CENTER – Town Trustee Bill McClure was removed from office by a unanimous vote on Feb. 26 for using a racial slur toward a Town of Center employee. 

About 60 people attended the disciplinary hearing in the old pharmacy building across from town hall.  

Attorney Peter Doherty represented the town on behalf of the Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency (CIRSA) and local attorney Michael Trujillo represented the board. McClure represented himself. 

Trustee McClure was being accused of using a racial slur and for intimidation. 

Witness testimony was provided during the proceeding and video from the body cam was shown. 

Doherty explained that there is a constitutional provision that allows the board to vote a member off for misconduct in office. Doherty explained that McClure had committed those things as a trustee dealing with a city employee at this residence and doubling down on that at a town council meeting, by trying to legitimize his behavior and downgrade the concerns that were being raised by employees.  

Doherty explained that it also looked like retaliatory practices had also been made by McClure when he questioned the employees, salaries. Doherty then stated that they would listen to the evidence by viewing the body cam footage, and he stated he also had a copy of the provision that allowed the board to censure or vote McClure off.  

In November of 2024, Center Code Enforcement Officer Orlando Rascon, who was wearing a body cam, visited McClure’s home-office to check on permits for a build that McClure was doing on his property. 

Rascon knocked and entered the premises. He asked McClure if his permits were up to date. McClure instructed him to look in the window, Rascon found his permits to be expired, and told McClure he would have to stop the build, until he renewed his permit. 

McClure responded by telling him to shove the permits up his (expletive), and to go back to his “wetback friends.” 

Rascon left the property and reported it to his supervisor Jaime Hurtado and to Town Manager Cole Webb. He showed them the body cam footage. 

At a town trustee meeting following the incident, what transpired was made public. McClure did not ever deny that he used the racial slur. 

McClure was called racist at the meeting by many in attendance and after the meeting trustees investigated bringing charges against McClure that would lead to him being censured or removed from the town board.   

The board of trustees eventually charged McClure with use of a racial slur and for intimidation tactics, as Hurtado and Rascon felt like they were being targeted at subsequent trustee meetings by McClure who questioned their salaries and their qualifications to do the job.   

McClure said he was being targeted by Hurtado and Rascon and that when he said the racial slur it was a Center resident and not as an elected official. He claimed he was not trying to intimidate anyone; he was simply pointing out that in his opinion they were being overpaid and did not have the education to match their salaries.   

Rascon and Hurtado both stated that the slur had been offensive to them, and that it did affect their work. The body camera footage was shown at the meeting, and during the public comment section many people said that McClure was a racist and should not be allowed to stay on the board. 

Based on the witness testimony and with the body cam video that was shown, the board was asked for their decision and unanimously voted McClure off the board.   

Rascon was happy with the outcome. 

“I feel justice has been served with what he did,” Rascon said.   

Town Manager Webb said that the town has 30 days to put out the word and appoint a new trustee. Center residents interested in being a trustee can send in letters of interest. The board will conduct interviews and then choose who will fill the seat from the pool of applicants.