Heimlicher leaving council with no regrets
Colorado Springs Councilman Jerry Heimlicher stunned the community this week when he announced he was resigning Sept. 30, less than six months after winning re-election.
Heimlicher, who retired from Ford Motor Co. after a 38-year career, said the economic downturn and concerns about the future of Ford and how it could affect his pension, which has afforded him a comfortable life in Colorado Springs, prompted his resignation.
During a wide-ranging interview with The Gazette, Heimlicher clarified today that “the primary reason” he was resigning and moving to a suburb of Memphis, Tenn., which is where he and his wife, Mary Margaret, grew up, was to be closer to family and friends.
Heimlicher said he has no regrets about the 6½ years he served on the City Council. But he said he worries about the future of the city. Here are edited excerpts of the interview.
Question: Why are you leaving?
Heimlicher: Two main reasons, and the primary reason (is to be closer to family and friends). We don’t have a financial problem.”
Q: Your health is fine?
H: I’m going to have a physical in two weeks, and maybe I’ll find out bad news then, but I don’t know it now. As far as I know, I’m healthy as a horse, and my wife is doing well. There’s no hidden reason behind (my resignation).
Q: An elected office is about public service. What would you tell people who say you’ve put your own interests before those of the public?
H: During my career, we put family second as we moved all across the country. I traveled a lot. I left the burden on my wife a lot for raising the kids. Then on City Council … I put family second to the community and did it willingly and happily ... Now, I have to say, if it comes down to doing this job or doing what’s right for us as a family, there isn’t any decision. It’s going to be family first, and I don’t apologize for that.
Q: Let’s play a game of word association. I’ll say some names and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind.
H: OK
Q: Bernie Herpin:
H: Dedicated
Q: Scott Hente
H: Very capable
Q: Tom Gallagher
H: In his own way, a very effective champion for the people
Q: Randy Purvis
H: Uninvolved
Q: Darryl Glenn
H: Ambitious to a fault
Q: Jan Martin
H: Breath of fresh air
Q: Larry Small
H: Smart. Too quick to get angry
Q: Lionel Rivera
H: I think effective is a good word for him.
Q: Do you regret running for re-election in April?
H: If I knew in February what I know now, I wouldn’t have run. That would have been ridiculous, not just to put myself through that because if I knew it, I would be doing the city and the constituents a disservice.
Q: Being a council member is a thankless job that pays $6,250 a year …
H: (Interrupts) Did you read the blogs on the first story about me leaving? Eighty-nine as of last night, and 86 of them were ‘Glad he’s going,’ ‘About time,’ ‘Jumping rat leaving ship,’ ‘Now it’s time to get the other eight.’
Q: Did that kind of criticism factor into your decision to leave?
H: No. I’ve been in a high-pressure executive position my whole adult career, and I wouldn’t have gotten into this if I didn’t think I could handle it. Now, I will say this, I never developed the thick skin that a politician needs to develop, and I still took personal comments personally.”
Q: What worries you about Colorado Springs going forward?
H: The current financial situation is real. It’s not trumped up. It’s not scare tactics. But I think too many people believe it is … I worry about the quality of life of our city because of the deteriorating financial condition of the city government
Q: Do you have any regrets during your time on council?
H: I guess I’m sorry that there is such a feeling of distrust and the feeling of it’s the community versus the council. That’s sad for me because I know how hard some of our decisions are. I regret that there is such a, I guess you could call it confrontational, attitude toward the council and actually any elected person.
Q: What will be your legacy in Colorado Springs?
H: I don’t have that big an ego to think I have a legacy. I would just like to think that the 6½ years that I’ve represented my district as well as the city, if they talk about me a year from now, two years from now or three years from now, I hope they say he did a good job, he represented us well, he listened to us, he came out and learned about us and then he championed things that would make it a better place to live.
