Coin flip could decide Woodland Park council race

Eight days after the election to decide Woodland Park’s next mayor and three council members, the final spot on the council is still undecided, due to a tie.

On election night, Neil Levy was the undisputed winner of the mayor’s race, while Kellie Case and Hilary LaBarre won the first two spots on the city council, but the third and final spot was too close to call.

John V. Schafer lead Noel Sawyer by two votes, but 22 ballot were still outstanding, and 12 more ballots had signature discrepancies.

Eight days later, the unofficial results show Schafer and Sawyer in a perfect tie, with 997 votes each.

According to city rules, the tie prompts an automatic recount, which will be held Monday at 1pm.

If the recount doesn’t break the tie, then a somewhat unconventional method will be used to decide the winner.

According to Woodland Park City Clerk Suzanne Leclercq, that method could be a coin flip, the rolling of dice, the drawing of a card, or otherwise.

It will be up to the two candidates to decide the tiebreaker method.

That contest of chance would occur at the next council meeting on April 19.