado statutory requirements; 11 years Colorado Registered Appraiser; 20 years of leadership experience; 23 years hands-on assessment experience including four years of authority and responsibility for the assessor's office

What are your primary goals in this position?

To fairly discover, list, classify and value all property within the county while maintaining exceptional customer service and the efficient, effective government that Douglas County citizens expect and deserve.

If you are elected, what changes to your department, if any, can residents expect?

That will depend on the results of the election on Amendments 60, 61 and Proposition 101.

What is the greatest challenge or shortcoming facing the assessor’s office and what is your proposed fix?

Understanding how the economy affects the Assessor's office. My experience gives me the understanding as to how to coordinate personnel and technology to solve those problems.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 & 61?

While each has a provision or two with merit, I believe that they are all too drastic.

Maritza Carrera, 52, is the Democratic candidate for county assessor.

She lives in Highlands Ranch and has been a resident of Douglas County for 12 years. She is married to Christian and the couple has two daughters, Janna, 20 and Chloe, 14. The family has a 10-year-old Samoyed named Starlet. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and is a Microsoft Systems Certified Engineer (MSCE), Certified Technical Instructor and Licensed Real Estate Broker

What is your professional background?

I am a small business owner, Broker/Owner Progressive, Realtors.

What is your previous experience in public service?

Politics have been a passion for me, and I have been very involved in my community. I served for four years as the elected Highlands Ranch District Captain for the Douglas Democrats.

Why are you running for county assessor?

As a Real Estate broker, I think I am the perfect fit for this position and will bring relevant, private sector experience to the assessor’s office

Please describe the role of the county assessor.

The role of the Assessor’s Office is to establish fair market value for all property in Douglas County for tax purposes. All values are required to be fair, uniform, and equitable. Market value is the price a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller under ordinary circumstances. The Assessor sets policy for the use of multiple sales of comparable properties and neighborhood trends to establish a property's market value.

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

As an experienced Real Estate broker, I will bring practical, private sector experience to this office. On a daily basis my job is to establish the market value of homes and closely monitor market trends

What are your primary goals in this position?

To restore fairness and accountability to the assessment process in Douglas County by putting an end to generations of a single party rule and rampant preferential treatment of some prominent Douglas County residents

If you are elected, what changes to your department, if any, can residents expect?

To level the playing field for ordinary residents. A typical example is the current Property Tax appeals process, which is a complete sham. A homeowner is asked to provide three comparables on three lines of a short form. The homeowner is then met by a professional appraiser armed with a thick booklet with many more comparables and sophisticated price adjustments complete with pictures. A mediator hired by the assessor's office then supposedly renders an impartial decision… I would reform the appeals process to restore fairness and equity and give a better chance to the average homeowner.

What is the greatest challenge or shortcoming facing the assessor’s office and what is your proposed fix?

Falling property values are lowering county revenues. However decreases in home values are not evenly distributed across all home sizes. The current process takes into account neighborhood trends but not price range trends once again disproportionately shifting the tax burden towards smaller property owners. I would work with neighboring County Assessors to restore fairness to the appraisal process.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 & 61?

Amendment 60 will affect property values indirectly, as the school system would be faced with the loss of millions of dollars of funding per year. The lure of lower property taxes is another empty promise, further crippling our schools and other vital services.

Amendment 61 effectively eliminates the county's ability to build or expand any new infrastructure. It is a risky experiment that would eliminate any practical means for state and local governments to make capital improvements

Proposition 101 Would severely impact everything, from roads to schools, with no regard for the actual cost of providing these vital services.

Delmer (Dale) Hamilton, 81, is the Republican candidate for county assessor and lives in Larkspur.

He has been a resident of Douglas County for 40 years. Hamilton is a land development engineer and owns Hamilton Enterprises, Ltd. Hamilton is married with two daughters and two grand daughters. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri and a Certificate in Paralegal Studies Boston University Online; Boston, Massachusetts.

What is your professional background?

I hold engineering licenses and land surveying licenses from the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Texas and Missouri. He is founder and president of Hamilton Enterprises, Ltd., Larkspur. This Civil Engineering and Land Surveying company is in its 46th year of providing professional services to land developers. From 1964 to present, the company has planned, designed, and supervised the construction of over 75,000 acres of subdivisions—nearly 6,000 acres of which is located in Douglas County—Bannockburn, Deerfield, Hidden Village, Russellville, and The Pinery.

What is your previous experience in public service?

Honorable Discharge, U.S. Navy, Honorable Discharge, U.S. Air Force, City Engineer, Aurora, County Engineer, Elbert County, County Planner, Elbert County, Land Use Administrator, Elbert County and Deputy County Surveyor, Park County.

