Loveland, September 5, 2011
Behind the candidate statements, campaign slogans and issue focused candidate forums stand certain facts that may reveal
more about any candidate than they really want you to know.
For the first time in many years the Loveland City Council appears broken into two factions separated mostly by national
political party affiliation. Current and former councilors are actively recruiting candidates mostly along party lines as the
two sides struggle for control of Loveland’s City Council.
At one end of the spectrum is Mayor Cecil Gutierrez and his former campaign manager, Ralph Trenary, who are working
to elect a Democratic majority onto the Loveland City Council. Outgoing Councilwoman Donna Rice along with
Councilman Daryle Klassen appear to be working to get more Republicans on the city council with the help of Republican
former councilors.
While the council positions are non-partisan (meaning political parties cannot appoint candidates for the ballot nor
can their party affiliations appear on the ballot next to their names as for higher elected offices) more and more
candidates do appear to be organizing around party affiliation to run for city council. In all fairness, candidates take
support from wherever it comes so the support by one partisan or another hardly makes the candidate a part of their
machine. Nonetheless, certain patterns do emerge when reviewing each candidate’s nomination papers as to whom they
chose to sign their petition to get on the ballot.
Of course, this year’s slate of 12 candidates is a mixed bag so read carefully and feel free to post any comments or
corrections as you see fit on our blog.
Mayor of Loveland
Mayor Cecil Gutierrez
Mayor Gutierrez is running for reelection unopposed. Gutierrez’s primary support, according to the petitions he submitted
to qualify for the ballot, mostly comes from members of a single political party. Included in those signing his nomination
petition are elected Larimer County Democratic Party officials like Robert Massaro and fellow Democratic colleagues of
Gutierrez from the Loveland City Council. Councilors Kent Solt and Kathleen McEwen each signed Gutierrez’s
nomination petition along with the spouse of Councilwoman Joan Shaffer, Loveland attorney Mark Shaffer.
LovelandPolitics has learned Larimer County Democratic Party officials have already slated Gutierrez to be their
candidate to challenge Republican State House Representative Brian DelGrosso in 2012. Other Democrats who were
pondering running for the position were discouraged in order to ensure a "clean primary" for Gutierrez by party officials
according to one potential candidate.
Gutierrez has presided over a somewhat already divided council of 5-4 by partisan split but not predictably always
splitting votes along party lines. In the Democrat's corner are Councilors Kent Solt, Joan Shaffer, Cat McEwen and Cecil
Gutierrez and on the mostly Republican side are Councilors Donna Rice, Daryle Klassen, Larry Heckel, Hugh McKean
and sometimes Carol Johnson.
Candidates in this year’s campaign like Ralph Trenary or Chauncey Taylor have submitted nomination petitions for public
office containing signatures from either current or past councilors representing one political faction or the other who live in
their district.
Ward 1
Robert Molloy - unaffiliated
Molloy has served on Loveland’s Planning Commission for many years and is currently the Chairman. His nomination
petition reflects commissioners who signed his nomination petition along with people related to the construction trades and
owners of undeveloped commercial properties like the Stump family. Fellow Planning Commissioner and Loveland
attorney Troy Krenning, who previously ran for Mayor of Loveland, is among the more notable signatures on Molloy's
petition to run for public office.
Molloy is registered as “unaffiliated” and sought the Ward 1 seat first when it was vacated by Cecil Gutierrez upon being
elected Mayor two years ago. Donna Rice prevailed over Molloy and the other candidates in that special election.
Molloy is not known to be closely affiliated with either political party and due to his long-term involvement in city affairs a
well known quantity in city hall. He has also demonstrated extra-ordinary caution when presiding over zoning and land
use disputes by removing himself from the process when he knew one party to avoid the air of impropriety.
Chauncey Taylor - Republican
Taylor is the stepson of Joe Johnson who built Johnson’s Corner off I-25 in Johnstown in 1951. After inheriting the
family business in 1994, Taylor set about expanding the size, scope and reach of Johnson’s Corner during the past 15
years.
