Email Susan at sberumen@gilpincounty.org

How long, and where have you lived in Gilpin County? I have lived in mid-county, District 2, for 32 years. 

What post-secondary schools have you attended? I attended Bryn Mawr College where I majored in Political Science and Economics. 

What specific training or education have you received relevant to the position? In the private sector I worked in retail where I was a District Sales Manager for The Limited Inc. I was also the controller for a commercial cleaning company in Denver for 11 years. I had also worked in Rev. Audit at the Isle Casino for about 3 years.

On the government side I worked in the Gilpin County Treasurer’s office and was in the Finance/Human Resource office for Central City before being elected Commissioner. 

Briefly describe your current career and home life. My husband and I bought our home in Gilpin County in 1994, we have raised our family in the County. 

For the past 3 1/2 years I have had the honor of representing the residents of Gilpin as their Commissioner. As Commissioner I have worked representing Gilpin County on different boards. I also work on budget, policy, and programs for the County. 

List the Peak to Peak boards and civic or volunteer activities in which you have been involved and the dates of service.
2003 - 2008 active in school activities, including PTA and Girl Scouts in Gilpin School District RE-1 

2009 - 2021 active in school activities, including PTA, Nederland BVSD school District 

2014 - 2016 Friends of the Library, Vice President 

2016 - 2022 Gilpin Library Board of Trustees, President 2019 - 2022 

Have you attended BoCC and/or local government meetings?  Before I was a Commissioner I would read the BoCC packets and listen to the meetings online. 

Since being Commissioner I have attended every work session and meeting (except for 1 meeting which I missed due to illness). 

I also review the agendas and packets for Central City and Black Hawk meetings to see if there are any topics relevant to the County. I have attended some of their meetings either in person or online.

How would you enhance the experience of Gilpin County staff? The ways I have worked to support the County staff are: 

Implement or update written policies so the staff has clear and consistent guidelines to follow. For example, the paid time off and Holiday policy has been updated to be clearer and give employees some flexibility. 

Catching up on deferred maintenance issues has made the working conditions for staff better. Repairing roof leaks, updating fire panels, and replacing old flooring make conditions safer for employees and the public. 

Hold listening sessions with employees to hear their concerns and answer any questions that they may have. 

Concentrate on employee retention by offering benefits to encourage staying with the County such as matching 401a and 457 contributions and accruing vacation time that increases as time with the County increases. 

What do you see as the major issues facing Gilpin County? How would you begin to address them?  

Childcare for infants and toddlers - I was on the Advisory Board of Triad Bright Futures and the Mountain Group which did a needs study in 2024 and using that started a program which supports young families with events and play dates to help parents with children ages 0 - 5 connect. Helped develop a new Early Childhood Council, Gateway Partnership Early Childhood. This is a tri-county Council which will help develop, and support childcare centers and in-home care for Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Jefferson Counties. Working to support Gilpin Mountain Kids Early Learning Center and help it be successful. 

Affordable housing - Worked to have Gilpin County opt into the Prop 123 program through DOLA. Support legislative measures that help to fine tune the Prop 123 programming and requirements. Continue to try to bring the Cities to the table. 

Fire mitigation - Vote for Gilpin County to pay for mitigation projects in the County. Sign onto letters encouraging the Federal government to continue funding the Forest Service and stop cutting back its services. 

Home owners insurance - I support legislation that has insurance companies recognize homeowners mitigation efforts and counties that offer mitigation programs in an effort to help home owners get and keep insurance. Inform State legislators of home owner hardships regarding insurance. 

As an elected official, what would be your top three goals for the county in the next year? 

Maintain the County’s fiscal integrity. Currently, debt free and will continue to be. 

Establish stable and affordable childcare. 

Support road improvements in the County. 

How would you collaborate with other Gilpin County departments and organizations? Continue to keep in contact with the department Directors and get their opinions on any legislative issues that may impact their department’s work. Do the same regarding any county policy matters. 

