ASPEN If you’re finding it hard to choose the next Aspen mayor, Mick Ireland and Tim Semrau’s matching green signs won’t help.Both candidate’s signs are deep green, and both candidates claim they chose the color first.”My last name is Ireland; it kind of fits. There’s no real strategy beyond that,” Ireland said, adding he’s used green in campaign advertisement for previous elections (for Pitkin County commissioner in 1994), but this is the first time he’s made signs.

“It’s basically been green all the time. Green’s been our theme,” Ireland said.And while Ireland was nonplused by his challenger’s matching signs, he was surprised because most candidates try to distinguish themselves, not copy, he said.Semrau said he’s not copying Ireland. “Maybe that’s coincidence,” Semrau said. “I ordered mine a long time ago. If that’s coincidental, then maybe we think alike.”

Semrau said he and Ireland have “a lot of the same goals, just different approaches.””Well, green is appropriate to Aspen, isn’t it?” Semrau said, adding he just likes the color. “That was enough reason for me.”Said Ireland: “I’m not worried. I think I’m walking the walk and I’m not worrying what someone else does.”Ireland’s sign features a bike and an Aspen tree, Semrau’s an Aspen leaf.

---

---

“We chose green months ago and we’re not going to change because the guy has more money and wants to use the same color,” Ireland said. “If [voters] don’t know the difference in us by now, they’re not paying attention.”Charles Agar’s e-mail address is cagar@aspentimes.com.