COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — El Paso County Commissioner Cami Bremer is stepping down from her seat early next month. Bremer submitted her resignation letter to county commissioners Friday morning, where she said her final day in the office will be June 10.
In September, Bremer accepted the CEO Position with Pikes Peak United Way. She said she would be stepping down from elected office in early 2025.
Her announcement comes after Governor Jared Polis signed a bill into law this week, changing the vacancy process for county commissioners.
Under the new law, an election for Bremer’s seat will take place in November of this year. Previously, the person appointed to the seat would hold the office until the next election, which in this case would have been in 2026. A similar bill was also signed into law earlier this month to change the process for vacancies in the state legislature.
"I took an oath of office to serve the constituents of Commissioner District Five. And by stewarding that responsibility, by taking it seriously, I wanted to make sure that it ended up back in their hands, that they get to choose," Bremer said.
The law applies to commissioners who resign after July 31st of an even-numbered year and before July 31st of an odd-numbered year. If that's the case, the election for that seat takes place in November of the odd year.
Bremer, a Republican, will still be replaced in the interim by the Republican Party vacancy committee for her district. Bremer represents County Commission District Five, which encompasses neighborhoods in the central part of the county, within the Colorado Springs city limits.
When asked if her decision to resign after this law took effect could be seen as a slight to her party, Bremer said, "It's a service to the community as a whole. The second I take that oath of office to serve the citizens of El Paso County as a commissioner, it is my job to listen and represent all of them. And so there are times when that might align with one party or one group and not another. At the end of the day, the voters have entrusted me to use my best judgment to serve the community as a whole, and that's what I've stayed focused on."
Bremer said her responsibilities at Pikes Peak United Way were officially full time in January. Meaning she has been serving in elected office and working as the head of one of the area's largest nonprofits for five months. Bremer is making an annual salary of about $130,000 as a county commissioner. The most recent Form 990 filing for Pikes Peak United Way shows Cindy Aubrey, the previous CEO, was paid an annual salary of about $150,000.
Commissioner positions are considered full time, but Bremer said time management is what helped her in the past five months. When asked if a commissioner can hold a full time job with the office she said "I don't recommend it over the long term."
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