Hand-wringers worried about a loss of civility around the Capitol and a tilt toward divisive partisanship as the legislative session heats up probably should ponder the plight of Crawford Mayor Wanda Gofforth. Then, they can count their blessings.

In less than a year since Gofforth was elected to serve the town’s 431 citizens about 60 miles south of Grand Junction, she has been accused of wasting taxpayers’ money, violating Colorado’s open-meeting laws and exceeding her authority as mayor, according to the Delta County Independent.

Last summer, the town clerk sought a restraining order against a local resident after the clerk felt threatened during a confrontation at the town hall. Gofforth involved the town trustees and city attorney in the clerk’s bid for the restraining order, which cost some $7,000 in legal fees yet ultimately was shot down in court. That drew even more recriminations about how the target of the restraining order had been unfairly maligned and he money squandered.

Meanwhile, the town council, like the rest of the town’s citizens, has been split over whether to allow the sale of recreational and medical marijuana – a standoff that grew so acrimonious it prompted the resignation of town trustee Tammy Broughton last month. She became one of the most outspoken critics of the mayor and proponents of the recall.

Signs began popping up around town accusing Gofforth of being a “Queen Bee” and power monger. Local residents interviewed by outside media told of feeling divided and of the whole town feeling out of sorts and forced to choose sides.

If you’re guessing all of this was leading up to a recall attempt against the mayor, you’re right. The recall movement has been the talk of the town for weeks.

On Tuesday, Gofforth survived the recall election by 20 votes. Then again, only 178 votes were cast; 99 against the recall and 79 in favor.

Just before the special election, Gofforth told Grand Junction’s KKCO-TV Channel 11:

“They think I’m like the president, like I have executive power. I do not. The mayor has no more power than the other trustees.”

Yet, she may have drawn almost as much flak as the president lately. She seemed to borrow from his talking points, too:

“Let it go in the past. We can move forward and do positive things for our community. That’s what we need to do.”

Front Range Coloradans who know of Crawford at all probably know it best as the longtime sanctuary of legendary British pop-rock singer Joe Cocker, who died there in 2014.

Now it also can be known as a political cauldron to rival any in the state. We are humbled.