Phone: 720.213.6333

Email Brady at brady@bradyforgilpin.com

How long, and where have you lived in Gilpin County? I live in District 2, Gilpin County is where I call home and have lived the last 7 years. 

What post-secondary schools have you attended?  EBV University of Connecticut, Pikes Peak Community College and numerous Military schools.

What specific training or education have you received relevant to the position? I am bringing proven leadership to Gilpin County; I served our nation with distinction and honor. Now I will do the same for the people of Gilpin, I have a servant’s heart. I believe that being an elected official makes you a servant of the people. I know how to make tough decisions based on facts and needs. 

Briefly describe your current career and home life. Born and raised in Colorado, 5th generation native, I joined the United States Army following high school. I retired as a Master Sergeant after more than 20 years of service. My wife, Christy, is still serving in the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer with over 30 years.  In my free time, I work as a hunting guide and hunting agent part-time. My bride Christy, our 7-year-old golden retriever, Wyatt, and I call Black Hawk home. 

List the Peak to Peak boards and civic or volunteer activities in which you have been involved and the dates of service. 

Veterans of Foreign Wars, 2008-present 

American Legion 2008-present

Central City Elks member 2022-present

Project Healing Waters 2023-present

Homeowners association, At Large 2021-2023 Vice Chair 2023-present,

Patrol Base Abbate, 2023-2024

Serve as a Deacon at Light of the Mountain Fellowship 2024-present.

Have you attended BoCC and/or local government meetings? Yes, I attend as many meetings as I can with regularity. I have attended a majority of the meetings over the last 6 months.

How would you enhance the experience of Gilpin County staff? Bringing common-sense leadership back to county government means more than simply holding office. It means showing up, being present, listening to the people doing the work, understanding what they need to succeed, and taking action when problems are identified. Good governance starts with listening and leadership means following through.

What do you see as the major issues facing Gilpin County? How would you begin to address them? Gilpin County’s spending trajectory is concerning. Wasteful overspending will lead to financial instability for future generations. 

From 2022 to 2025, recurring General Government spending has increased nearly 42% ($3.114 million). Gilpin County taxpayers deserve a commissioner who will safeguard their tax dollars and find ways to rollback spending. 

As Commissioner, I will be transparent and honest with the community. Every major position, contract, and program will have a documented cost, purpose, and measurable result to our county. Every county taxpayer deserves to know how their tax dollars are spent and used. 

As Commissioner, I will prioritize reducing wasteful spending and opposing unnecessary tax increases. The government already appropriates a significant portion of our tax dollars for unproductive projects. I will advocate for our taxpayers by ensuring that any work I undertake or approve is essential for enhancing the quality of life within our county. I will conduct a thorough evaluation of each project to verify that tax dollars are not being squandered. 

As an elected official, what would be your top three goals for the county in the next year? Affordability, public safety, and quality infrastructure are my three priorities. Politicians in Denver and Washington DC continue raising prices, taxes and fees on everyday Americans. Gilpin County Commissioners should be working to make our county more affordable, not more expensive. I’ll work to reduce burdensome taxes and make Gilpin County more affordable. 

Public safety is crucial. I’m committed to supporting our Sheriff’s Office, Timberline Fire, and Gilpin Ambulance Authority. Our first responders risk their lives to protect ours. I’m committed to supporting them to keep our families safe. 

Lastly, we need safe roads and bridges. I’ll work with the Road and Bridge Department to find commonsense solutions to repair our rapidly deteriorating county roads.

How would you collaborate with other Gilpin County departments and organizations? 

I would collaborate with departments and local organizations with a commonsense approach. Decisions that are being made should have a positive living experience for all Gilpin residents. In an ever-changing landscape of funding, I believe we must collaborate to find ways to do more with less. 

Why do you want to hold the office for which you are running? Have you run for/held political office before? If so, where and when? I’m running to bring real accountability to how Gilpin County operates and manages tax dollars. For example, the county food pantry was in a deteriorating trailer, and needed to be replaced. But a pantry replacement grew into a far more expensive multipurpose Annex, and county leadership still owes residents straight answers: Who drove the added scope? When was the true cost known? Why did the public statements keep changing? And what measurable, county-wide value will the added functions deliver? Residents deserve answers to these questions. 

