Jeffco Pols - ted mink

Storey, Mink Want Three Terms

Jeffco Pols — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:13:14 GMT

From The Columbine Courier:

For Jeffco District Attorney Scott Storey, eight is definitely not enough.
Term limits mean that Storey must leave office when his second four-year term ends in 2012, but he's determined to stick around. And so, he will soon propose to the county commissioners that the limits be extended to let him seek another term.
"As it applies to the DA, and as it applies to those offices that are not necessarily policy-makers but have a specialty attached to them - like the sheriff, for example - I felt like eight years is not enough," Storey said.
He has broached the subject with the commissioners and County Attorney Ellen Wakeman. Wakeman would have to prepare a resolution for the commissioners to put the proposal on the November ballot in Jefferson County...
Sheriff Ted Mink has expressed interest in the idea but so far hasn't asked the commissioners to approve a resolution. He gave several reasons why he would favor adding another term.
"There are a lot of people out there reluctant to run for office because of term limits," Mink said. "They could be out of a job in eight years, and they're not financially in the position to do that. The system leaves it to people in the back side of their career to run for office in these positions."
Mink agrees with Storey, saying the first four years are spent "getting comfortable and knowledgeable" about the office. If voters in the county don't like the job the sheriff or any other elected official is doing, "they can vote them out," Mink said. "If it's that glaring to the public that the (elected official) isn't fulfilling the contract with the voters, they can vote them out."

Three terms?

convinceme — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:43:42 GMT

Reading about Sheriff Mink and DA Storey wanting third terms, I could understand their point of view. Experience helps. Then I thought about the wider issues and it appears to me that an incumbent is harder to beat than a candidate from outside. It looks to me as if that may be the important issue.
Incumbents have the advantage of maintaining party control of counties or the state. It is for that reason that I, among Jeffco Republicans, went door to door with petitions, to get term limits on elected officials, even competent, professional ones such as these two men.
So, no, Sheriff Mink and DA Storey, sorry. Two terms are enough. The people signed petitions and spoke in an election. Are we to change the law depending on who the officials are or are we to let the people's decision stand? I think we should let the people's decision stand. That's conservative and best for our system of government long run.

Pay Cuts Force Jeffco Sheriff Staff Out the Door

Skyler — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:46:26 GMT

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office will be losing 65 employees this year alone, reports the Denver Post:

A reduced county pension contribution coupled with lower-than- market pay has Jefferson County sheriff's employees heading for the door.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is on track this year to lose 65 of its more than 700 employees - most of them sworn officers. Many will go to departments in Denver, Aurora, Commerce City and Adams County.
"It's a competitive market right now," said Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink.
Mink recently told county commissioners: "It will be pretty hard to maintain our level of service at some point." [Pols Emphasis]

Mink and his commanders blame a retirement program that was behind other agencies' offerings. In January, it lost more ground when the county reduced its match for the defined contribution plan - which works as a 401(k) plan - from 10 percent to 8 percent.
Arvada, Boulder, Commerce City, Littleton and Westminster all contribute 10 percent; Thornton, 9 percent; Aurora, 10.5 percent; and Golden, 13 percent.
Jefferson County not only hasn't kept up, "They're going in the wrong direction," said Don Christensen, executive director of County Sheriffs of Colorado. [Pols Emphasis]

Jefferson County? Going in a wrong direction? No. That certainly hasn't happened before.

The Post continues:

Jefferson County deputy pay is falling behind, the command staff says. A sheriff's survey of 15 metro-area law enforcement agencies in January found the county had slipped.
A Jefferson County deputy on the job for a year earns $48,000 while a Denver officer with the same experience earns $51,576. The gap widens with more years of service.
The Jefferson County commanders told county commissioners the answer to the deputy drain is to restore the 2 percent pension match.
"That would make the biggest statement and have the greatest impact immediately," Undersheriff Ray Fleer said.
Mink supports a separate retirement system for sworn officers. Cost: $740,000 a year.

This is just another in a long line of Jefferson County's residents taking a hit because of poor leadership decisions on behalf of the county. It's interesting to note that the County has spent nearly $500,000 dollars in legal fees alone, defending its own elected officials. Of course, that's not all our tax dollars are used for here in Jefferson County.

With a new board taking office come January still dominated by the policies of Kevin McCasky and a 2-1 Republican vote on the Board of Commissioners, there's little hope in sight for Jeffco or its residents. Note McCasky's quote in the Post, where he takes the snap and quickly punts:

Commissioner Kevin McCasky said he's confident "our budget folks and the Sheriff's Office can work something out."

Yeah, we'd hate for you to have to make a decision on something important.

But hey, at least we're not El Paso.