Why are you running for County Surveyor?

Most County Surveyors are seldom, if ever, called upon to settle a “boundary dispute.” And that is the only duty assigned to his/her office by state law. If authorized by the County Commissioners, the County Surveyor may be assigned other surveying tasks, but boundary disputes are the only duties and obligations imposed upon the Surveyor’s Office by the state.

Here, we are talking “boundary disputes” involving the public rectangular survey system—not the property line between your lot and your neighbor’s lot next door.

To start their work, on any given survey, surveyors have to plow through a lot of public records at the courthouse searching for evidence. The County Surveyor’s website could become a “one stop” shop for surveyors. Most of this information already exists in the county’s computer systems. It’ a matter of compiling it into one data base.

I believe my years of experience will allow me to select the best information for the website.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 & 61?

I have not yet read the initiatives, propositions, or amendments. However, unlike Washington, I will read them before I vote.

Douglas County Coroner

Beth-Anne Thomas, 54, is the Democratic candidate for Douglas County coroner. She lives in Parker and has been a resident of Douglas County for 14 years. Thomas is single with one daughter, Nicole, who is a graduate of Ponderosa High School. Nicole’s husband Jon is an Iraq war veteran and is currently studying pre-med. Thomas is expecting her first grandchild in April. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University Of Colorado/Denver, 1977, a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado/Denver, 1986. Thomas has also completed several graduate courses in Education, Mathematics and Sociology at the University of Colorado, additional Chemistry and Mathematics courses at a Community College. She is presently working on self study of Medical Terminology.

What is your professional background?

I worked my way through college as a Department Manager for King Soopers. In the early 90’s I worked for Continental Airlines as a Senior Systems Analyst. In 1994 I accepted employment with Information Builders as a Senior Consultant and a Software Instructor. In 1999 I went to work for US West, which later became Quest as a Lead Software Development Engineer. I currently work for Poudre Valley Health System in Decision Support.

What is your previous experience in public service?

I have never been employed in the public sector, unless you want to count the one semester that I worked as a Teaching Assistant at UCD. However I have worked to be involved in the community. As the parent of a child that was in the Ponderosa High School marching band from 1997-2001, that was a full time job, ask anyone whose child was in that program. Additionally I do ride a motorcycle, I use my hobby to help charities in the community, by taking part in charity rides, including the Annual Children’s hospital Toy Run, The Ride for Heroes, and most recently a ride to benefit the Women’s Crisis Center in Douglas County.

Why are you running for county coroner?

My first response to this question is that I want to give voters a choice. I really hate it when I open my ballot, and there is only one candidate to choose from. I also have a strong desire to contribute more to my community, and I believe that I can do that in this position. Beyond that, I came to understand how important the Coroner can be to a grieving family when my father passed away in April of this year. I think that I can bring compassion to the position, as well as ensuring that all paperwork involved in is completed accurately and without delay.

Please describe the primary role of the county coroner.

The primary role of the Coroner's Office is to determine and document the cause and manner of death. That is the official definition of the function off the office, however there is much more to the Coroner's job. The Coroner must run the office, manage the budget, deal with personnel issues and make sure that all the "I's" are dotted and the "T's" crossed on all paperwork regarding the deceased. The Coroner must also have a good working relationship with the law enforcement agencies in the county. I believe that it is equally important that the Coroner is there to provide information and support to the families of the deceased.

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

The Coroner is responsible for managing the office, the budget and personnel. I have many years experience doing this in the private sector. I come into this position with the goal of treating everyone that interfaces with the office with Compassion, Dignity and Respect. You really cannot know how important this is unless you have been there. I have, and as recently as six months ago.

What are your primary goals in this position?

Most of the citizens of Douglas County have no idea what goes on in the office. This is partly because Douglas County is not a huge Crime Mecca; I credit our law enforcement agencies, particularly the Sherriff’s Department for keeping our crime rate low. There are very few murders to investigate. That’s a good thing. My goal is to bring more transparency to the office. I would like the citizens of the county to be more informed about the activities of the office. I would like to utilize the internet to report on the activities of the office in detail to the taxpayers.

If you are elected, what changes to your department, if any, can residents expect?

I would like the Coroner’s office to become more involved in the community. The Sherriff’s Department currently does an excellent job with community outreach. I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the Sherriff at the Castle Pines North Octoberfest. I had to admire the wonderful display presented by the department. Anyone who attended that event knows exactly what the Sherriff’s Department has to offer. I would like the citizens to be equally educated about what the Coroner’s office has to offer.