Taylor is a business partner of former Loveland Mayor Pro Tem Dave Clark who is also running for council in this
election for a seat representing Ward 4. Together they built the $3 million, 21,000-square-foot dinner theater next to
Johnson’s Corner, Playhouse Dinner Theater, along with Nick Turner, who owns the La-De-Da performing arts school of
Ft. Collins.
Taylor has been vocal about differentiating himself from the McWhinney’s style of development along I-25 but is himself a
beneficiary of diverted sales tax dollars. When Johnson’s Corner annexed into Johnstown in 2002 he cut a deal to have
one third of his sales tax revenue returned to his business according to sources in Johnstown. In 2005 the Greeley
Tribune quoted Taylor in a news article stating;
"We're not going to be a McWhinney or a big-box retailer. You won't see a Wal-Mart out here. You're going to
see different things, like the truck stop, a campground, an RV community and resort, a dinner theater, things
that make the world go 'round that don't fit into the mold of McWhinney but also make sense for this area."
Recruited to run for City Council by current Councilwman Donna Rice who is not seeking reelection, Taylor lives in a
home on Lake Loveland in Ward 1 deeded to him in 1985 by Virginia M. Johnson, presumably his mother. His
nomination papers (circulated also by Rice) reflect support not only from Rice and her husband Frank McCrea but also
from current Loveland Councilman Daryle Klassen and former State House Representative Jim Welker.
Ward 2
Phil Farley - Democrat
Sharon Anhorn and Janice Farley circulated the nomination petition for Phil Farley which is unusual as most candidates
circulate their own petitions. The majority of the people who signed the nomination petition are neighbors of Farley living
along Rossum Drive in Loveland’s Ward 2.
It was at the Larimer Democrats Southern Breakfast back in July of last year that Farley's name was first circulated
among area Democrats as a potential candidate for Loveland's City Council according to one source at the breakfast.
The official newsletter of the Larimer Democrats announcing the breakfast even provided a formal introduction for Farley,
"We are pleased to present a distinguished Democrat who is making a positive impact on Loveland and
Larimer County; Phil Farley." The organizer of the Breakfast that morning was Ralph Trenary (now candidate for
Ward 4) who helped to recruit Farley. Also recruiting Farley that morning we are told was Mayor Gutierrez who asked
Farley to run for council against his colleague Councilwoman Carol Johnson.
Farley retired from various positions at HP and IBM in 2008 and has been active in community affairs ever since.
Heading the Rialto Bridge project along with numerous charitable projects with local service clubs means Farley is well
known and respected in the community. Regardless of how he was recruited to become a candidate for City Council,
Farley brings an impressive resume and considerable community accomplishments that could easily unseat even the
strongest of incumbents in local office.
Carol Johnson (Incumbent) - Unaffiliated
22 of the 29 signatures submitted by Carol Johnson to qualify to be on the ballot this November are her immediate
neighbors all residing in townhouses on Medina Ct. in Loveland.
Transplanted from Golden, Colorado where she was unable to win a second term on the Golden City Council, Johnson
ran in Loveland unopposed in Ward 2 four years ago. Johnson kept the same residence qualifying her to run for City
Council in Ward 2. She rents the townhouse where she resides in Loveland from the recorded owner of the property
Robert Ragsdale of Newhall, California.
Johnson chose for her vacancy committee (this is a question of who would appoint your replacement should you be
unable to serve the full term) two former Councilmen. Councilman Glenn Rousey and former Councilman and Mayor
Gene Pielin. Both are considered part of the “old guard” on the former council responsible for the 402 land purchase,
vNet and other business development debacles.
Mike Schoonover - Republican
A conservative candidate, Schoonover’s nomination papers to run for city council include the signature of Dean Madere,
the Republican Candidate for the 4th Congressional District in Colorado in the 2010 Election. A Tea Party favored
candidate, Madere lost the primary election to current 4th District Congressman Cory Gardner.
Other notable citizens who signed Schoonover’s nomination petition include Tom Buchanan, the current leader of
Loveland’s 912 Project and former head of the Northern Colorado Marine Corps League.
