Tim Caves recall, Palmer Lake, Colorado (2025)
| Tim Caves recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Colorado Colorado recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Board of Trustees member Tim Caves did not go to a vote in Palmer Lake, Colorado. Caves resigned before facing a recall election.[1][2]
Recall supporters
Recall organizers cited the following reasons for Caves' recall on their website:[3]
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General statement of grounds for recall: Tim Caves has consistently failed to provide fair, transparent, and responsible leadership expected of Palmer Lake Trustees, disregarding the community’s interests and rights. He repeatedly voted against moving meetings to larger venues, limiting public access and participation—actions that undermine due process and First and Fourteenth Amendment protections. Caves also refused to condemn unethical behavior by past officials, including collusion involving former Mayor Glant Havenar and Buc-ee’s, signaling tolerance for misconduct. Caves ignored the Palmer Lake Master Plan, particularly regarding Buc-ee’s proposed development, and demonstrated a disregard for the area’s natural resources, the dark skies ordinance, and community character. He further eroded public trust through reported abusive behavior, including yelling profanity and “flipping off” a constituent, calling her “stupid,” telling her to watch what she says on the mic — a textbook display of intimidation. At the October 2 Board meeting, Caves voted to block public comment entirely, silencing residents on matters of significant concern. He also voted for the use of an ordinance that had not been formally adopted, showing a troubling lack of respect for legal process and transparency. For these reasons, Tim Caves has failed to meet the standards of ethical governance and should be recalled from office.[4] |
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Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Colorado
No specific grounds are required for recall in Colorado. The number of signatures required for a recall to qualify for the ballot in Colorado depends on the office type.[5][6] After the petition is approved by the relevant election office, petitioners have 60 days to gather signatures.[7]
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2025 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Palmer Lake, Colorado
- Recall campaigns in Colorado
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Colorado Springs Gazette, "Palmer Lake Buc-ee’s still in limbo, three officials resign," accessed December 12, 2025
- ↑ Colorado Politics, "Palmer Lake could see three special elections next year," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ Palmer Lake for the People, "Tim Caves Recall" accessed December 8, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Section 1-12-105 - Signatures required for school district officers," accessed March 11, 2024
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Section 1-12-104 - Signatures required for state and county officers," accessed March 11, 2024
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Section 1-12-108 - Petition requirements - approval as to form - determination of sufficiency - protest - offenses," accessed October 13, 2023
