CREEDE - According to a report submitted by a local resident in Creede, a petition to recall Creede Mayor Jeffery Larson and Creede Board Trustee Lori Dooley has been deemed sufficient. Efforts to recall the two members of the City of Creede began earlier this year. 

In the document shared with the Mineral County Miner it states, “An administrative hearing on protests to the recall of Mayor Jeffrey Larson and Trustee Lori Dooley from the Town Board of the Town of Creede was held on Friday, June 13, 2025, at 9 a.m. in a hybrid format. The hearing officer was Karen Goldman, appointed by the Board of Trustees at their meeting on June 3. The recall petitions were filed by petition committee members Jenna K. Ford Yund, Roger L. Mann, Jr., and Eric Grossman. Protests to the recall petitions were filed by Mayor Larson and Trustee Dooley.” 

The petitions were submitted by the above recall committee in April and were determined sufficient by the Creede Town Clerk Josie Bielenberg. 

“The recall petition for Mayor required a minimum of 25 valid signatures. 55 signatures were submitted, 18 were disqualified, leaving 37 valid signatures and rendering the recall petition initially sufficient. 

“The recall petition for Trustee Dooley required a minimum of 32 valid signatures. 55 signatures were submitted, 14 were disqualified, leaving 41 valid signatures and rendering the recall petition initially sufficient.” 

The grounds for recall based on the provided document were as follows, “The protest filed by Mayor Larson challenged the following grounds that were included in the recall petition: Meetings are run so as to discourage public participation; The mayor supported increases in water/sewer rates causing financial harm to citizens; The town manager’s employment agreement contained provisions not in the best interests of the citizens; The mayor failed to hold the town manager accountable for residency requirements and agreed to subsidize housing for him outside the town limits; The mayor supported the reappointment of the town manager with the result of placing the town’s financial stability at risk. 

“The protest filed by Trustee Dooley challenged the following grounds that were included in the recall petition: Trustee Dooley supported increases in water/sewer rates causing financial harm to citizens; She supported the reappointment of the town manager with the result of placing the town’s financial stability at risk; Supported some town ordinances while seemingly ignoring and violating others.” 

Testimony was given by the recall committee and both Trustee Dooley and Mayor Larson. At the end of the hearing it was determined that, “Any challenge to the validity of the recall petitions based on ‘truth’ or ‘facts’ is not relevant at this point and does not change the outcome of the town clerk’s initial determination, that the recall petitions for both Mayor Larson and Trustee Dooley contained enough valid signatures to move this process forward to a recall election. 

“Grounds for protest on recall petitions are for the use by citizens to determine their position on the question of recall. They are not open for review or discussion and any challenge cannot change, on its face and without additional substantial testimony or evidence, the initial determination of sufficiency provided by the town clerk. 

“Therefore, it is finally determined that the petitions to recall Mayor Jeffrey Allen Lawson and Trustee Lori G. Dooley are sufficient and that the Town Board of Town of Creede, Colorado, is instructed to set a date for an election on these recalls.” 

The full Recall Fact and Conclusion document can be viewed at the following link https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:8aa662ef-5c61-47e7-a70e-43ee2c967a4a.