Primary preview: Sheriff, two other races contests in Teller County

Six Republican candidates are running in three contested primary races this year in Teller County, for the offices of sheriff, assessor and clerk and recorder.

In the race for sheriff, the candidates say it’s a battle over who has the best experience for the job. Mike Ensminger said his educational background and managerial experience make him the race’s only qualified candidate, while his opponent, Mark Manriquez, touts his 30-plus years in law enforcement.

Meanwhile, races for Teller County Assessor and county Clerk and Recorder pit those experienced in county government against political newcomers with plans for change.

Sheriff:

Mike Ensminger said his bachelor’s degree in organizational management and background in police administration sets him apart from his opponent in the Republican primary race for Teller County Sheriff. Ensminger said he would bring transparency to the sheriff’s office and would work to restructure the department to free up money for training, ammunition and pay raises for deputies, among other things.

“We need someone who has the background and experience to prepare the Teller County office so we don’t lose positions and so we can operate at a standard level,” he said. “I teach people how to operate within a budget, how to understand it and how to interpret it, and I’m the only candidate who has the ability to do that.”  

Ensminger taught law enforcement in higher education for 22 years and is currently a professor of criminal justice in Colorado Springs. He declined to name where he teaches, citing concerns from his employer that revealing the organization imply that it endorses his candidacy.  

Mark Manriquez said he decided to run for Teller County Sheriff after he realized how much improvement the sheriff’s office needs.  

“I couldn’t believe what was happening in the work environment,” he said.  “I thought I could bring my experience and education here to help the organization as well as the community.”

Manriquez’s experience includes 28 years in law enforcement with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and more than 3,000 hours of leadership training for law enforcement officers, he said.  He is now the criminal investigator for the Division of Gaming in Cripple Creek.  

If elected, Manriquez said he will put more deputies on the streets, create more patrol districts to reduce response time and implement a policing strategy oriented toward community goals. A specialist in sexual assault and family violence issues in San Diego, he said he also would bring more focus to domestic violence and sexual assault prevention in Teller County.  

Clerk and Recorder:

A newcomer to county government, Judith “JJ” Jamison said she would inspire higher levels of citizen and community service if elected Teller County Clerk and Recorder. Jamison said she plans to implement systems that would bring more efficiency for staff and county citizens.

“If the staff are more efficient, they have time for other things,” she said.  “There is no reason to work harder, just smarter.”

High on her agenda are plans to sharpen accuracy of voter registration and accuracy in the recording of state planning documents. Jamison said her 25 years of experience as a certified financial planner with Ameriprise Financial Services will allow her to bring the best practices to government.  

Juliana Mestas said her 10 years of experience in the Teller County Clerk and Recorder’s office gives her the experience and managerial skills to serve as the county’s next Clerk and Recorder. Currently the chief deputy clerk, Mestas said that if elected she would increase her staff’s knowledge and experience, especially through education. Because she already knows the system, Mestas said she would adapt easily to the elected position.  

“I’ve already done the role for the last several years,” Mestas said. “The staff I work with is very supportive and we’re just going to continue to grow.”

Assessor:

As Teller County’s current assessor, Tom King said he has spent the last four years preparing to manage the assessor’s office for the next four years.  

“I want to be able to put the knowledge and experience I have gained to work for the next four years,” he said.

Before joining the county, King worked for 32 years in the business sector, primarily in mathematical modeling and has a master’s degree in statistics. If reelected, King said he would continue to upgrade the software the office uses to appraise property in the county. The upgrade will produce more accurate appraisals and allow for the same number of staff to appraise a growing number of properties, he said.  

King also cited his honesty, common sense and people-oriented personality.   

Betty Clark-Wine said that real estate valuations will be the biggest challenge facing the assessor’s office.

“We will see a decline in values next year, and there will be a lot of protests, but I will work with people to make sure their valuations are correct,” she said.  

Her experience working with the public is what sets her apart from her opponent, Clark-Wine said. She said she has 30 years of experience in real estate, including work as an oil and gas landman dealing with mineral rights and surface rights. In the public sector, she was a real estate services manager with the city of Colorado Springs for two years and worked for Colorado Department of Transportation for four and a half years.  

If elected, Clark-Wine said she would better educate community members about how to protest their property taxes if they believe they are inaccurate, work to improve systems within the office, publish the assessor’s budget online and create a property taxpayers bill of rights.   

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Primary elections are partisan affairs and open only to voters who have registered with the party in question.

Pick your party: Voters in Colorado can choose a political party or register as unaffiliated. Unaffiliated voters can’t vote in primaries. If you’ve already registered to vote, you can change or establish a party affiliation at www.govotecolorado.com. You can also pick your party at the polls on election day, Aug. 10.

Vote early: Mail ballots start going out July 19 to voters who requested them. Early voting at specified polling locations starts July 31. For information on those sites in El Paso County, visit www.car.elpasoco.com/Election.

Election day: Polls in El Paso County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 10. For polling place information, visit www.car.elpasoco.com/Election.

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Contact the writer at 636-0187.