Schoonover and his wife lost their home on Cherry Avenue in Loveland to foreclosure four years ago. County records
indicate Michael and Anna Schoonover bought the Cherry Ave. house in 2003 on an adjustable rate mortgage of 7.2
percent and lost it in 2007 after failing to make the mortgage payments. The outstanding amount owed was $157,000 at
the time of foreclosure. Earlier this year the Schoonovers purchased another house in Loveland. Their current Mariana
Butte home was purchased from Wells Fargo Bank out of another foreclosure and is in Loveland’s Ward 2.
Ward 3
John Fogle - unaffiliated
An aggressive campaigner, Fogle’s most notable backer to run for City Council is Bill Beierwaltes the founder of vNet
who is currently defending a lawsuit by the City of Loveland to recover money he was given for a jobs incentive but
refuses to repay. Both Bill Beierwaltes and his wife signed the nomination petitions for Fogle along with mostly Fogle
neighbors from the small enclave of upper-end homes just west of Taft Ave. located on Francis, Flora and Mckenzie
Drives.
Beierwaltes took nearly $1 million in a Loveland “jobs” subsidy before laying-off most of his employees and selling his
company vNet. Beiewaltes kept the limited liability company of vNet (now just a shell) in his own name while selling all
the intellectual property and other assets of the company obtained with city money to an interest on the East Coast.
Beierwaltes refused to repay the subsidy despite the fact the city determined he violated his agreement with the city that
required written authorization before the company could change hands. Loveland is now litigating against Beierwaltes to
enforce a personal guarantee he and his wife signed but are refusing to honor to repay the funds according to the city.
Whether Mr. Fogle is willing to recuse himself from any private or public session meetings or votes involving his friend and
campaign backer remain to be seen. Failure to make such a commitment may put his candidacy in question as it would
raise significant ethical issues regarding his motives for running.
Another backer of Fogle is the former State House Representative for District 51, Conservative Republican Jim Welker.
Welker brought Fogle to the recent Larimer County Republican County annual Lincoln Day Dinner to introduce him
around the room. Many who met Fogle for the first time were impressed “a longtime Republican was running for
Loveland City Council” according to people at the dinner. County records reveal Fogle recently changed his party
affiliation from Democrat to “Unaffiliated” before running for office but has failed to disclose this to partisan Republicans
excited about his candidacy for local office.
Other backers of Fogle include former Loveland City Councilman Walt Skowron and his wife Beverly who reside in the
same enclave off Taft Ave. near Beierwaltes. Skowron, like Welker, is also registered Republican and has been active in
some party politics.
Michelle Jacobs - Republican
Jacobs was the Director of Community Affairs for the Home Builders Association of Northern Colorado. She has been
politically active with the Republican Party and even hosted a fund raiser in her home for a candidate for the Larimer
County Commission. While former State House Representative Jim Welker has been trying to sell John Fogle as the
credentialed “conservatives” candidate for Ward 3, Fogle will have a difficult time prying some partisans away from
Jacobs who are familair with her accomplishments.
Welker’s involvement in city affairs may have more to do with his interest in developing a commercial piece of property
west of Taft Avenue that adjoins Bill Beierwaltes’ property on the north side. Welker and his partners hope to someday
build an office complex on the property that slopes dramatically to the west off Taft Ave. in Loveland where Fogle has
planted huge campaign signs.
Jacobs may have some difficulty portraying herself as a “fiscal conservative” however given her support of massive
government subsidies to one certain local developer. Jacobs is an unabashed supporter of the McWhinney’s Centerra
and was active trying to pass on to a regional transportation authority, RTA, the responsibility to pay I-25 interchange
liabilities McWhinney had promised in its agreement with the City of Loveland.
Steven Weber - Republican
At 24 years of age, Weber is the youngest candidate running for Loveland’s City Council in 2011. An employee of
Walmart, Weber also appears to be an independent candidate sandwiched between two other better known candidates
apparently supported by much the same factions or economic interests in Loveland.
Weber is a registered Republican with no obvious history or political activism with either the Republican Party or other
political organizations like the Tea Party movement.
Weber is College-educated and described as intelligent, thoughtful and not your typical political candidate in that he is
quiet and somewhat shy. Weber is an advocate for historic preservation and looking to assist efforts to renovate
Loveland’s old downtown.
