CMU student leaders press governor hopefuls on taxes, energy and rural control

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice

TPUSA chapter leaders from Colorado Mesa University opened Monday night’s gubernatorial forum with a question more typical of a legislative hearing than a campaign rally.

Instead of easing into the forum, they went straight to TABOR. “How would you approach balancing Colorado’s budget while complying with TABOR? And what are your priorities when it comes to taxes, refunds and state spending during periods of surplus and economic stagnation?”

Six candidates were at the forum that evening. Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer told the crowd she almost didn’t make the trip, saying she rearranged her Joint Budget Committee schedule and decided to “head on over to Grand Junction” when the weather held.

Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs shared the stage, as did Sheriff Jason Mikesell of Teller County, former Congressman Greg Lopez, Maria Orms and Chaz Evanson.

On stage, from left, are Rep. Scott Bottoms, Sheriff Jason Mikesell, Maria Orms, Greg Lopez, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Chaz Evanson during Monday’s gubernatorial forum at Colorado Mesa University.

At the moderators’ table were James Ruehmann, Logan Jochim, Joshua Slofstra, Jess Clark Scott and Branson Kaiser.

Taxes. Energy reliability. Rural governance. Those were the themes of the night, and all three hit home on the Western Slope.

Budget and TABOR: Fraud, overspending or structural reform

Evanson framed the state’s fiscal challenges as systemic failure. “We don’t have a revenue problem in Colorado. We have a fraud problem in Colorado.”

He called for a “forensic audit” of state spending and said he would move to abolish income and property taxes in favor of a consumption-based model.

Kirkmeyer rejected the idea that the deficit stems from hidden revenue gaps. “We do not have a revenue issue. We have an overspending issue.”

She said Colorado is required to pass a balanced budget under the constitution. In her view, the issue is spending.

Lopez focused on process. “Zero based budgeting is what you and I do every single day.”

Instead of tax credits, he said he would return refunds directly. “I want to give you back a check.”

Orms pointed to budget stabilization practices and questioned long-term sustainability. “The state began spending one time dollars on ongoing costs.”

She also raised concerns about expanding Medicaid obligations and weaknesses in financial controls within state departments.

Mikesell focused on enterprise funds and downstream costs to counties. “Enterprise funds… are being set up so that money doesn’t have to be tracked through the Colorado budget.”

He said some bills carry “zero cost” fiscal notes that later shift expenses to counties.

Bottoms said lawmakers present the budget as balanced while shifting money from restricted accounts.

“They’re taking money out of the unclaimed property fund… and then we call that a balanced budget. It’s a shell game.”

He added that the state began last year “$1.2 billion in the hole” and disputed claims that the shortfall was resolved.

Energy, the grid and who’s in charge

From there, the conversation moved to energy — and what a governor can actually change.

Kirkmeyer focused on executive appointments. “The first thing that I would do as governor is remove the three members of the Public Utilities Commission.”

She said she would revisit regulations adopted under Senate Bill 181 and seek to restore coal and natural gas production.

Bottoms called for reversing what he described as environmental overreach. “The environmental movement is a religion. It is not based upon science.”

He said Colorado “is not an electric state” and argued that shutting down coal plants has weakened reliability.

Mikesell described the grid as facing an immediate challenge. “This is an emergency directive. When you say you’re gonna do it on day one, that’s not gonna happen.”

He said reversing course would require a multi-year plan and earlier action on infrastructure.

Lopez emphasized executive oversight and public accountability. “The governor has two very important jobs.” He said the governor must manage state departments and explain legislative consequences to voters.

Orms centered her answer on grid stability and cybersecurity. “Reliability is the number one issue. People do die when you don’t have your electricity.”

She warned that critical infrastructure must be protected from cyber attacks and called for evaluating the grid before closing generation facilities.

Evanson focused on diversification and governance. “We need to diversify our energy sources in Colorado.”

He questioned the role of regulatory boards and said local communities should decide how they electrify.

Rural control and water rights

Moderators then turned to land use and water management, asking how rural communities could avoid being overshadowed by Front Range priorities.

Lopez answered by outlining a hierarchy of water use. “There are only three ways that you can use water: agricultural, industrial, and residential. My priorities are in that fashion.”

He said agricultural access should come first, followed by industrial development and then residential growth.

Orms pointed to interstate litigation and resource strain. “The water wars have started.”

She referenced lawsuits involving neighboring states and said rural counties are absorbing unfunded mandates tied to state policy.

Kirkmeyer centered her response on property rights. “Any land use policy in this state should be grounded in protecting private property rights, period.”

She said decisions about neighborhood character and growth should remain with local communities.

Bottoms cited recent legislation affecting county authority. “You are losing local control.”

He referenced recent measures shifting land use decisions toward state mandates.

Mikesell focused on infrastructure costs tied to regulatory requirements. He said sewer and water hookup fees in some communities have jumped sharply. What once cost a few thousand dollars now runs into the tens of thousands. He blamed state and federal mandates for driving up those costs.

Evanson addressed representation within the legislature. “The voices of rural Colorado are not being heard.”

He proposed requiring county commissioner input before a governor signs legislation affecting local control.

Student moderators reflect on the discussion

After the forum, the student moderators said their goal was to move candidates beyond talking points.

“We wanted them to discuss the serious cuts to the state budget that can be uncomfortable to talk about,” said TPUSA chapter president James Ruehmann. “We really were looking for concrete plans and commitments to Colorado voters.”

Jess Clark-Scott said the land use exchange addressed concerns unique to Western Colorado. “Many reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for the needs of the Western Slope,” he said. “I loved that the candidates didn’t steer away from talking about water rights.”

Joshua Slofstra said the differences between candidates became clearest during policy exchanges. “The policy makers focused on policy, and policy change, and the more ‘idealistic’ ones focused on why things are happening and how they should be.”

Branson Kaiser said leadership responses shared a common thread. “The overarching message was that they were receptive and responsive to the people.”

Clark-Scott added that in future forums she would like to see a question on immigration to examine how candidates would coordinate with federal authorities.

Audience questions and closing remarks

When the forum shifted to audience questions, moderators invited students to step forward first.

Madelyn Everton was one of the first students in line. She told the room she’s a third-year criminal justice major at CMU. “Voters passed Proposition 130 last year, creating a $350 million peace officer training and support fund. With this funding now in place, in your opinion, what are the best ways to allocate these resources to make the biggest difference for law enforcement in our state?”

Mikesell said the measure “looked really good when it went in,” but added that many still do not know how the funds will ultimately be distributed.

“My hope is that they will allow us to train our deputies to things we see as the training needs.”

As the forum wound down, candidates pivoted from governing questions to the stakes of November.

“We can do this. This November, we can win the governor’s seat,” Bottoms said in his closing remarks.

He cited national coverage and conversations with political insiders who believe Republicans are positioned to compete for Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer and governor this year.

“I want you to leave here with, regardless of who you’re gonna vote for as governor… we can do this.” He said internal polling has him out in front.

“We know we can do this — but you’ve gotta believe it. You’ve gotta get out and talk to people. We gotta get people to vote.”