Shawn Greenwell challenging
Shawn Greenwell is running for Morgan County Commissioner to bring greater visibility to the board. The former Log Lane Village Trustee believes his sales experience and running a small business have equipped him to govern while putting people first.
“I’ve been in sales my whole life, so interacting with people trying to solve problems make the solutions,” Greenwell said.
Greenwell said people he’s spoken to often feel ignored when working with the county, and he wants to be a commissioner people can approach to solve problems.
“If you have an issue, let’s get it solved. Let’s not just put it on a back burner,” Greenwell said. “Let’s just get the problem solved and do it face-to-face so we understand what the problem is, actually are.”
One way Greenwell hopes to do this is by changing the time the Board of Morgan County
Commissioners meetings are held.
“I went to the commissioners meetings, and the thing I don’t like about it is it’s quiet,” Greenwell said. “The goal would be to move meetings to evenings. For sure that would be the biggest thing because I want to see citizens come to the meetings.”
Greenwell served six years as a trustee in Log Lane Village and said the changes that were made there were night and day during his time on the town’s Board of Trustees. The town was nearly broke and considering annexation into Fort Morgan until they turned the tide by allowing medical marijuana dispensaries and retail marijuana stores to open. With revenues from the dispensaries and stores, Log Lane Village was able to improve roads, update water and sewer lines, purchase new police cruisers and have a fully equipped maintenance department, while also lowering the town’s mill levy for tax payers.
He added that his vote in favor of allowing marijuana businesses in Log Lane has led to rumors that he wants to expand marijuana into Morgan County, which he said is false.
“People need to understand is that it’s not me. It’s the people’s vote, and I think that Log Lane has enough for the whole county,” Greenwell said. “Let Log Lane have it. There’s other ways to make reve
nue.”
Greenwell said he wants growth, but not at the expense of Morgan County culture.
“I don’t want to see Front Range mentality,” he said. “I know we’re growing, but I hate to see when we lose farmland to housing developments.”
Another top issue for Greenwell is asserting local control in the face of statewide mandates.
“I want to see the town open back up. I want to see small business open. I want to see employees back at work,” Greenwell said. “We want local control back.”
Greenwell said he felt the pinch on small business after shutdowns began in April and knows the pressure of being a small business owner. He’s the owner and sole employee of a janitorial, chemical and paper supply company that sells office wares to other businesses.
“I’m a small business owner, so I feel the pains of trying to keep a small business open, in trying to keep employees like some small businesses are trying to do, because I know they don’t want to lay people off,” Greenwell said.
Greenwell wants to be a commissioner who makes himself known to his constituents, and can work through problems people bring to him.
“The biggest thing that I do is make sure that Morgan County Citizens are making taken care of and that everybody is treated equally. I don’t care if you’re one of the rich guys in this county or a person just making it, I think everybody needs to be treated correctly,” Greenwell said.
Greenwell is running as an independent candidate but said he leans more conservative.
“I’m not biased or anything. I’m more of a common sense. I just want to make sure everyone gets through life,” he said.
Greenwell, an independent candidate, is facing off against incumbent County Commissioner Mark Arndt, a Republican, for the District 1 Morgan County Commissioner seat in the upcoming general election, which will be decided on Nov. 3. Early voting is currently underway.