Given his limited community involvement his candidacy may receive very little notice unless he invests money in creating a
name identification for himself over the next month. His best hope for winning office would likely be a split in the same
base supporting his two opponents running for Ward 3, each claiming to be the true conservative, while more moderate
and left-leaning voters are driven towards Weber.
Ward 4 see LovelandPolitics article from August 3, 2011 on Ward 4 race
John Buck - Republican
A Loveland resident now for 6 years, Buck doesn’t appear to be running with any local faction or partisan affiliations or
support and truly appears to be an independent candidate.
A transplant from Casper, Wyoming, Buck is employed by the Home Depot and owns two rental properties, one in
Loveland and another in Berthoud besides his home on Tamarix Place in Loveland Ward 4. Bucks Loveland rental
property is a manufactured (mobile home) in the subdivision on the inside corner of Wilson and Taft he purchased for
$34,000 according to Larimer County records.
Buck released the following statement about his candidacy, “I am a life long fiscal conservative and believe in a limited
roll of government. Local government needs to conduct its business in an open and transparent way. Our hometown
newspaper should not have to sue our city to gain access. Elected officials need to have the backbone to stand up to the
special interests, and end backroom deals in city hall. City Council should reflect the hard working values of all people in
this city.”
Dave Clark - Republican
Clark served one term on the Loveland City Council following in the footsteps of his father who also served on
Loveland's council back in the early 1980's. Two years ago Clark was defeated for the Mayor's seat by Cecil Gutierrez.
Local pundits mostly blame his defeat on the campaign efforts of his former colleague Walt Skowron who ran supporting
similar issues thus splitting the more conservative voting base Clark was hoping to draw upon to defeat the more liberal
Gutierrez.
Owner of a local construction firm and investor in the playhouse theater in Johnstown, Clark has struggled financially
during the housing and construction downturn that began in 2008. Clark closed the family construction business earlier
this year and is now managing the Playhouse Dinner Theater he owns with Ward 1 candidate Chauncey Taylor fulltime.
A formadible candidate, Clark's nomination petition reads like the who's who of Loveland's Old Guard. The more recent
efforts by Councilwoman Donna Rice to get Republicans more active not to mention the money and organization Taylor is
likely to bring to this mail-in election will likely fare well for Dave Clark.
Ralph Trenary - Democrat
An unabashed partisan, Trenary has long been active in the Larimer County Democratic Party and instrumental in
recruiting fellow Democrats to run for local office. Bob Massaro, the Larimer County Democratic Party official who
signed Mayor Gutierrez's nomination petition also signed Trenary's petition along with Massaro's wife Carla. In addition,
Trenary appointed Massaro to his vacancy appointment committee with fellow Democratic Party activist Patricia Weedin.
Trenary writes a citizen's column for The Coloradoan's Loveland Connection newspaper. Earlier this year, Trenary
wrote, "best estimates are that the $600-a-month 'salary' of a city council member only slightly exceeds
minimum wage for the hours of required duties." Despite his disagreement with the low pay of a city councilman he
is apparently now willing to throw his hat in the ring for what he called a minimum wage position. Trenary also worked as
a regional field coordinator for Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff's failed Democratic primary run for U.S.
Senate. A vocal critic of the Bush Administration, Trenary took a strong stand against Bush having any Command
authority over the Colorado National Guard of which Trenary was a member at the time.
Following his 26 year government career, Trenary moved to Loveland where he had been seeking a job in the private
sector for a number of years. He described his move to Loveland in his LinkedIn profile as, "after 26 years of military
service and Federal Government employment I have moved my family to my wife's ancestral hometown,
Loveland, Colorado. From this homebase I apply the value-added skills and knowledge of my professional
experience to both local and extended business and public interests."
Trenary is a strong backer of a school bond measure for the Thompson School District to increase local property taxes
and supported the failed efforts of Carol Johnson to seek voter approval to permanently exempt Loveland from TABOR
(Taxpayer's Bill of Rights).
