LovelandPolitics
| Loveland's Independent News Source |
| Two Apparent Law Breakers Hoping to Govern Larimer County |
Loveland - May 21, 2018
As Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaitor struggles to survive the terminal multiple
myeloma, blood cancer, he has endured without complaint for years, candidates are
lining-up to replace him on the Larimer County Board of Commissioners. Gaitor chose to
run an ill-fated gubernatorial campaign rather than defend his commissioner seat thus
leaving an open seat for the November ballot.
Loveland residents may find it odd they will have a vote for the representative of Larimer
County's most northern and rural district, District 1, which encompasses parts of north Fort
Collins all the way to the Wyoming border. Unlike Loveland, where only the residents of a
ward can elect their representative on the city council, Larimer County is divided into three
districts yet each commissioner must run county-wide to be elected to the Board of County
Commissioners.
Ft. Collins real estate broker Sean Dougherty positioned himself early to replace Gaitor by
seeking endorsements from established Republican Party elected officials like Gaitor and
party regulars. Dougherty will face Chalon Kintzley, a newcomer, in the Republican
Primary June 26, to determine who will face Democratic State Legislator John Kefalas, the
Democrats' choice, in the November general election.
'Running As Chief Code Enforcement Officer'
According to one Larimer County Republican official who chose not to endorse Dougherty,
"he is way to interested in representing the county's interest in the public instead of
the public's interests in the county government."
A longtime member and Chairman of the Larimer County Planning Commission, Dougherty
has presided over numerous controversial land use decisions by the county. Most
recently, Dougherty championed opening a gravel pit next to the upscale residential
neighborhood in Johnstown's 25/34 development named Thompson Crossing.
Also an active member of the Red Feather Lakes' PAC (Planning Advisory Committee),
Dourgherty has never shied away from lecturing fellow land owners in the unincorporated
area regarding their obligations to follow county code. A frequent commenter on the
Nextdoor.com website for Red Feather Lakes Village, Dougherty advised one property
owner from parking a trailer on his land while telling another rural resident they don't pay
enough property taxes to expect better county services.
Especially ironic, Dougherty's profile page on the social media site (see image at bottom of
this story) states,
"This is a second home for us, that we rent out through Rob Allman at Ramona Lake
Cabins. We live in Ft. Collins and dearly love RFL!"
According to sources in the Larimer County planning department, Dougherty's vacation
rental located at 56 Village View Lane in the unincorporated Red Feather Lakes Village
has not been approved by the Larimer County Planning Commission (which he chairs) or
the Larimer County Commissioners for the Site Plan Review necessary to convert the
property into a short-term vacation rental. In other words, the Chairman of the Larimer
County Planning Commission is illegally renting his vacation cabin in Red Feather Lakes.
Rural county residents must pay approximately $2,000 to apply for the required county
review to determine whether the property may be rented on a short-term basis. The
process is long and involved requiring notification of neighbors, filing numerous
documents and appearing before the Larimer County Planning Commission whose
chairman is illegally renting his own property through the commercial front of the Ramona
Lake Cabins.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald highlighted the plight of one Lovelander who was
threatened with fines by Larimer County in 2016 as they stepped-up enforcement against
residents listing vacation rentals on Air B&B that were not approved. LovelandPolitics
could find no evidence of a similar enforcement action against Dougherty's illegal vacation
rental.
Democrats' Kefalas Equally Scandalous
Colorado State Senator John Kefalas, the Democratic nominee for county commissioner,
may also find being elected county-wide difficult given his own history of ignoring certain
federal laws. A sympathizer of the communist rebels in El Salvador, Sen. Kefalas refused
to pay all of his income tax throughout the 1980's and early 1990's in what he claims was a
personal protest against the United State's role in supporting the Salvadoran Government
fighting the infamous rebel groups including the infamous Salvatrucha. It was this
Salvadoran rebel group whose members later migrating to the United States are now
known by their shorter name MS-13. (MS stands for Mara or Gang Salvatrucha).
Kefalas' delinquent federal income taxes were finally paid when an IRS lien was litigated to
collect them through forced garnishment of his wages. A native of Greece, Kefalas' own
political positions are described as to the left the Greek Socialist Party. While running in a
largely left-leaning central Ft. Collins State House District, Kefalas lost to Republican Bob
McClusky in 2004 and later took the seat by a narrow margin in 2006 which he managed
to retain until being elected to the State Senate in 2012.
Least Known Candidate May Have Best Odds
Republican candidate Chalon Kintzley, looking like the Marlboro Man in his campaign
advertising, is a relative newcomer to county politics. A longtime rural north county
resident, Kintzley is attacking Dougherty for wearing his signature Hawaiian shirts in a slick
campaign commercial. Kintzley has been long on philosophy but short on specifics
regarding his ambitions for the office.
Given Kefalas' radical past, local political pundits feel a more moderate Democrat could
easily win Larimer County especially if the Libertarian Party runs a candidate who would
normally take approximately 5% of the Republican candidate's votes. Larimer County has
recently voted slightly favoring Democrats but is at near parity between the two parties in
national candidate election outcomes with a growing number of independent voters.
Kefalas is not expected to capture the large number of independent voters only loyal
Democratic votes thus leaving the seat open to a Republican candidate provided that
candidate can appeal to a more centrist and independent constituency.
As Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaitor struggles to survive the terminal multiple
myeloma, blood cancer, he has endured without complaint for years, candidates are
lining-up to replace him on the Larimer County Board of Commissioners. Gaitor chose to
run an ill-fated gubernatorial campaign rather than defend his commissioner seat thus
leaving an open seat for the November ballot.
