Latest News – November 5

No to Hospital’s 5A; Yes to Semsack, Fenske

Lake County Election Officials tally the local vote for the 2014 Election. Voters may have many more options than ever when it comes to casting their ballots, but that burden of choice was clearly bore by local counters. Good job – it was a LONG day!

Lake County voters rejected a mill levy increase request from St. Vincent Hospital (SVH) in Leadville. Official results from the Lake County Clerk and Recorder’s office shows voters declined the 10.962-mill increase with 57.79% (1,443 votes) of votes cast against Referendum 5A, and 42.21% (1,054 votes) in favor.

Commissioner Semsack was voted in another 4 years.

In other Lake County races, Commissioner – District 1 was re-awarded to incumbent Dolores Semsack (D) garnering 61.12% of the vote against Republican Charlie O’Leary who tallied 38.88% of the 2,387 votes cast for this position. 

The leadership at the Lake County Sheriff’s office will remain the same with incumbent Sheriff Rod Fenske (D) securing a strong lead with 64.37% of the voters’ confidence against challenger Daniel Hanson (R) with 35.63% of votes.

When it came to the two referendum issues dealing with revoking term limits for County Commissioners (1A) and City Clerk (2A), residents voted both measures down, although the city one by a very slim margin of 50.46% opposed and 49.54% in favor.

Lake County Sheriff Rod Fenske (back) during his Primary Election victory in June, carried voter confidence through to the November election, winning a second term in office. Also: (l to r) wife Eva Fenske, Nicole Lassman (Undersheriff Fernando Mendoza’s wife) and Fenske’s daughter, Karen Fenske Lewis.

Other Lake County Elected positions included uncontested races of County Clerk and Recorder Patricia Berger (1,860 votes), County Treasurer Padaric Smith (1,901 votes), County Assessor Miguel Martinez (1,844 votes) and County Coroner Shannon Kent (1,957 votes).

For more detailed numbers on local races, as well as how LOCAL/LAKE COUNTY voters weighed in on state candidates and measures, you may find the Official Lake County Election Results for Nov. 4, 2014: HERE.