Preliminary results are in and it appears that residents in Palmer Lake do not want their officials to pursue a Buc-ee’s travel plaza two miles east of the tiny El Paso County town.
Votes counted thus far for the election that ended yesterday show voters want to recall two trustees, Kevin Dreher and Shana Bell, viewed as favorable to the project.
Ball’s recall effort is ahead 657 to 467. Dreher’s is ahead 631 to 489.
It’s unclear how many ballots still need to be counted. Election judges plan to reconvene today around 11 a.m. to complete the recall tally.
The preliminary results also show residents want to give themselves the power to approve — or reject — all future annexation proposals. That means even if the board of trustees does eventually vote to absorb the land where the Buc-ee’s is planned, final say will rest with town voters.
Of the votes counted so far, 765 are in favor of giving residents the power over annexations, with 375 voting against the measure.
Bucee’s has been seeking to have its development site, which sits alongside I-25 in unincorporated El Paso County, absorbed by the nearby town of Palmer Lake. The company says being part of a municipality is crucial to ensure the travel plaza has access to adequate water for its needs.
The current vote tally is not final. The election included 32 overseas voters. As long as their ballots are postmarked by Sept. 9, those votes can be counted up through next Wednesday.
