5 most Colorful (and possibly corrupt) mayors in the history of Colorado Springs
1. Mayor Jasper “Cactus Jack” Rutherford (1885–1890)
Signature Legislation:
Cactus Jack is remembered for passing the “Colorado Saloon Compromise,” which allowed saloons to operate 24/7 as long as they also served “one vegetable per patron per hour.” This law inadvertently made pickles and celery sticks the most popular bar snacks in town.
Whispers of Corruption:
Rumor had it that Jack owned a controlling stake in half the saloons he regulated and personally profited from a booming side business selling barrels of pickles at a massive markup.
How It Ended:
Jack’s downfall came when a rival politician accused him of tampering with saloon inspection records. The scandal culminated in a dramatic fistfight during a city council meeting, after which Jack resigned and disappeared to a “pickle farm” in Kansas.
2. Mayor Delilah “Diamond D” McCoy (1923–1928)
Signature Legislation:
Diamond D spearheaded the controversial “Shine and Dine Ordinance,” which required every restaurant in Colorado Springs to serve champagne with all meals to “boost class and sophistication.”
Whispers of Corruption:
It was an open secret that Delilah had a thriving partnership with bootleggers during Prohibition. Some claimed she hosted extravagant, secret champagne parties in the basement of City Hall, where deals were struck over plates of oysters and illegal bubbly.
How It Ended:
After federal agents raided her private champagne cellar, Delilah fled to Europe, claiming she was pursuing “diplomatic relations” with French vintners. She never returned.
3. Mayor Bertie “Blizzard” Thompson (1947–1952)
Signature Legislation:
Blizzard Bertie’s legacy was the “Snowplow Mandate of 1949,” which required every business in town to own and operate its own snow-clearing equipment, even if it never snowed. Bertie argued it would “promote self-reliance,” but skeptics noted it mostly promoted Bertie’s cousin’s snowplow manufacturing company.
Whispers of Corruption:
The snowplow legislation made Bertie’s family very wealthy, and it was later revealed he personally pocketed kickbacks from every snowplow sale. He was also known to gamble away city funds during poker nights at a secret club near Pikes Peak.
How It Ended:
After a particularly bad winter, Bertie was caught using city snowplows to clear the driveway of his mistress’s cabin. He resigned in disgrace and took up a quiet life as a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas.
4. Mayor Lionel “Lights Out” Granger (1975–1980)
Signature Legislation:
Lionel pushed through the infamous “Midnight Energy Initiative,” which required all city lights, including streetlamps, to be turned off after midnight to “conserve energy and let the stars shine.” Unfortunately, the legislation led to a spike in crime and more stubbed toes than anyone cared to count.
Whispers of Corruption:
Despite his eco-friendly rhetoric, Lionel was allegedly receiving bribes from flashlight manufacturers, who saw sales skyrocket under the initiative. Some also claimed he owned stock in a local night-vision goggle company.
How It Ended:
When it was revealed Lionel had a personal generator keeping his Colorado Springs mansion lit during the city’s blackouts, public outrage forced him to step down. He spent the rest of his days trying to patent glow-in-the-dark street signs.
5. Mayor Gloria “Go Big” Ramirez (1996–2002)
Signature Legislation:
Gloria championed the “Pikes Peak Panorama Project,” a wildly ambitious plan to build a glass observation dome on the summit of Pikes Peak, complete with a rotating restaurant and a luxury gift shop. The project drained city funds and only ever produced one partially-built dome that collapsed in a windstorm.
Whispers of Corruption:
Critics pointed out that Gloria had close ties to the contractor who received the project’s no-bid contract—her brother-in-law. There were also persistent rumors that she embezzled funds from the project to bankroll her lavish vacation home in Aspen.
How It Ended:
The collapse of the observation dome, coupled with an FBI investigation into her finances, led to her abrupt resignation. Gloria claimed she was “the victim of mountain sabotage” and now runs a small crystal shop in Sedona, Arizona.