NOTE:
If you have any late breaking news, inside stories about the candidates or feel anything published above is inaccurate,
please email comments to Guchwale@aol.com or post your comments to our BLOG.
Behind the candidate statements, campaign slogans and issue focused candidate forums stand certain facts that may reveal
more about any candidate than they really want you to know.
For the first time in many years the Loveland City Council appears broken into two factions separated mostly by national
political party affiliation. Current and former councilors are actively recruiting candidates mostly along party lines as the
two sides struggle for control of Loveland’s City Council.
At one end of the spectrum is Mayor Cecil Gutierrez and his former campaign manager, Ralph Trenary, who are working
to elect a Democratic majority onto the Loveland City Council. Outgoing Councilwoman Donna Rice along with
Councilman Daryle Klassen appear to be working to get more Republicans on the city council with the help of Republican
former councilors.
While the council positions are non-partisan (meaning political parties cannot appoint candidates for the ballot nor
can their party affiliations appear on the ballot next to their names as for higher elected offices) more and more
candidates do appear to be organizing around party affiliation to run for city council. In all fairness, candidates take
support from wherever it comes so the support by one partisan or another hardly makes the candidate a part of their
machine. Nonetheless, certain patterns do emerge when reviewing each candidate’s nomination papers as to whom they
chose to sign their petition to get on the ballot.
Of course, this year’s slate of 12 candidates is a mixed bag so read carefully and feel free to post any comments or
corrections as you see fit on our blog.
Mayor of Loveland
Mayor Cecil Gutierrez
Mayor Gutierrez is running for reelection unopposed. Gutierrez’s primary support, according to the petitions he submitted
to qualify for the ballot, mostly comes from members of a single political party. Included in those signing his nomination
petition are elected Larimer County Democratic Party officials like Robert Massaro and fellow Democratic colleagues of
Gutierrez from the Loveland City Council. Councilors Kent Solt and Kathleen McEwen each signed Gutierrez’s
nomination petition along with the spouse of Councilwoman Joan Shaffer, Loveland attorney Mark Shaffer.
LovelandPolitics has learned Larimer County Democratic Party officials have already slated Gutierrez to be their
candidate to challenge Republican State House Representative Brian DelGrosso in 2012. Other Democrats who were
pondering running for the position were discouraged in order to ensure a "clean primary" for Gutierrez by party officials
according to one potential candidate.
Gutierrez has presided over a somewhat already divided council of 5-4 by partisan split but not predictably always
splitting votes along party lines. In the Democrat's corner are Councilors Kent Solt, Joan Shaffer, Cat McEwen and Cecil
Gutierrez and on the mostly Republican side are Councilors Donna Rice, Daryle Klassen, Larry Heckel, Hugh McKean
and sometimes Carol Johnson.
Candidates in this year’s campaign like Ralph Trenary or Chauncey Taylor have submitted nomination petitions for public
office containing signatures from either current or past councilors representing one political faction or the other who live in
their district.
Ward 1
Robert Molloy - unaffiliated
Molloy has served on Loveland’s Planning Commission for many years and is currently the Chairman. His nomination
petition reflects commissioners who signed his nomination petition along with people related to the construction trades and
owners of undeveloped commercial properties like the Stump family. Fellow Planning Commissioner and Loveland
attorney Troy Krenning, who previously ran for Mayor of Loveland, is among the more notable signatures on Molloy's
petition to run for public office.
Molloy is registered as “unaffiliated” and sought the Ward 1 seat first when it was vacated by Cecil Gutierrez upon being
elected Mayor two years ago. Donna Rice prevailed over Molloy and the other candidates in that special election.
Molloy is not known to be closely affiliated with either political party and due to his long-term involvement in city affairs a
well known quantity in city hall. He has also demonstrated extra-ordinary caution when presiding over zoning and land
use disputes by removing himself from the process when he knew one party to avoid the air of impropriety.
Chauncey Taylor - Republican
Taylor is the stepson of Joe Johnson who built Johnson’s Corner off I-25 in Johnstown in 1951. After inheriting the
family business in 1994, Taylor set about expanding the size, scope and reach of Johnson’s Corner during the past 15
years.
