Currently there is a bill in the Senate (SENATE BILL 08-042) that would increase the salary of Public Trustees. Public trustees handle all public transactions for their counties, including foreclosures of deeds of trust, releases of deeds of trust, and tax escrow accounts for land purchase contracts for properties. In Colorado, Public Trustees in the larger metro counties are appointed by Governor Bill Ritter.
While most Public Trustees work hard and probably deserve this raise, there are several that use the office to line their pockets or abuse the office. The Boulder trustee, Richard Gebhart, moved his insurance business into the Public Trustee office and then spends his days at the State Capitol lobbying for the insurance industry.The Pueblo County trustee, Nickolas Gradisar is a successful attorney . He has moved the Public Trustee office to his building and now collects rent plus salary. Governor Bill Ritter’s appointee in El Paso County, Patricia Thompson after eights months was asked to resign as she had been very disruptive. Carol Synder, a Governor Ritter appointee for Adams County currently serves as the interim Public Trustee for El Paso County until a new appointee is selected.
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