Candidates for Gilpin County positions in the upcoming elections in November will be profiled in The Mountain-Ear. A questionnaire was sent to each candidate.

Sahari McCormick of Dory Lakes is a lifelong Democrat running for her second term as Gilpin County Clerk and Recorder. She moved to Colorado in 2010 and lived in Colorado Sierra for a few months before buying a home in Dory Lakes. “I never considered any other location in Colorado as I fell in love with Gilpin at first sight,” she said.

McCormick has an associate’s degree of applied science in business management, and graduated from massage school, where she became an instructor after graduation. She worked in commercial radio for more than 30 years and left the industry in 2018 after eight years of managing the Traffic Department in Denver, which came after many years of working in Philadelphia.

“I learned as I came through the ranks and had on the job training. I needed to train on creating and managing a budget for both funding the department and revenue needed to come in via commercials, all while learning an ever-changing landscape of computer programs.

“Radio traffic came easily to me as it is all about the details, and I am an extremely detail oriented person. I also managed a team of three in a department with tight deadlines and pressure from clients.”

Knowing all these things and knowing how to pivot translated well to her position as Clerk and Recorder as they manage tax revenue, schedules and juggle multiple tasks at once while managing staff and customers. Being detail oriented comes in handy for all of the details she has to juggle with running an election.

As the current clerk, her days are spent thinking of new ways to serve the residents while juggling all the tasks needed in the department and hitting all the elections deadlines. Elections is a year-round job. “I love my job, and I don’t always tune out from it when I’m home.”

She has a wonderful home life and is still learning a work-life balance. She has lived in Dory Lakes for 12 years and has two cats she rescued during COVID that have special needs.

Being creative is a great outlet, and she loves getting her hands in clay or paint. She is trying to learn acrylic and watercolor painting.

As an elected official, her top three goals for the County in the next year would be to educate the residents about elections. The year 2024 will be here before we know it, and she thinks it’s important that the voters really know how an election happens and all the details involved with it. “I will continue to be an advocate for fair, secure and accurate elections.”

McCormick will work with other departments to educate residents about what the County is doing and to provide that information in an easily accessible and easy to understand manner. She also will continue ease of access to services in recording and motor vehicles and continually strive to enhance customer service.

“Listening to customer concerns is always paramount. This is one reason why we continue with appointments in motor vehicles, as the residents of Gilpin County prefer them and like not having to wait in line,” she said.

McCormick would like to see additional streams of revenue flowing into the County, but within her purview, she wants to help influence change in how people view elections, and how they can be a voice for change in our community.

She wishes more people would get involved with elections, so they can see the process first hand. She hires people each election to serve as election judges, and sometimes it has been hard to create bipartisan teams as people have misconceptions about getting involved. Election workers are paid, schedules are flexible, and it’s a great way to meet your neighbors and see the process firsthand.

She also wishes more people would tune into the Gilpin County Board of Commission meetings, which are broadcast live. Recordings are available too. It’s a great way to hear what is actually happening in the County, without relying on a friend of a friend of a friend to tell them and potentially skew the story. Facts matter.

“I’m running for my second term because I love serving the residents of this county,” McCormick said. The Clerk’s office is three pronged, and each prong is important.

Motor Vehicles keeps residents compliant with their vehicles, and recording holds and records the land records and provides marriage licenses. The elections department allows each resident to have their voice heard in this democracy.

“I love having a hand in each area of the department, although elections are my focus since there is so much involved with them and they are the backbone of our democracy. I take my oath of office very seriously and the role of Clerk and Recorder suits my nature of service, integrity and honesty.”

She used to commute three hours a day to her old job in the Tech Center, and she has happily traded it for putting in extra hours at the Central City Courthouse. “It had been a pleasure to serve since 2019 and pivot through crazy times, and I look forward to another four years of service.”

She can be reached at her email at SahariForGilpin@gmail.com. Check out her website at SahariForGilpin.org.