July 30, 2011 01:11 AM UTC

What's Next for Doug Linkhart?

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• by: Colorado Pols

We’ve always enjoyed reading former City Councilman Doug Linkhart‘s e-mail newsletters if for no other reason than they’re such an embodiment of Doug Linkhart himself. They’ve always been goofy, easy reads that try to take the dullness out of some aspects of city government. Rife with exclamation marks and saturated with with the e-mail writing style of a technologically overzealous grandparent, Linkhart’s e-mails always did a moderately entertaining job of explaining, say, how to deal with graffiti in your neighborhood and what upcoming community invents the Councilman would like you to attend.

Of course, because they were such friendly, good-natured updates on what Doug was doing on City Council, we never read them as comprehensively as the former Councilman would’ve liked us to. That said, in announcing his transition out of office in a newsletter dated July 13, one particular passage caught our eye:

It’s been great to be of service to you for the past eight years. As of press-time I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing next. I am confident that my email address, Doug.Linkhart@Denvergov.org, will stay the same, though my title and phone number will change. Please stay in touch!

Folks, this classic off-the-cuff comment from Linkhart was a not-so-subtle revelation that Doug expected to find a job in the Hancock administration after he left Council. After all, why shouldn’t he? Linkhart’s early endorsement of now-Mayor Hancock was important in getting Michael elected. Could Hancock have won it without Linkhart’s help? More than likely. But Linkhart endorsed Hancock and lent him a not inconsiderable number of supporters, and that never hurts in an election as contested as this year’s was.

So it’s not too strange that Linkhart pretty much admitted that he’d be sticking around in City Government. What is odd, however, is that no public announcement has been made of Linkhart joining the Hancock team. It’s been more than two weeks since Doug ever-so-coyly told his subscribers that he’d still be involved with the city. Two weeks on, and for all we know, Linkhart is still out in the cold (or the heat, as it may be).

We’ve heard from a few sources that there’s a seat for Linkhart at Hancock’s table. The real question, then, is what’s the hold-up?

Of course, this isn’t the first time the Hancock administration has been rather dawdling in its announcements of staff and cabinet appointments. We’re sure it won’t be the last, either. But that’s not abnormal for a transition period between one administration and another.