Castle Rock, Colorado sits on the urban corridor that stretches south between Denver to Colorado Springs. It’s primarily a bedroom community that has had explosive growth in the last 30 years, increasing in population form 3,921 in 1980 to 51,348 in 2012. In 2003 the home rule city’s town council gave the town manager, who is appointed by the council, the authority to ban the open carry of firearms on town property. In 2014, the council voted to remove that authority. The current Town Manager, Mark Stevens, had prohibited open carry on city property, resulting in a stand-off . . .
What resulted were two ballot initiatives; one to approve of the action of the town council, (put forward by those opposed to it – a “no” vote would reverse the decision), and another to remove the power to regulate firearms from the town council and to require a referendum on all future firearms issues.
Second Amendment advocates recommended a “Yes” vote on both issues.
The election process was hotly disputed, with at least two lawsuits and concerns over the counting of election results. Second amendment advocates claimed that many election safeguards were disregarded by officials who reported to the Town Manager. The election was held on 19 August and the results certified on the 29th of August. The election turnout was reported to be the highest in City history. This is due to a combination because of city growth, the new Colorado election laws that require a mailing of ballots to all voters, and because of the nature of the questions.
Here is the wording of the two ballot questions, from crgov.com:
 A. REFERENDUM ON ORDINANCE NO. 2014-03 will read:SHALL TOWN COUNCIL ORDINANCE 2014-03 BE APPROVED WHICH ORDINANCE REVOKES THE AUTHORITY OF- THE TOWN MANAGER UNDER THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROHIBIT THE OPEN CARRYING OF FIREARMS WITHIN MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, PARKS, RECREATION AREAS AND OTHER MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK?
YES ___ NO ___
B. HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT will read:SHALL THE TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK HOME RULE CHARTER BE AMENDED BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 1-5 TO READ AS FOLLOWS?
Section 1-5. Constitutional Rights.
Any restriction or limitation on the rights of citizens to keep and bear firearms enacted by the Town Council shall require the approval of the registered electors as a referred measure under Section 15-4 of this Charter. This Section shall not apply to Town Council action which makes unlawful the discharge or brandishing of firearms. This Section shall govern and control over Articles II and VII or any other conflicting provision of this Charter, and shall apply only to Council action taken after its adoption.
YES ____ NO ___Â
Both results were in favor of Second Amendment advocates, both initiatives passed.
Measure A, which approved of the town council removing the authority of the town manager to restrict open carry, passed with 50.8% of the vote, 4,737 to 4,586.
Measure B, which required that all future decisions on gun restrictions be subject to referendum, passed overwhelmingly, 6,610 (71.2%) to 2,679 (28.8%).
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Doesn’t Bloomberg own property in Colorado? LMAO!!
Maybe, but likely not the castle on the rock………..
No I got that but I think he has sevral homes there including vail and colorado springs or something. No I am just happy b/c the midget is pissed. Brings warmth to me on a summer night
Ditto
Colorado Springs?
I wonder if John Morse was his state senator….
I doubt he owns property here in Colorado Springs. If he does, I dont think he would be making the comment about us being as rural as it gets without even having roads….. in the largest City (geographically) in Colorado. I could be wrong though.
Democracy.
Since I live within a stone’s throw of Castle Rock….
There was much rejoicing.
In related news, an attempt by the antis to nullify the results commences in 3…2…1….
I live IN Castle Rock. Celebratory gunfire (in a safe manner, mind you) may be in order!
Castle rock is a very neat town, a lot of time spent there in the past months
Perhaps a Labor Day burger & beer is a better option.
Celebratory gunfire is one of the stupidest things that people do with guns.
What I meant was just taking a trip down to the range. Not that I need an excuse for a range trip.
Now they will try to call open carry ‘brandishing’. Oh well, just more taxpayer time and money for them to waste on the way down.
Good for Castle Rock and it’s freedom loving people.
I use to always get tickets there driving to Denver. I eventually learned my lesson. Lol
Castle Rock? Don’t that place loom large in Stephen King’s works?
I think you’re thinking of the Stanley Hotel which was the filming location for ‘The Shining’. That particular building resides in Estes Park which is northwest of Boulder.
That would be Castle Rock, Maine. A fictional town created and destroyed in the mind of Stephen King. It was the setting or mentioned in several of his works. I believe the town was destroyed in “Needful Things”.
Is that the place in Colorado that Bloomie says has dirt roads?
No, but it is an even smaller town. So it must not have any paved roads…
One of Bloomberg’s biggest gaffes.
LOL Castle Rock is “even smaller?”
Colorado Springs has approximately 400,000 people, and the county it’s in (El Paso) is the most populous in the state, so it’s hardly “small.” Except maybe by Bloomberg’s criteria.
But regardless of your choice of words, by Bloombergian logic Castle Rock must have nothing but cattle trails in it.
He played a lot of Oregon Trail back in the day.
Rabbit runs and mouse trails.
I was a flight instructor out of Arapaho county airport in the early to mid 70s and knew the area well and I am a bit amazed at how the population there has exploded. Nice to see that the city anti gun mindset has not taken over there.
I used to varmint hunt with my AR-18 all over the area between castle rock and the mountains on my days off and I don’t think anyone ever gave me a glance about it sitting on the passenger seat of my convertible including once when I was stopped for speeding on the interstate driving home… Different and in many ways better times.
50.8 percent is a bit close. Of course, open carry is the ultimate test, so maybe that’s not too bad.
When I first read Ballot Question A, it was confusing to me. So I re-read it … and re-read it again (a third time). I have to wonder if many more people became confused and voted “no” when they really wanted to vote “yes”.
You don’t need guns when you have the Castle Rock PD 24/7 to protect the public.
Just like the stellar service they provided the Gonzales family.
The natives neutered the gun grabbing California transplants. Love it.
Is this place anywhere near Fraggle Rock? I miss Uncle traveling Matt.
It’s been a year since this was enacted. Where is all the murder and mayhem people claimed would happen???
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