Lone Tree voters shook up the status quo in Tuesday's mail-ballot election, handing both open city council seats to first-time officeholders. Michelle Béchamps captured the District 1 seat by a comfortable margin, while Tara Meekma Collins survived a razor-thin District 2 race, winning by just five votes in a three-way contest. Unofficially, 2,704 ballots were cast, about 23.5% turnout, and the council is set to certify the results at a May 15 meeting later this month.
According to the Denver Gazette, Béchamps received 725 votes to Greg Jewell's 573 in District 1. In District 2, Collins finished with 550 votes, edging out Glenn Hertzler at 545, while Chris Weir picked up 306. The Denver Gazette reports that Béchamps will replace Mayor Pro Tem Jay Carpenter and Collins will replace Councilmember Mike Anderson once the canvass is complete. Colorado law requires an automatic recount only when the margin is 0.5% or less of the top candidate's total, so the tight District 2 finish does not trigger a mandatory recount.
Who They Will Replace and How the Council Works
The Lone Tree City Council consists of four councilmembers representing two districts, plus the mayor, and meets at the Lone Tree Civic Center, according to the City of Lone Tree. Councilmembers set local policy on development, public safety, and city services, responsibilities that Béchamps and Collins will assume after the election is certified.
Turnout and Next Steps
Officials reported 2,704 votes cast, about 23.49% of registered voters, and the city plans to certify the official results on May 15, per the Denver Gazette. Until that canvass wraps up, the numbers remain unofficial, and any post-election reviews would follow Lone Tree's standard procedures.
What to Watch Next
The incoming council walks into a full agenda. Growth in RidgeGate and the planned Lone Tree Village, a King Soopers-anchored retail center announced in February, are expected to loom large in upcoming debates over traffic, open space, and housing. Local reporting and developer materials suggest that growth and land-use decisions are likely to dominate the new members' early priorities, per the King Soopers mega-marketplace Hoodline coverage and Regency Centers.
