The self-proclaimed Reform Team
The Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs and the political arm of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce were the major donors of a 527 political organization that worked to prevent Douglas Bruce and two allies from ending up on the City Council.
The political organization, which calls itself Save Colorado Springs Now, received $35,000 from the HBA and $20,000 from the chamber’s political action committee, according to a campaign finance report filed with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
The group campaigned against Bruce, Ed Bircham and Richard Bruce, who ran as a slate of at-large council candidates along with Helen Collins and Gretchen Kasameyer.
The self-proclaimed Reform Team promised to, among other things, derail the Southern Delivery System, a 62-mile pipeline that Colorado Springs Utilities is building to pump water from Pueblo Reservoir to Colorado Springs.
“With Bruce, Bircham & Bruce, we’re pretty much sunk,” the group said in one of its campaign flyers.
While campaigning against Bruce and Co., the group threw its support behind incumbent Jan Martin, Merv Bennett and Tim Leigh. All three won election.
The group, whose registered agent used to be the chief of staff at the union-friendly Colorado AFL-CIO, raised nearly $94,000 total.
Other big contributors included:
Core Services, Inc., $10,000
Hill Development Corp., $7,500
GE Johnson Construction Co., $5,000
Chuck Murphy of Murphy Construction, $2,500
Phillip Lane, $2,500
M.L. Lane, $2,500
Katherine Loo, $2,500
Colorado Springs Police Protective Association, $1,000
The group spent nearly $77,000.
Expenses included:
Denver-based Rocky Mountain Voter Outreach received more than $48,000 for canvassing
Ikon Public Affairs, also based in Denver, received $28,000 for mailing, phone calls and printing.
