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Palmer Lake 2026 Election
Integrity Matters Candidate Survey
All candidates were email several times, and, at the request of several candidates, we extended the timeline by an additional week. We are not surprised when candidates object to our surveys as they are notoriously challenging questions about the tough issues facing a community. We believe that reading those answers as well as the lack of answers are equally informative to voters. We have watched (sometimes multiple times) and transcribed every Palmer Lake Board of Trustees meeting for the last two years which has been very helpful in creating a survey that addresses the serious governance issues facing the town. 6 of 12 candidates responded, and you can see the summary of all the answers at the end of the candidate section.
Campaign Finance
Speaking of serious governance issues, we always include campaign finance data. This year, however, the Town Clerk is requiring citizens to go to Town Hall to view campaign finance reports, the same reports the Town posted online during the September 2025 election. The Town of Monument posts its reports online within 24 hours of the due date, and state candidates file in TRACER, where reports are public as soon as they are filed. State law permits Palmer Lake’s approach, but it is a step backward from just a year ago, and we find it disturbing. Campaign finance reports show voters who is funding each campaign.
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We encourage you to email the Town Clerk and the Town Administrator, copying the Board of Trustees, to object to the change and ask the Town to post reports online as Monument does. Please copy Integrity Matters, and consider copying the media. You can copy and paste these lines into your email:
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To: erica@palmer-lake.org, pdavidson@palmer-lake.org
Cc: dstern@palmer-lake.org, ajurka@palmer-lake.org, mbeeson@palmer-lake.org, tbeltran@palmer-lake.org, eharris@palmer-lake.org, jmarble@palmer-lake.org, rmoseley@palmer-lake.org, integritymatterscos@gmail.com, savannah.eller@gazette.com, news@krdo.com, news@kktv.com, news@koaa.com, news@fox21news.com, news@krcc.org, talkshow@aol.com, editor@monumentindependent.com
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Check back for the Campaign Finance updates.
Mayoral Candidates
Kent Hutson
Atis Jurka
Trustee Candidates
Bill Bass
Mr. Bass did not respond.
Tony Beltran
Mr. Beltran did not respond.
Eric Burton
Mr. Burton did not respond.
Karla Kerstner
Ms. Kerstner did not respond.
John Marble
Dennis Stern
Mr. Stern did not respond.
Survey Summary
Only the six responding candidates appear in these charts. Mayoral-only questions (M1–M5) appear in Atis Jurka’s full answers.
[Charts in survey order: Q2, Q4 (two charts), Q5, Q7, Q9, Q12, Q15, Q16, Q20, Q22, Q25, Q26]
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Candidate Forums
We are aware of two candidate forums:
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A forum hosted at the Elephant Rock Eco Spa. We will post the video if we receive it.
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A forum hosted by the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, which is available only on Facebook. The video was uploaded as a reel, so not all candidates can be seen.
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If you have additional information that would help voters, please share it with us at integritymatterscos@gmail.com.
Candidate Survey Summary Results
1 Motivations for Running: Candidates are running to rebuild community trust, promote transparency, accountability, and civil discourse, and address ongoing town governance challenges.
Qualifications: Qualifications include extensive management experience, local government experience as a trustee or attendee of board meetings, and professional backgrounds in education, social work, and program management.
Key Issues and First-Year Actions: Major concerns focus on town finances and budget deficits, community division, development and annexation pressures (such as data centers and the Buc-ee's proposal), vendor contract accountability, and water and fire service planning. Planned actions for the first year include improving financial viability, aligning development with the Master Plan, fostering civic engagement, and addressing town transparency.
