COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The City of Colorado Springs City Clerk announced in a news release on Friday that community members had gathered enough signatures to recall Councilman Tom Bailey.
City Clerk Sarah Johnson stated the recall petition had enough valid signatures under the current City Charter. This was a second submission of signatures after it was announced in January; the petition fell short.
The movement came after Homeowners in the Pine Creek neighborhood of Colorado Springs pushed after they felt Bailey was not listening to their concerns over the approval of the Royal Pine apartment complex.
- Watch our previous coverage about why residents issued the recall petition
Following the announcement of the verified signatures under the current Colorado Springs City Charter, Bailey has five days to resign; otherwise, a recall election will be scheduled between 30 and 60 days after the petition is declared sufficient.
If Bailey resigns, there will be no recall election, and the District 2 seat would be filled by appointment after accepting community applications. The seat would not be filled again until the next municipal election on April 6, 2027.
In a statement, Councilman Bailey said the following about the recall:
Colorado Springs residents deserve a city government that treats elections and public service with dignity and respect. Since being elected by the voters of District 2, I have remained committed to making decisions that are in the best interest of the people in our district and the city. Reasonable people will sometimes disagree on matters of public policy, and elections exist so that citizens can choose who they trust to make those decisions on their behalf. The voters entrusted me with that responsibility last April, and I have worked every day since to honor it.
Unfortunately, small groups of individuals are now seeking to override the results of that election by misusing the recall process. This effort does not stem from new concerns or sudden revelations – their grievances predate last year’s election. Yet the organizers chose to circumvent the democratic process and did not participate in that election. They did not field a candidate who represented their views, and some even encouraged voters to disengage entirely by claiming the vote was unimportant since I was “unopposed.”
Now, only a year after the voters chose their representative, these same groups are asking taxpayers to fund a quarter‑million‑dollar special election because they opted out of the one the city already held. I think they understand that their anti‑growth agenda does not reflect the views of most Colorado Springs residents. But rather than make their case to voters in an open election, they are attempting to rally a small but vocal minority in hopes of achieving, through a low‑turnout recall, what they could not achieve by participating in the normal electoral process.
This campaign has relied on misinformation and characterizations that erode trust in our local institutions for the sake of political convenience. This kind of divisiveness undermines the rules‑based system of government that has long served our community and our nation.
Today’s announcement was disappointing but not surprising. Regardless, the work of the city continues. As with every matter brought before City Council, I will take time to evaluate the implications of this, gather public and expert input, and determine the best path forward for the people and City of Colorado Springs.
In response to Councilman Bailey's statement, the group that orchestrated the recall sent News5 the following statement.
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