I sent an email to County Commissioner Veronica Medina yesterday morning, hoping to get a quote from her concerning the recall petition that’s now circulating.
I know that Commissioner Medina has been dealing with an unfortunate and difficult family situation lately, and I’m not surprised that if has been unable to respond to my offer.
I also reached out to ‘Reclaim Archuleta’, the group circulating the recall petition, and I received this information.
Reclaim Archuleta has the goal of collecting the necessary number of signatures to recall Veronica Medina, not only for the reason listed within the petition itself, but to remind residents of Archuleta County that the Commissioners do in fact work for us as tax paying residents of this County. The power lies within the people, and collectively, we feel that breaking state statute once, means it will happen again.
When Commissioner Medina did not properly state the fact that she is an agent with Exit Realty and then remove herself from the room during the voting process on the future County Administration building, she broke state statute and lost our trust. Her actions are believed to include attempts at secrecy, violations of open meeting law, actions which lack transparency and lend in favor of someone who she works directly under within the real estate industry.
These actions are not in the best interest of our County, but rather in Commissioner Medina’s best interests.
At this time Reclaim Archuleta is under the impression Medina is not taking this recall seriously due to her baseless personal hits on Ashley Springer in a recent SUN interview. Her focus on such allegations left her no room to address the real issue at hand – her failure to recuse herself in a vote which clearly shows a conflict of interest. At the June 18 meeting of the BOCC, the County Attorney asked Medina questions relating to her employment with Exit Realty. While she admitted, then, that she is an agent with Exit, this was done after her knowledge of the content within the recall petition verbiage. Medina was first made aware of the reason for recall on June 6, the date the petition was first filed. Other than this failed attempt to save herself from obvious ethical oversight, she has not addressed the real issues, the real reason for the recall, the violations, the vote, the repeated acts of negligence. We hope that the residents of this County as well as the State Independent Ethics Committee will see our argument for what it truly is: a violation of state statute.
Reclaim Archuleta
719-588-6076
reclaimarchuleta@gmail.com
Ashley Springer, mentioned above, is the person listed in the recall petition as “designated to represent the signers in all matters affecting the petition.” She also works as Archuleta County communications specialist and public information officer.
The petition alleges that, by publicly encouraging her fellow County commissioners to enter into negotiations with developer Doug Dragoo and Shelley Low for the purchase of a property on South Pagosa Boulevard, and by herself voting to enter into those negotiations, Commissioner Medina violated the following Colorado laws:
CRS 31-4-404(2): (Failure to disclose her relationship with EXIT real estate broker Shelley Low, under whom she works as an agent.)
CRS 24-18-109(3)(a): (Failure to recuse, and failure to refrain from attempting to influence her fellow commissioners, during a vote when a conflict of interest exists.)
CRS 18-8-308: (Failure to disclose a potential conflict of interest to the Colorado Secretary of State.)
CRS 24-18-109(2)(b): (Forbids a local government official from performing “an official act directly and substantially affecting to its economic benefit a business or other undertaking in which he either has a substantial financial interest or is engaged as counsel, consultant, representative, or agent.”)
The petition includes a statement by Commissioner Medina that says, in part:
As a county commissioner who is also a licensed realtor, I, Veronica Medina, bring a unique and valuable perspective to the role, which is crucial for the balanced and informed decision-making process that our county needs. Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of my approach. Being a licensed realtor does not compromise my ability to serve; rather, it enhances that ability…
…Recalling me would deprive the county of a dedicated and knowledgeable advocate who is deeply invested in our county’s well-being. My record demonstrates a commitment to fairness, ethical conduct, and effective governance. I urge you to consider the benefits of my professional background and allow me to continue serving our county with integrity and dedication.
The recall election is estimated to cost $37,634.
By comparison, we have no idea, at this point, how much Ms. Medina and her fellow commissioners propose to spend on a vacant property on South Pagosa Boulevard, listed by EXIT Realty’s Shelley Low.
The political atmosphere all around the globe feels somewhat unsettled in recent weeks, like the weather we’ve been experiencing in Pagosa Springs… clear blue skies one minute, a torrential downpour the next. But people here seem comfortable, this summer, with the erratic weather. We know that extended periods of ‘sunny and warm’ don’t necessarily bring the best results for our high-mountain environment.
The changing political atmosphere, meanwhile, might be generating some anxiety. It’s certainly brought some surprises, globally. I’m thinking of the dramatic election loss in the UK by the Conservative Party on July 4, after 14 turbulent years in power. The Conservative Party lost more than 250 seats, its worst-ever defeat, and now faces life as the opposition party. The outgoing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, pledged to resign as party leader.
And then, the unexpectedly strong showing by the left-leaning National Rally party in France on July 7.
Of course, the big news in the U.S. is the decision by President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 election and recommend his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as his party’s new presidential candidate of choice.
We occasionally have our own political dramas, here in Pagosa. If you would like to know more about the Medina recall petition:
Reclaim Archuleta
719-588-6076
reclaimarchuleta@gmail.com
Commissioner Veronica Medina
970-264-8306
veronica.medina@archuletacounty.org