Helen Collins
Helen Collins is the former nonpartisan District 4 representative on the Colorado Springs City Council in Colorado. First elected in 2013, Collins lost a re-election campaign in the general election on April 4, 2017.
Biography
Collins is a retired U.S. Navy cryptologist. She holds a master’s degree in strategic intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College and a bachelor's degree in behavioral science and management.[1]
Elections
2017
The city of Colorado Springs, Colorado, held elections for city council on April 4, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 23, 2017.[2] Yolanda Avila defeated Deborah Hendrix and incumbent Helen Collins in the Colorado Springs City Council, District 4 general election.[3]
| Colorado Springs City Council, District 4 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Yolanda Avila |
40.79% | 2,346 |
| Deborah Hendrix | 31.04% | 1,785 |
| Helen Collins Incumbent | 28.17% | 1,620 |
| Total Votes | 5,751 | |
| Source: Colorado Springs, Colorado, "April 4, 2017 Municipal Election Results," accessed April 18, 2017 | ||
Noteworthy events
Ethics complaint
Collins was the subject of an investigation by the city's Independent Ethics Commission following an ethics complaint by the Colorado Springs City Attorney's Office. The complaint alleged that Collins took part in a real estate deal with author Douglas Bruce that allowed Bruce to avoid paying a $7,600 court judgement he owed the city. Collins dismissed the complaint, saying, "It's based on the recall. It's 'make Helen look bad.'"[4]
The council voted 8-0 to cite Collins with three ethics violations at a meeting on June 9, 2015. The citations were not a declaration of guilt, but they required Collins to request a public hearing before either the council or an independent officer.[5] In early September 2015, a judge was chosen to preside over the hearing.[6] Collins then filed her own ethics complaint on September 30, 2015, against the mayor and city council over an alleged breach of open-meeting laws.[7]
In early January 2016, a retired U.S. magistrate judge named Boyd Boland held an ethics hearing over the complaints against Collins.[8] Boland ruled that she had "placed her friendship and political alliance with Mr. Bruce above her duty of loyalty (to) the City of Colorado Springs." Because she did not benefit financially from the transaction, however, Boland noted that she could not be fined. City council rules did not allow her to be suspended or removed from office for the offense, so the only punishment available in this case was an official censure.[9]
Recall
Collins was the target of a recall by a group that claimed she failed to "represent the best interests or address the basic concerns, of the long-ignored voters and hard-pressed taxpayers in City Council District 4."[10] The recall election took place on April 7, 2015.[11] Collins was retained.[12]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Helen Collins Colorado Springs. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Colorado Springs, Colorado | Colorado | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City of Colorado Springs, "Helen Collins, District 4," accessed March 8, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Springs, Colorado, "Election Candidate FAQ," accessed January 24, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Springs, Colorado, "April 4, 2017 - Ballot Candidates," accessed January 25, 2017
- ↑ The Gazette, "Complaint: Councilwoman Helen Collins 'appears' to have violated city's ethics code," March 6, 2015
- ↑ The Gazette, "Colorado Springs City Council cites Helen Collins with three ethics violations," June 9, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Springs Independent, "Judge chosen in Helen Collins ethics case," September 2, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Springs Independent, "Judge chosen in Helen Collins ethics case," September 30, 2015
- ↑ The Gazette, "Testimony bolsters ethics allegations against Helen Collins," January 6, 2016
- ↑ The Gazette, "Magistrate rules Colorado Springs councilwoman violated city ethic code," February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Gazette, "Recall effort launched against Colorado Springs councilwoman," December 20, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Springs Independent, "UPDATE: Collins recall to proceed in city's southeast," January 14, 2015
- ↑ City of Colorado Springs, "Unofficial election results," accessed April 9, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Colorado Springs City Council, District 4 2013-2017 |
Succeeded by Yolanda Avila |
 |
State of Colorado Denver (capital) |
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