Taylor is a business partner of former Loveland Mayor Pro Tem Dave Clark who is also running for council in this
election for a seat representing Ward 4. Together they built the $3 million, 21,000-square-foot dinner theater next to
Johnson’s Corner, Playhouse Dinner Theater, along with Nick Turner, who owns the La-De-Da performing arts school of
Ft. Collins.
Taylor has been vocal about differentiating himself from the McWhinney’s style of development along I-25 but is himself a
beneficiary of diverted sales tax dollars. When Johnson’s Corner annexed into Johnstown in 2002 he cut a deal to have
one third of his sales tax revenue returned to his business according to sources in Johnstown. In 2005 the Greeley
Tribune quoted Taylor in a news article stating;
"We're not going to be a McWhinney or a big-box retailer. You won't see a Wal-Mart out here. You're going to
see different things, like the truck stop, a campground, an RV community and resort, a dinner theater, things
that make the world go 'round that don't fit into the mold of McWhinney but also make sense for this area."
Recruited to run for City Council by current Councilwman Donna Rice who is not seeking reelection, Taylor lives in a
home on Lake Loveland in Ward 1 deeded to him in 1985 by Virginia M. Johnson, presumably his mother. His
nomination papers (circulated also by Rice) reflect support not only from Rice and her husband Frank McCrea but also
from current Loveland Councilman Daryle Klassen and former State House Representative Jim Welker.
Ward 2
Phil Farley - Democrat
Sharon Anhorn and Janice Farley circulated the nomination petition for Phil Farley which is unusual as most candidates
circulate their own petitions. The majority of the people who signed the nomination petition are neighbors of Farley living
along Rossum Drive in Loveland’s Ward 2.
It was at the Larimer Democrats Southern Breakfast back in July of last year that Farley's name was first circulated
among area Democrats as a potential candidate for Loveland's City Council according to one source at the breakfast.
The official newsletter of the Larimer Democrats announcing the breakfast even provided a formal introduction for Farley,
"We are pleased to present a distinguished Democrat who is making a positive impact on Loveland and
Larimer County; Phil Farley." The organizer of the Breakfast that morning was Ralph Trenary (now candidate for
Ward 4) who helped to recruit Farley. Also recruiting Farley that morning we are told was Mayor Gutierrez who asked
Farley to run for council against his colleague Councilwoman Carol Johnson.
Farley retired from various positions at HP and IBM in 2008 and has been active in community affairs ever since.
Heading the Rialto Bridge project along with numerous charitable projects with local service clubs means Farley is well
known and respected in the community. Regardless of how he was recruited to become a candidate for City Council,
Farley brings an impressive resume and considerable community accomplishments that could easily unseat even the
strongest of incumbents in local office.
Carol Johnson (Incumbent) - Unaffiliated
22 of the 29 signatures submitted by Carol Johnson to qualify to be on the ballot this November are her immediate
neighbors all residing in townhouses on Medina Ct. in Loveland.
Transplanted from Golden, Colorado where she was unable to win a second term on the Golden City Council, Johnson
ran in Loveland unopposed in Ward 2 four years ago. Johnson kept the same residence qualifying her to run for City
Council in Ward 2. She rents the townhouse where she resides in Loveland from the recorded owner of the property
Robert Ragsdale of Newhall, California.
Johnson chose for her vacancy committee (this is a question of who would appoint your replacement should you be
unable to serve the full term) two former Councilmen. Councilman Glenn Rousey and former Councilman and Mayor
Gene Pielin. Both are considered part of the “old guard” on the former council responsible for the 402 land purchase,
vNet and other business development debacles.
Mike Schoonover - Republican
A conservative candidate, Schoonover’s nomination papers to run for city council include the signature of Dean Madere,
the Republican Candidate for the 4th Congressional District in Colorado in the 2010 Election. A Tea Party favored
candidate, Madere lost the primary election to current 4th District Congressman Cory Gardner.
Other notable citizens who signed Schoonover’s nomination petition include Tom Buchanan, the current leader of
Loveland’s 912 Project and former head of the Northern Colorado Marine Corps League.
