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Lane Iacovetto earns GOP nomination in Routt County treasurer’s race

Lane Iacovetto
Courtesy photo

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County Republicans signaled this weekend they’re ready to embrace new leadership at the Routt County Treasurer’s Office when they overwhelmingly voted for an outsider candidate over the county’s current chief deputy treasurer.

Candidate Lane Iacovetto, who has campaigned on making changes at the Treasurer’s Office, qualified for the ballot when she received 88 percent of the votes from delegates at the Republican county assembly.

Iacovetto received the support of 80 delegates, while Chief Deputy Treasurer Patrick Karschner received 11 votes and failed to qualify for the Republican primary ballot.

“It’s very humbling,” Iacovetto said of the support she received at the assembly. “I think, in any case, it’s humbling to get such a large amount of support from successful business owners and other delegates.”

Iacovetto, who currently serves as the county’s deputy clerk and recorder, said she made personal calls to all of the delegates prior to the assembly.

She said she asked what they wanted to see in the Treasurer’s Office, and she talked about three priorities she would have if she were to get the job.

She said one of her priorities would be to improve the relationship the Treasurer’s Office has with other county offices.

“It’s just a complete dysfunction right now,” Iacovetto said.

Current Treasurer Brita Horn has made headlines in recent months after butting heads with the Routt County commissioners over such things as Horn’s response to a nearly $6 million property tax distribution error in the Treasurer’s Office.

Iacovetto said she also wants to integrate her successful small business skills into the office.

In addition, she said customer service would be one of her primary focus areas.

“As citizens of Routt County, we live in a resort town, and every time we go out to eat, we are met with a level of customer service that’s higher than in any other town,” she said. “There’s no reason residents visiting our government offices shouldn’t have the same level of customer service we get when we buy ski passes.”

Iacovetto is a lifelong Routt County resident.

Karschner recently pulled a petition and attempted to obtain enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot, but Routt County Clerk and Recorder Kim Bonner said Monday Karschner had not turned in a petition before last week’s filing deadline.

That means he will not be on the ballot unless he decides to mount a write-in campaign.

Routt County Democrats have yet to field another candidate for the race after Oak Creek Mayor Nikki Knoebel withdrew from the contest last week due to state election laws that prevent her from running for both Oak Creek mayor and county treasurer at the same time.

Catherine Carson, chairwoman of the Routt County Democratic Party, said she had received “numerous” calls from potential candidates.

The Democrats have until April 23 to find a new candidate.

Carson said there was lots of enthusiasm and energy at the Democrat’s county assembly.

“We have so many great candidates,” Carson said.

She said Democratic gubernatorial candidates had surrogates in attendance.

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210, email scottfranz@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottFranz10.


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