Gilpin supervisors elect new leadership, but not without complaints

A change in leadership on the Gilpin board of supervisors isn’t sitting well with at least one township official.

During the board’s annual reorganization meeting this month, Tina Thompson was elected as the new chairperson for supervisors in a 3-2 vote, replacing Charles Stull, who held the position for six years.

Supervisors Jeremy Smail, Kris Kulick and Thompson voted for Thompson, while Stull and Kevin Miller voted for Stull.

Miller and Kulick did not respond to TribLive requests for comment.

After the meeting, Stull posted to his Facebook account, saying he was disappointed to see “personal bias and lingering vendettas” influencing leadership decisions in the township.

Stull declined to comment further about his claims but, in a published column two days after the meeting, claimed the leadership change was not routine. Rather, his column stated, it was a calculated move produced from “backroom conversations.” He claimed the decision was made outside the public eye during conversations between three friends.

Stull did not respond to a request for comment about the opinion piece he submitted.

He told TribLive he’d been “mentally preparing” for the possibility of being voted out of the chair position and wrote the social media post ahead of time.

“It was upsetting,” Stull said. “I will still serve, and I have a lot to offer to the board.”

He said none of the supervisors who voted against him offered an explanation why they decided to change leadership.

Thompson said it’s not typical procedure to discuss nominations during a reorganization meeting. She said Stull did not request to discuss the situation.

Since the township doesn’t have a manager, the supervisors chair takes over some of those administrative responsibilities. Stull said he will miss getting to work closely with township employees in that capacity.

In a social media post Thursday, Stull said he wishes new leadership the best as they take on their new responsibilities, but he would not be directly involved in the leadership transition.

“I trust that those now in leadership roles are prepared to fulfill their duties effectively and independently,” the post read.

He is set to complete his term in 2029.

Thompson said of Stull’s reaction: “It’s been a bigger upset than what I would have expected.”

This will be the second year Thompson has served on the board. She served as vice chair last year. She said being nominated chairperson felt like a normal progression.

“Charlie’s been chair for six years, and he’s done a terrific job,” Thompson said. “We’re so fortunate to have him on the board. He’s wicked smart, and government is in his blood.

“There’s no plans for me to come in and turn things upside down or go back on the progress he’s helped us make.”

Thompson said she saw the reorganization meeting as an opportunity to get “new blood” in leadership positions and to offer new ideas.

“You get stagnant after awhile,” she said. “Just because we’ve done something a certain way for 30 years doesn’t mean we have to keep doing it for the next 30 years.”

Smail, newly elected vice chair, did not specifically address the accusations made by Stull.

“The strengths of each individual supervisor are important and add value. I look forward to collaborating with the entire board in the coming year,” he said in a text message to TribLive.