CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Less than two weeks until Election Day and Castle Rock voters will decide who will be the town's next mayor, as current mayor Jason Gray serves his final term.
Residents will elect one of Amelia Thomas, Stu Butler and current Mayor Pro Tem Laura Cavey.
Denver7's Douglas County Reporter Tyler Melito sat down with Thomas and Butler, discussing their reason for running and answering questions from Castle Rock residents.
Melito also made the same offer to Cavey. Her campaign manager responded to his request saying Cavey had a full schedule and respectfully declined an on-camera interview and reffered him to Cavey's campaign website (linked above).
Thomas grew up in Castle Rock, moved away and has since returned to raise her family. She shared that she represents young families in town, a voice she moves isn't currently present in town government.
Butler moved to Castle Rock 22 years ago. He says he and his wife knew in six months that they were never going to leave. He joined the Downtown Development Authority in Castle Rock a little more than a decade ago.
Cavey has called Castle Rock home for 17 years, now serving in her second term on the Town Council.
One of the topics Melito heard from residents about was growth in Castle Rock.
Alicia and Adell ask what the candidate's thoughts are on all the growth. What does growth look like if they are elected Mayor?
"I think just taking into consideration the developments that are coming through, as well as making sure that we are pacing them out further, so that we can make sure that we're using a lot of those impact fees and other fees that we charge for developments to even things out and grow slower rather than just building to build," Thomas told Melito.
"Our growth has been relatively static over the last four or five years, we're not growing out of control," Butler detailed. "I understand growth. I looked at what the plan of development was, and I felt that it was doable. 140,000 people is is small, maybe not small to people who lived here when it was 500 people, but it's still a small, still small town."
"Growth that outpaces its own roads isn't growth," Cavey wrote on her campaign website. "It's gridlock with a ribbon-cutting."
But growth is a very large topic. Some of you had very specific questions. Viewers Todd and Henry ask what plans do you have to ensure should there be an accident on I-25, that it doesn’t cause extreme traffic in neighborhoods?
"CDOT has a plan when I 25 shuts down," Butler outlined. "The last two times that has happened, CDOT did not follow that plan, and so they shut the highway down in a manner that pushed the traffic into the into the town, and of course it's going to happen on a Friday afternoon, right when when it's the worst worst time that it could happen. We are on a major arterial between two of the biggest cities in Colorado. There's nothing we can do about that other than hope that between CDOT, Douglas County Sheriff's, Colorado State Patrol, and our own law enforcement that we're managing that traffic and how how it runs through our town."
"I think a lot of that's working with other local communities as well as CDOT to see what our best routes are for getting around town when that closes," Thomas responded.
Others like Tim asked about what your plans are to address water restrictions in Castle Rock as the population continues to grow? How do the candidates intend to work with Castle Rock Water to ensure what the town has available will last?
"If the water isn't real, the approval shouldn't be either," Cavey has on her website.
"The town has hired the right person for that job, and Mark Marlow," Butler proclaimed. "The water department has planned for the 140,000 people, so we have the water available for it. Even in drought years, we have to be careful, obviously, but everybody should conserve no matter what. Even if it's not a drought, doesn't mean that you waste.
A few people, including Carrie, Wanda and Tara asked about parking in downtown. What vision do you have for both expanding parking overall and for handicap parking?
"Castle Rock is, in my view, the most desirable community in the Front Range, and I'll stand by that any time," Butler said. "The problem with parking is a perception and not actually a reality. There's plenty of parking spaces. I think the issue is that we don't let people know where all of the parking is."
"We have right next to us this great parking structure, which I think has alleviated that a lot," Thomas detailed. "When there's big downtown events and Wilcox is closed, there's definitely no way to get around."
But it wasn't all about growth. Some, like Lora, asked would the candidates support censuring Council Member Mark Davis specifically, and what do they intend to do to ensure all town employees act in the best interests of the town?
"I've tried to stay out of it because it's I'm not involved in it, I don't want to be involved in it," Butler said. "I've said on record before that the recall was not a good thing to do. I intend to serve the community to the best of my ability. Make decisions from the dias based on what's best for the town, and only what's best for the town.
Cavey voted against the recall effort of Davis in August, having expressed her opposition to it on the record. On her website she writes: "An unenforced rule isn't a rule — it's a favor waiting to be asked. Castle Rock deserves a process nobody has to take on faith."
"I think this is a good way to have people that live here see somebody working with the town and representing them on the town council," Thomas shared. "Ethics is always something very important to me, and so making sure that we are caring about the town and not doing situations that would hurt the town in any way."
