jeff sloan

Pueblo West residents, meet your community's 2010 budget. The board of the Pueblo West Metropolitan District has released its proposed budget for the next year and has scheduled a public hearing on it Dec. 1. The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the district's offices at 109 E. Industrial Blvd.  

The Pueblo West Metropolitan District is switching to a stronger bank. The issue was started last year by former board member Bill Vickers, who since has been recalled from the board. Vickers read that the district's main bank, Southern Colorado National Bank, was given a very poor rating by federal regulators and seemed to be in financial trouble.  

John Van Auken was named president of the new board of directors of the Pueblo West Metropolitan District Tuesday. The meeting was the first since the swearing in of three new board members who replaced recalled board members Steve Abel, Bill Vickers and Jeff Sloan. Van Auken was not targeted in the recall election, which was sparked after a majority of the old board fired former District Manager Don Saling in March.  

The Pueblo West Metropolitan District's board of directors is scheduled to accept a proposal for banking services at Tuesday night's meeting. The district decided earlier to stop doing business with Southern Colorado National Bank, saying the bank had received an unfavorable ranking by federal regulators. The board's meeting will be the first since former board members Bill Vickers, Jeff Sloan and Steve Abel were recalled Aug. 18 and replaced by Chuck Green, Mike French and Jerry Martin.  

The board of the Pueblo West Metropolitan District held its shortest meeting in recent memory as recalled members Steve Abel, Bill Vickers and Jeff Sloan said their goodbyes. Chuck Green, Mike French and Jerry Martin, the men elected last week to replace them, watched from the standing-room-only audience section. The three board members were recalled last Tuesday after voting in March to fire former District Manager Don Saling.  

Very little is planned for tonight's meeting of the board of the Pueblo West Metropolitan District. Three of the board's members were recalled in an election last week: Bill Vickers, Steve Abel and Jeff Sloan. The three men officially still are board members until the election is certified at 10 a.m.  

Voters recalled three Pueblo West Metropolitan District board members last week. Residents in the district voted by margins of about 60 percent to 40 percent to recall board members Jeff Sloan, Bill Vickers and Steve Abel. Voters picked replacement candidates Mike French, Chuck Green and Jerry Martin, respectively, to replace the board members. Pueblo City Council on Monday will find a proposed ballot question asking city voters to adopt a strong-mayor form of city government.  

Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder Gilbert "Bo" Ortiz said Thursday that his staff counted nearly all of the provisional ballots left from Pueblo West's recall election. Staff counted 92 of 101 provisional ballots and are still waiting to verify signatures on 12 others. The results of the count will make no difference to the results of Tuesday's election.  

While the last hundred outstanding ballots won't make any difference in the outcome of Tuesday's Pueblo West recall election, they will delay the swearing-in of the metropolitan district's three new board members. Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder Gilbert "Bo" Ortiz said Wednesday that his office was finishing counting 101 provisional ballots. And there are 11 mail-in ballots that either were missing signatures or contained signature dis- parities.  

Voters recalled three Pueblo West Metropolitan District board members Tuesday. Residents in the district voted by margins of about 60 percent to 40 percent to recall board members Jeff Sloan, Bill Vickers and Steve Abel. Voters picked replacement candidates Mike French, Chuck Green and Jerry Martin, respectively, to replace the board members. Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert "Bo" Ortiz said he will have to certify the results before the new board members can take their seats.

But I hope they (the new board members) continue the open, honest government and and do what's best for the taxpayer   -Bill Vickers