On the Gilpin Ambulance Authority Board - important for the safety and health of residents. Help with mutual aid conversations with other Counties. 

Mountain Childcare Group - This group includes Clear Creek non-profits. We work to share ideas and resources for childcare. 

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?  Currently a County Commissioner. I was elected in November 2022. I believe strongly in community service and that being a County Commissioner is a way for me to support and serve the residents in my community. It’s been an honor representing Gilpin and I hope to continue to work for the residents. 

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? I do not have another job. Being a Commissioner is more than a fulltime job. It requires total commitment if it is to be done right. When not in meetings or answering correspondence I read and do research on topics that relate to the programs and policies that are being brought forward. It is also important to prepare for the BoCC meeting and work sessions in order to be able to make decisions and give staff direction. 

During the legislative session I read a lot of the legislation being proposed and attend steering committee meetings regarding legislation. 

I also spend time reaching out to colleagues at the local, State, Federal level. Gilpin is a small county so it is very important to work with others in order to amplify our voice. 

How have you, and/or how will you, operate with transparency and honesty in your role? 

I try to follow the Colorado Open Meetings Act as closely as possible. I feel transparency and honesty are key to being an effective government leader. People need to trust you in order to work with you. 

How will you handle conflict resolution within your office, if elected? Listen closely to both sides without judgement. Make sure that any policies are being followed, and if not, what is the reason why. Most conflicts are the result of mis-communication or misunderstanding of a policy. 

Please disclose any current personal and/or professional relationships with the City of Black Hawk, City of Central, or Gilpin County.  Being a current Commissioner I have both personal and professional relationships with the staff at the County. Many I know from working with them now and from working previously at the County. Also as a long time resident. 

City of Black Hawk, I know some of their staff professionally from being on the Gilpin Ambulance Authority Board. 

City of Central, I know some of their current staff professionally from working there and some of the Council personally also from working at City Hall.

If you could ask one other candidate one question, what would it be? To the other Commissioner candidate:  As a Commissioner decisions are made as a Board. Even if the vote is 2 - 1, it is considered a Board decision. Will you support a Board decision that you did not vote for? Or, do you feel justified not supporting it? 

Commissioners and sheriff 

What is your position on sexually oriented businesses in Central City?  The residents of Central City voted to restrict where sexually oriented businesses can be located, and I support their decision. 

What experience do you have with government or non-profit budgets? I have a lot of experience with both types of budgets. Being on the Library Board of Trustees and working with Eagles’ Nest ELC I have experience with non-profit budgets. Working for Central City in the Finance office and being Commissioner I have in-depth experience with government budgets. 

What kind of growth do you want to see in Gilpin County? Slow and limited residential growth due to water and septic constraints. 

Are there any federal issues with homelessness, elections, or ICE you anticipate having to handle? How would you handle them? Constitutionally, the States are in charge of the elections. Any interference by the Federal Government will be handled at the State level and as a Commissioner I would support the County Clerk and Recorder to follow the State’s guidance.

As for ICE, the Sheriff’s office will deal with them following the state laws and I support them doing so. 

Commissioners only 

Do you support affordable housing? Senior housing? If so, what steps will you take to implement them in Gilpin County?  Yes, I support both affordable and senior housing. The two cannot be separated. The biggest obstacle for both is the lack of infrastructure (water and sewer) in the unincorporated part of the County. The best option is to work with cities that have the infrastructure to support the construction of affordable and senior housing. Which is why I supported the County opting in to Prop 123 which opens the door for more funding opportunities for developers in the cities. 

How would you promote economic diversity in the county? I am working to promote economic diversity through my work on the Economic Development Board. The Board offers loans to local businesses enabling them to expand or to start up. The Development Board has also contracted a software company to develop a website that compiles information for businesses. This would provide information from the State as well as the County to help businesses get started and operate successfully. Diversity of small businesses are key to 

Gilpin’s future economic success. 

What is your position on a countywide sales tax? I do not support a countywide sales tax.