Schoonover and his wife lost their home on Cherry Avenue in Loveland to foreclosure four years ago. County records
indicate Michael and Anna Schoonover bought the Cherry Ave. house in 2003 on an adjustable rate mortgage of 7.2
percent and lost it in 2007 after failing to make the mortgage payments. The outstanding amount owed was $157,000 at
the time of foreclosure. Earlier this year the Schoonovers purchased another house in Loveland. Their current Mariana
Butte home was purchased from Wells Fargo Bank out of another foreclosure and is in Loveland’s Ward 2.
Ward 3
John Fogle - unaffiliated
An aggressive campaigner, Fogle’s most notable backer to run for City Council is Bill Beierwaltes the founder of vNet
who is currently defending a lawsuit by the City of Loveland to recover money he was given for a jobs incentive but
refuses to repay. Both Bill Beierwaltes and his wife signed the nomination petitions for Fogle along with mostly Fogle
neighbors from the small enclave of upper-end homes just west of Taft Ave. located on Francis, Flora and Mckenzie
Drives.
Beierwaltes took nearly $1 million in a Loveland “jobs” subsidy before laying-off most of his employees and selling his
company vNet. Beiewaltes kept the limited liability company of vNet (now just a shell) in his own name while selling all
the intellectual property and other assets of the company obtained with city money to an interest on the East Coast.
Beierwaltes refused to repay the subsidy despite the fact the city determined he violated his agreement with the city that
required written authorization before the company could change hands. Loveland is now litigating against Beierwaltes to
enforce a personal guarantee he and his wife signed but are refusing to honor to repay the funds according to the city.
Whether Mr. Fogle is willing to recuse himself from any private or public session meetings or votes involving his friend and
campaign backer remain to be seen. Failure to make such a commitment may put his candidacy in question as it would
raise significant ethical issues regarding his motives for running.
Another backer of Fogle is the former State House Representative for District 51, Conservative Republican Jim Welker.
Welker brought Fogle to the recent Larimer County Republican County annual Lincoln Day Dinner to introduce him
around the room. Many who met Fogle for the first time were impressed “a longtime Republican was running for
Loveland City Council” according to people at the dinner. County records reveal Fogle recently changed his party
affiliation from Democrat to “Unaffiliated” before running for office but has failed to disclose this to partisan Republicans
excited about his candidacy for local office.
Other backers of Fogle include former Loveland City Councilman Walt Skowron and his wife Beverly who reside in the
same enclave off Taft Ave. near Beierwaltes. Skowron, like Welker, is also registered Republican and has been active in
some party politics.
Michelle Jacobs - Republican
Jacobs was the Director of Community Affairs for the Home Builders Association of Northern Colorado. She has been
politically active with the Republican Party and even hosted a fund raiser in her home for a candidate for the Larimer
County Commission. While former State House Representative Jim Welker has been trying to sell John Fogle as the
credentialed “conservatives” candidate for Ward 3, Fogle will have a difficult time prying some partisans away from
Jacobs who are familair with her accomplishments.
Welker’s involvement in city affairs may have more to do with his interest in developing a commercial piece of property
west of Taft Avenue that adjoins Bill Beierwaltes’ property on the north side. Welker and his partners hope to someday
build an office complex on the property that slopes dramatically to the west off Taft Ave. in Loveland where Fogle has
planted huge campaign signs.
Jacobs may have some difficulty portraying herself as a “fiscal conservative” however given her support of massive
government subsidies to one certain local developer. Jacobs is an unabashed supporter of the McWhinney’s Centerra
and was active trying to pass on to a regional transportation authority, RTA, the responsibility to pay I-25 interchange
liabilities McWhinney had promised in its agreement with the City of Loveland.
Steven Weber - Republican
At 24 years of age, Weber is the youngest candidate running for Loveland’s City Council in 2011. An employee of
Walmart, Weber also appears to be an independent candidate sandwiched between two other better known candidates
apparently supported by much the same factions or economic interests in Loveland.
Weber is a registered Republican with no obvious history or political activism with either the Republican Party or other
political organizations like the Tea Party movement.