What is the greatest challenge or shortcoming facing the coroner’s office and what is your proposed fix?

Budget cuts, particularly if amendments 60, 61 and 101 pass. I will strive to meet the budget, while maintaining a high level of service, and avoiding layoffs. Now is not the time to add people to the unemployment lines. I will state unequivocally that it will be my goal to attempt to keep all the current employees in their current positions. I believe that reducing staff is the easy solution, too often used to reduce a budget, and as a result not only do the employees suffer, but so do the services. Anyone who has had to stand in a line, or sit on hold, while dealing with a company that has reduced staff to meet a budget can tell you this is not a good solution. Employees are our greatest asset, and should be treated as such. I intend to work with the current employees to find other means of meeting the budget requirements. This may include expanding the opportunities to vend services to other counties.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 & 61?

First of all I need to state, that there is absolutely NOTHING about the Coroner’s office that is political. I am a member of a political party, because years ago as a registered independent, I felt I was left out of the political process. That being said, I will let the voters decide for themselves. But I do have an editorial comment on Amendment 60. Most of us here in Douglas County pay our property tax with our mortgage each month. If taxes are reduced today, most property owners will not reap the benefit for months, not until their mortgage company pays their taxes, and even then, most of us have to wait until our annual escrow wash to see our house payments go down. At best most of us are only going to save around $25-$30 a month. However, there are a great many foreclosed properties in this state owned by Citibank, Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank Of America etc., and I am betting that they are not happy about having to pay taxes on all these properties. I believe that a yes vote on 60, is yet another bail out for the big financial companies

Lora Thomas, 54, is the Republican candidate for Douglas County coroner.

She lives in Highlands Ranch and has been a resident of Douglas County for 18 years. Thomas has one son, Creighton, who lives in Highlands Ranch. Her mother, brothers and their families live in the Denver metro area. Thomas has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Arapahoe Community College, a Business Administration degree with an Emphasis in Finance from Regis University, a Masters in Business Administration from Regis University was class vice-president at the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University and attended the St. Louis University School of Medicine’s Death Investigator School.

What is your professional background?

I worked for the Colorado State Patrol of 26 years. My career began as a dispatcher, and I then served as a State Trooper in Douglas County. I earned promotions to Sergeant, Captain and then Major. As a Major I oversaw Criminal Investigations, Motorcycles, Aircraft, Hazardous Materials, Motor Carrier Safety and the K-9 Unit. Gov. Owens appointed me to Chair the North Central Homeland Security Region for the Denver Metro Area, and I worked with 22 police chiefs, sheriffs and fire chiefs from 10 metro counties on the Board of Directors. After retiring from the State Patrol I was contracted by the Colorado Department of Public Health to research homicides and suicides in Colorado as part of the National Violent Death Reporting System. Through a better understanding of these sudden and unexpected deaths, prevention efforts can be targeted. To date I have reviewed over 6,000 cases.

What is your previous experience in public service?

The Victim Compensation Board, 18th Judicial District Appointed by the District Attorney. I currently serve as Chairman of the Board. The Public Issues Committee, Highlands Ranch Homeowners Association. I am Vice-Chairman and have served on the committee since 2005. I worked on the TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Program to raise money for families who have lost a Loved One in the service of Our Country. I volunteered for that organization for three years. I have been actively involved in the Douglas County Republican Party since 2005. I participated as a room mother and on the Accountability Committee while Creighton attended South, Castle Rock, Rock Ridge and Limon Public Schools.

Why are you running for county coroner?

I am running for Douglas County Coroner because I will bring fresh, new ideas for managing the budget while meeting the needs of families of the deceased. The Coroner is NOT the doctor who performs the autopsy; there is already a forensic pathologist employed in the office. The Coroner serves in an executive position that is accountable to both the family of the deceased AND the taxpayer. As a state trooper I investigated thousands of accidents and worked with many families who lost a Loved One suddenly and expectedly. I am compassionate, and will bring my history of helping families during their worst nightmare. As a Major in the State Patrol I managed over 100 employees and numerous budgets so I have the proven track record needed to be responsible for a current budget of $1.2 million and the staff of 11. I do not need 90 days of on-the-job training to learn about the position that my opponent described at the Denver Metro Funeral Directors Association’s Forum on September 1. I have the experience, background and ability to make a positive difference for the citizens in Douglas County, and can start the day I am sworn in.

Please describe the primary role of the county coroner.

