August 15, 2012 11:23 PM UTC

Margaret Chapman to Return to Trustee Post

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• by: Colorado Pols

Former Jefferson County Trustee Margaret Chapman, who resigned last month at Governor Hickenlooper’s behest, was today reappointed to the post.

From KOAA.com:

Gov. John Hickenlooper, who had asked for the resignations of 10 county public trustees last month, today gave five their jobs back. He also picked new trustees for three counties. The search continues in two more counties.

Trustees in five counties were reappointed: George Kennedy in Douglas County; Thomas Mowle in El Paso County; Margaret Chapman in Jefferson County; Deborah Morgan in Larimer County; and Susie Velasquez in Weld County.

“It is essential that public servants maintain the public’s trust,” Hickenlooper said. “We expect that moving forward each of these trustees will continue to do just that.”

The Governor’s Office intends to seek legislative changes in January that deal with issues related to the state’s public trustees. The changes will be proposed in concert with counties and members of the General Assembly. No matter what form the legislation may take, it must maintain transparency, accountability and consistency among public trustees statewide.

Chapman was widely expected to get her job back. She’s always “maintained the public’s trust” and played no part in the scandal that forced the resignation of trustees around the state. Last month, we wrote that “there’s no question that Hickenlooper will reappoint Chapman: she’s simply the best fit for the post and she’s done nothing wrong.” That clearly holds true today, and should for as long as Chapman serves the people of Jefferson County.

Still, with statutory changes to the appointed positions promised for next year’s legislative session, Chapman’s office may change dramatically. That’s a shame: for five years she’s capably performed her duties as they’re currently defined. It’s an unfortunate reality that many of Chapman’s colleagues took personal advantage of the position, but Jefferson County’s trustee patently did not.

As someone who’s shined in and truly understands the job, then, Chapman should be leading the legislative effort to rework the state’s appointed trustee system. She shouldn’t be punished by it.