Loveland residents may find it odd they will have a vote for the representative of Larimer
County's most northern and rural district, District 1, which encompasses parts of north Fort
Collins all the way to the Wyoming border. Unlike Loveland, where only the residents of a
ward can elect their representative on the city council, Larimer County is divided into three
districts yet each commissioner must run county-wide to be elected to the Board of County
Commissioners.
Ft. Collins real estate broker Sean Dougherty positioned himself early to replace Gaitor by
seeking endorsements from established Republican Party elected officials like Gaitor and
party regulars. Dougherty will face Chalon Kintzley, a newcomer, in the Republican
Primary June 26, to determine who will face Democratic State Legislator John Kefalas, the
Democrats' choice, in the November general election.
'Running As Chief Code Enforcement Officer'
According to one Larimer County Republican official who chose not to endorse Dougherty,
"he is way to interested in representing the county's interest in the public instead of
the public's interests in the county government."
A longtime member and Chairman of the Larimer County Planning Commission, Dougherty
has presided over numerous controversial land use decisions by the county. Most
recently, Dougherty championed opening a gravel pit next to the upscale residential
neighborhood in Johnstown's 25/34 development named Thompson Crossing.
Also an active member of the Red Feather Lakes' PAC (Planning Advisory Committee),
Dourgherty has never shied away from lecturing fellow land owners in the unincorporated
area regarding their obligations to follow county code. A frequent commenter on the
Nextdoor.com website for Red Feather Lakes Village, Dougherty advised one property
owner from parking a trailer on his land while telling another rural resident they don't pay
enough property taxes to expect better county services.
Especially ironic, Dougherty's profile page on the social media site (see image at bottom of
this story) states,
"This is a second home for us, that we rent out through Rob Allman at Ramona Lake
Cabins. We live in Ft. Collins and dearly love RFL!"
According to sources in the Larimer County planning department, Dougherty's vacation
rental located at 56 Village View Lane in the unincorporated Red Feather Lakes Village
has not been approved by the Larimer County Planning Commission (which he chairs) or
the Larimer County Commissioners for the Site Plan Review necessary to convert the
property into a short-term vacation rental. In other words, the Chairman of the Larimer
County Planning Commission is illegally renting his vacation cabin in Red Feather Lakes.
Rural county residents must pay approximately $2,000 to apply for the required county
review to determine whether the property may be rented on a short-term basis. The
process is long and involved requiring notification of neighbors, filing numerous
documents and appearing before the Larimer County Planning Commission whose
chairman is illegally renting his own property through the commercial front of the Ramona
Lake Cabins.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald highlighted the plight of one Lovelander who was
threatened with fines by Larimer County in 2016 as they stepped-up enforcement against
residents listing vacation rentals on Air B&B that were not approved. LovelandPolitics
could find no evidence of a similar enforcement action against Dougherty's illegal vacation
rental.
Democrats' Kefalas Equally Scandalous
Colorado State Senator John Kefalas, the Democratic nominee for county commissioner,
may also find being elected county-wide difficult given his own history of ignoring certain
federal laws. A sympathizer of the communist rebels in El Salvador, Sen. Kefalas refused
to pay all of his income tax throughout the 1980's and early 1990's in what he claims was a
personal protest against the United State's role in supporting the Salvadoran Government
fighting the infamous rebel groups including the infamous Salvatrucha. It was this
Salvadoran rebel group whose members later migrating to the United States are now
known by their shorter name MS-13. (MS stands for Mara or Gang Salvatrucha).
Kefalas' delinquent federal income taxes were finally paid when an IRS lien was litigated to
collect them through forced garnishment of his wages. A native of Greece, Kefalas' own
political positions are described as to the left the Greek Socialist Party. While running in a
largely left-leaning central Ft. Collins State House District, Kefalas lost to Republican Bob
McClusky in 2004 and later took the seat by a narrow margin in 2006 which he managed
to retain until being elected to the State Senate in 2012.
Least Known Candidate May Have Best Odds
Republican candidate Chalon Kintzley, looking like the Marlboro Man in his campaign
advertising, is a relative newcomer to county politics. A longtime rural north county
resident, Kintzley is attacking Dougherty for wearing his signature Hawaiian shirts in a slick
campaign commercial. Kintzley has been long on philosophy but short on specifics
regarding his ambitions for the office.
Given Kefalas' radical past, local political pundits feel a more moderate Democrat could
easily win Larimer County especially if the Libertarian Party runs a candidate who would
normally take approximately 5% of the Republican candidate's votes. Larimer County has
recently voted slightly favoring Democrats but is at near parity between the two parties in
national candidate election outcomes with a growing number of independent voters.
Kefalas is not expected to capture the large number of independent voters only loyal
Democratic votes thus leaving the seat open to a Republican candidate provided that
candidate can appeal to a more centrist and independent constituency.
| Larimer County's Chairman of the Planning Commission, Sean Dougherty, illegal vacation rental (top) was rented through the Ramona Lake Cabins (office below) |
| Larimer County Commission candidate and Planning Commissioner Sean Dougherty addressing students about his campaign while wearing his signature Hawaiian shirt under his suit jacket |
| Colorado State Senator John Kefalas running as the Democratic candidate for Larimer County Commissioner |
| Chalon Kintzley is a third-generation native of Larimer County hoping to displace Sean Dougherty as the Republican nominee on the ballot this November for Larimer County Commissioner |