The turning point came for me when the County Manager floated a “funding opportunities” briefing, which was ultimately a tax increase. Nearly $1.9 million would’ve been taken from the Gilpin school with no plan on making up the loss and supporting our children. I decided it was time to get off the sidelines and put my name on the ballot. 

Will you be able to meet the time requirements of the office?  Do you, or will you, have another job as well as the position you are running for? Yes. Now that I am fully retired I have made time in my retirement to focus on my community and the things that matter to all of us in Gilpin.  

How have you, and/or how will you, operate with transparency and honesty in your role? Transparency and honesty are must-haves for this office. I will demand the public is provided the same information the Commissioners, County Attorney, and County Manager have during meetings. My door will always be open to the public, and I’ll encourage residents to exercise their 1st Amendment right and make public comments. I will always ask the public for input before any large money decisions are made. 

How will you handle conflict resolution within your office, if elected? I don’t have the expectation that there will be conflicts as the question implies. Should conflicts arise, I will lead with empathy, making a genuine effort to understand the other side of an issue, find common ground, and work toward practical compromises and solutions that serve the community as a whole.

Please disclose any current personal and/or professional relationships with the City of Black Hawk, City of Central, or Gilpin County. I am acquaintances with the current mayors of Black Hawk and Central City, and I am friends with Hal Midcap and Chuck Spencer, current sitting members of each city’s council.  

If you could ask one other candidate one question, what would it be? Commissioner Berumen, you were the County's appointed representative to Eagles' Nest Early Learning Center, you attended a board meeting before the September 2023 crisis, and the BoCC had already received a June report addressing its finances, staffing, enrollment and expenditures. Yet you later said the County did not realize until late September that Eagles' Nest was about to close. What specifically did you know before September, what questions did you ask, and if the warning signs were missed, why should voters trust your judgment to recognize financial and operational problems before they become emergencies?

Commissioners and sheriff

What is your position on sexually oriented businesses in Central City? Central City has a mayor, a board of city council members and a city manager. I believe the more than 600 residents, in conjunction with the elected office, can decide on how they want their municipality ran and what types of businesses they would like to have make up their city. 

What experience do you have with government or non-profit budgets? While serving in the United States Army, I worked at the Division level as the Schools/Education Manager. In this position I was required to perform budget preparations, budget analyzation and spending reconciliations. This job also required me to develop future budgeting targets and budgeting requests from multiple government departments. This budget was very similar in size to the current county budget.

What kind of growth do you want to see in Gilpin County? Colorado Gaming is crucial for Gilpin County, providing over 50% of our county revenues. While not everyone appreciates the gaming aspect, it has helped to keep our taxes lower when compared to neighboring counties. However, it can present some public-safety challenges. I’d collaborate with gaming communities to boost tourism, work with law enforcement to promote public safety in Gilpin and ensure we’re safeguarding our mountain lifestyle.

Are there any federal issues with homelessness, elections, or ICE you anticipate having to handle? How would you handle them? My focus, as Commissioner, will be to put the interests and needs of Gilpin County residents first. I am focused on county issues. This doesn’t mean I would ignore these issues; there are state and federal agencies that have laws and policies that handle these topics. 

Commissioners only

Do you support affordable housing? Senior housing? If so, what steps will you take to implement them in Gilpin County?  Home ownership is part of the American dream. I support affordable housing by reducing regulations, streamlining permitting and inspection processes, and lowering the costs of permitting. I will work to lower the county fees and regulations for home builders and buyers. 

Keeping our taxes and fees low enables seniors to stay in their homes. I look forward to hearing and understanding the needs of our senior community that makes up more than 20% of our Gilpin population. 

How would you promote economic diversity in the county? I propose expediting the licensing and permitting process while simultaneously reducing or eliminating any economic barriers that hinder the growth of small businesses in the county.

I know it’s a difficult process, but I believe a way that we could enhance the economics of the county is to eliminate the RE2 school district. Too many of our citizens are giving Boulder County their hard-earned tax dollars. Very few students from Gilpin attend Nederland School district compared to how many students Gilpin provides education to from the RE2 district. There are passionate residents from Gilpin that are willing to put in the time to see this old and antiquated tax burden removed. Although I cannot guarantee the outcome, I am more than willing lead the charge.

What is your position on a countywide sales tax? I am strongly against any new sales tax increase; I wouldn’t risk jeopardizing the long-standing agreement between Gilpin County School and the city of Black Hawk bringing our community school nearly $1.9 million dollars in 2026.