| Louisville Times: "Muckle, Yarnell, Sackett
in" |
By Meagan Taylor Louisville Times 11/2/2005 The Muckle household was full of warm spirits and celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 1, as ballot returns were posted for the 2005 City of Louisville election. Four years after an unsuccessful bid for city council, Robert Muckle will represent city constituents in Ward I, joined respectively by Frost Yarnell and Ron Sackett in Wards II and III. Yarnell ousted Ward II incumbent Michele Van Pelt by 125 votes and garnered 54 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results posted by the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's office Tuesday evening. The other seats were open due to term limits. "Winning is definitely better," Muckle said, while checking a Web site for updated election results. He added that he did not feel any of the candidates were losers. "It's important to keep respect here," Muckle said. "Nobody was running without the best of intentions for Louisville." The three winning candidates were joined by several members of PreserveLouisville.org, a citizen's issue group that endorsed the candidates and promotes limited residential development. Growth became the main issue of contention in the city election, amid passage of the Citywide Comprehensive Plan Update, which allows for up to 4,000 new residents over its 20-year span. All winning candidates, though backed by PreserveLouisville.org, said they did not feel beholden to the group's cause. "None of us knew each other before this started," Muckle said. "We are individual candidates ... we are all very concerned about the city's budget and don't plan to do anything to endanger that." Muckle edged out opponent Michael Deborski, 1008-735, gathering 57 percent of the vote. Deborski said running for office was educational and humbling. "What's really nice is to see how much support there has been for me and for the right thing for Louisville," he said. "I am concerned that so many voters did not take the time to get beyond the misleading propaganda generated by PreserveLouisville and their cronies." The election results came as a surprise to some. "Obviously, I am disappointed," Van Pelt said from another election party hosted at the Old Louisville Inn. "I think the new council will have real challenges ... it's not about how many people live in the city, it's about paying the bills." Yarnell said she felt that the election results showed the voters of Louisville spoke for the city's stance on the growth issue, not the candidates themselves. "The people are voting for what they want, not who they want," she said. Sackett agreed, adding that he plans to continue working to keep the city's "small-town feel." "I met an awful lot of wonderful people," Sackett said of his campaign trail. "I found out what a great town this is, and what makes it unique and special." Sackett's Ward III opponents, Hank Dalton and Randy Luallin received 639 and 107 votes, respectively. Sackett won with 870 votes. "The voters have spoken," Dalton said. "I'll continue to serve Louisville on the planning commission and in any other way I can." |
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