Letter to the Editor – Town of Hartman- “We can’t fix what we refuse to face”

Letter to the Editor: TOWN OF HARTMAN

“We Can’t Fix What We Refuse to Face”

In Hartman, Colorado, we are not simply witnessing poor leadership—we are living through the consequences of misplaced loyalty, unchecked power, and a willful refusal to serve the public good.

For almost three years, our town has been gripped by scandal, mismanagement, and a governing body more concerned with preserving its control than fulfilling its responsibilities. There are three trustees who are unwilling to do what is best for the town which is to step away and allow the town to redeem itself in the eyes of the state and its creditors.  Two of these trustees are sisters and the third their friend—all of which have presided across two election cycles while our community suffered: noncompliance, mismanagement, malfeasance, obstruction of justice, concealment of public records, abuse of power, official misconduct, public corruption, breach of fiduciary duty, embezzlement, stalled infrastructure projects, water system violations, obstruction of the election process, and four years of unfiled audits and budgets.  The county has been holding our property taxes and will continue to do so until we abide by state audit laws.

One of these trustees admitted she didn’t know how to perform her duties and yet made no effort to learn. Another, refuses to resign, claiming “duty” as the reason—while failing to engage meaningfully, or accept any accountability. And central to this unraveling is the third trustee, who has now been implicated in two separate acts of bank check fraud. In the first, she helped conceal the incident. In the second, her own signature appeared on four checks written by her live-in partner, the former pro tem mayor, who was never eligible to hold office. She has been turned over to the District Attorney’s office and the county Sheriff’s Office for investigation. Her continued presence on the board isn’t just irresponsible—it obstructs recovery and deepens the crisis.

When the late pro tem mayor absconded with town funds, the board left the seat vacant—refusing to act or even acknowledge the breakdown. Only after immense public pressure did they finally appoint a new mayor pro tem/part-time clerk. That’s when the scale of the financial disorder was confirmed: forged checks, fractured records, scattered billing, and critical infrastructure data missing entirely.

Let’s be clear—this mismanagement was never hidden. It was in plain view. The trustees saw it. Residents saw it. But those in power chose silence. Offers of help were dismissed. Questions at meetings were discouraged. Hostility became routine. Out of favoritism and nepotism, they preserved the status quo—not to govern, not to contribute, but to hold tight to control while the town unraveled around them.

Meanwhile, the Mayor—who is also under recall—has shown at least some recognition of the damage. She’s pledged to resign and continues to help the Clerk/Mayor Pro Tem stabilize operations. She has pleaded with the three trustees to join her so Hartman can avoid a costly recall and start anew. Once again, they refuse.

And so, the price falls to us: $1,500 for the recall election, thousands more to hire a CPA to untangle four years of financial negligence, and countless hours lost trying to recover from a governance failure that never had to happen.

This is not small-town politics as usual. This is abandonment masquerading as public service. And unless we stand together and demand change, we risk allowing dysfunction to define us.

It’s time to reclaim Hartman from those who refused to lead it. Let this letter be more than an indictment—let it be a turning point.

Shawna Casey – concerned resident