The position of Coroner was established in the State Constitution in 1876, and Colorado is one of ten states that still maintains that office as an elected position. The Coroner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of death in sudden and/or unexpected deaths. In Douglas County many people work together to answer that question. A deputy coroner performs an on-scene investigation while law enforcement performs a parallel investigation. Positive identification of the victim is made, and next-of-kin are notified. Medical records for the victim are obtained by the Coroner’s office, and a forensic pathologist performs an autopsy. Toxicology and other tests are also conducted. All of this information is compiled, and cause and manner of death are determined. Public health is notified if certain contagious diseases are discovered. The Coroner’s office works with other entities and plans for response to various emergency situations. The Coroner is accountable to the family of the deceased as well as the taxpayer. The Coroner manages the budget, and works with the Commissioners and other county staff to ensure that tax dollars are spent appropriately.

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

I investigated my first fatal accident which was on Highway 67 west of Sedalia in 1984, and since that time I’ve been involved in hundreds of situations involving a death. I’ve witnessed hundreds of autopsies and I am the only candidate who is a nationally certified death investigator. Let me remind you, though, that this Coroner’s position is a management position, not solely an investigator job. I am applying to be your County Coroner which requires high level, executive experience in managing budgets and personnel. As a Major in the Colorado State Patrol I was outranked by only 4 officers in a department of 950 members. I have experience in making independent decisions about hiring and terminating employees. As the Major in Durango I worked collaboratively with 17 sheriffs, numerous police chiefs and two sovereign Indian Nations. My three college degrees directly relate to the responsibilities of the Coroner. Finally, I have told families that they’ve lost a Loved One, and after all these years, I still hear from those families. I am compassionate, and all families who are faced with dealing with my Office will be treated with respect and dignity.

What are your primary goals in this position?

I am a Fiscal conservative and my primary goal is to control the runaway spending in the Douglas County Coroner’s office. For example, in 2009, about $70,000 in overtime was paid out to seven employees. I have compared expenditures in our Coroner’s office and found them to be significantly higher than those in other offices. I’ve also determined that the caseload is half of that in other counties. The use of comp time off and more efficient scheduling will reduce the overtime costs.

I have a proven track record of working collaboratively with Law Enforcement during my career with the State Patrol and while researching homicides and suicides for the State Health Department. As the Coroner I will establish relationships with all agencies that my office works in conjunction with. These relationships will be based on trust, mutual respect and the need to provide a compassionate yet thorough investigation.

The employees in the Coroner’s office depend on an up to date Operations Manual that clearly defines their responsibilities and the parameters of their actions. Policies and procedures that guide decision making will ensure success and satisfaction for all involved.

If you are elected, what changes to your department, if any, can residents expect?

I will prepare an annual report that accurately reflects the services that have been provided by the Coroner’s office. It will detail the kinds of deaths that occurred in the county during the year and how the tax dollars were spent. This report will be available on the Coroner’s website so the public can easily access this information. I will establish a panel of experts will be available to review any case that involves controversy. Returning trust and transparency to the Coroner’s office is essential. The expenditures in the Douglas County Coroner’s office will be revised and reduced so that the taxpayers in our county are paying similar amounts to neighboring counties. The Douglas County Coroner is currently the only office in the metro area that requires that he sign or co-sign every death certificate issued in Douglas County. There is no state law that requires this. This requirement imposes an unnecessary burden on funeral homes, and subsequently, the time frame for the delivery of the death certificate to the family is unnecessarily extended. All death certificates will not be required to be co-signed.

What is the greatest challenge or shortcoming facing the coroner’s office and was is your proposed fix?

Change is often viewed with trepidation but change brings fresh ideas and new opportunities. This concept was recognized by the voters during two different elections when they expressed their desire to maintain term limits for our elected officials in Douglas County. This is the challenge when people say that the continuity and maintaining the status quo in the Coroner’s office is important.

My proposed fix is offering a clear plan of action that is detailed on my website: www.ThomasForCoroner.com. I am committed to reducing the spending in the Coroner’s office while providing families with answers in a compassionate manner.

What is your opinion on the proposed tax reform initiatives, Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 & 61?

The first part of this answer must address what happened to cause enough interest to get Amendments 60 & 61, and Proposition 101 on the 2010 ballot in the first place. In 1992 the voters of Colorado approved TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which mandated that any tax increase would be subjected to a vote of the people. In the last four years Gov. Ritter, the Democrat-controlled legislature and the Colorado Supreme Court have by-passed TABOR by using various means of raising revenue to include the use of fees. At a time when our economy is floundering, raising taxes by whatever means the government uses, negatively impacts small business and prevents it from reinvesting and growing. While I believe that reducing taxes benefits business and grows the economy, I am researching each of these measures to better understand its impact. In regard to the tax dollars allocated to the Coroner’s office, I can assure you that I am committed to reducing the costs in the office.