Weber is College-educated and described as intelligent, thoughtful and not your typical political candidate in that he is
quiet and somewhat shy. Weber is an advocate for historic preservation and looking to assist efforts to renovate
Loveland’s old downtown.
Given his limited community involvement his candidacy may receive very little notice unless he invests money in creating a
name identification for himself over the next month. His best hope for winning office would likely be a split in the same
base supporting his two opponents running for Ward 3, each claiming to be the true conservative, while more moderate
and left-leaning voters are driven towards Weber.
Ward 4 see LovelandPolitics article from August 3, 2011 on Ward 4 race
John Buck - Republican
A Loveland resident now for 6 years, Buck doesn’t appear to be running with any local faction or partisan affiliations or
support and truly appears to be an independent candidate.
A transplant from Casper, Wyoming, Buck is employed by the Home Depot and owns two rental properties, one in
Loveland and another in Berthoud besides his home on Tamarix Place in Loveland Ward 4. Bucks Loveland rental
property is a manufactured (mobile home) in the subdivision on the inside corner of Wilson and Taft he purchased for
$34,000 according to Larimer County records.
Buck released the following statement about his candidacy, “I am a life long fiscal conservative and believe in a limited
roll of government. Local government needs to conduct its business in an open and transparent way. Our hometown
newspaper should not have to sue our city to gain access. Elected officials need to have the backbone to stand up to the
special interests, and end backroom deals in city hall. City Council should reflect the hard working values of all people in
this city.”
Dave Clark - Republican
Clark served one term on the Loveland City Council following in the footsteps of his father who also served on
Loveland's council back in the early 1980's. Two years ago Clark was defeated for the Mayor's seat by Cecil Gutierrez.
Local pundits mostly blame his defeat on the campaign efforts of his former colleague Walt Skowron who ran supporting
similar issues thus splitting the more conservative voting base Clark was hoping to draw upon to defeat the more liberal
Gutierrez.
Owner of a local construction firm and investor in the playhouse theater in Johnstown, Clark has struggled financially
during the housing and construction downturn that began in 2008. Clark closed the family construction business earlier
this year and is now managing the Playhouse Dinner Theater he owns with Ward 1 candidate Chauncey Taylor fulltime.
A formadible candidate, Clark's nomination petition reads like the who's who of Loveland's Old Guard. The more recent
efforts by Councilwoman Donna Rice to get Republicans more active not to mention the money and organization Taylor is
likely to bring to this mail-in election will likely fare well for Dave Clark.
Ralph Trenary - Democrat
An unabashed partisan, Trenary has long been active in the Larimer County Democratic Party and instrumental in
recruiting fellow Democrats to run for local office. Bob Massaro, the Larimer County Democratic Party official who
signed Mayor Gutierrez's nomination petition also signed Trenary's petition along with Massaro's wife Carla. In addition,
Trenary appointed Massaro to his vacancy appointment committee with fellow Democratic Party activist Patricia Weedin.
Trenary writes a citizen's column for The Coloradoan's Loveland Connection newspaper. Earlier this year, Trenary
wrote, "best estimates are that the $600-a-month 'salary' of a city council member only slightly exceeds
minimum wage for the hours of required duties." Despite his disagreement with the low pay of a city councilman he
is apparently now willing to throw his hat in the ring for what he called a minimum wage position. Trenary also worked as
a regional field coordinator for Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff's failed Democratic primary run for U.S.
Senate. A vocal critic of the Bush Administration, Trenary took a strong stand against Bush having any Command
authority over the Colorado National Guard of which Trenary was a member at the time.
Following his 26 year government career, Trenary moved to Loveland where he had been seeking a job in the private
sector for a number of years. He described his move to Loveland in his LinkedIn profile as, "after 26 years of military
service and Federal Government employment I have moved my family to my wife's ancestral hometown,
Loveland, Colorado. From this homebase I apply the value-added skills and knowledge of my professional
experience to both local and extended business and public interests."
Trenary is a strong backer of a school bond measure for the Thompson School District to increase local property taxes
and supported the failed efforts of Carol Johnson to seek voter approval to permanently exempt Loveland from TABOR
(Taxpayer's Bill of Rights).
NOTE:
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