Longmont City Council

Ward 2:

 Jeff Moore 

Jeff Moore is a facts-and-figures-oriented man who wants to see job creation (sans Walmart-like enterprises) with higher wages in Longmont. Although this is the retired engineer’s first stab at political appointment, he has served as president of the Meadowview 7 & 9 Single Family Homeowners Association for six years, and has been a Longmont resident since 1995. As the city inevitably expands, Moore will focus on preserving the quality of life found in Longmont, preserving such things as its trails and the city’s stance on oil and gas. He supports both 2A and 2B.

Rick Accountius

No interview

At Large:

Trisa Baxter 

Trisa Baxter has been a Longmont resident since 1992, and ran once for City Council in 2005. Her stance is one of more economic development, while maintaining a responsible budget, which she believes is “paramount.” It’s a great opportunity, she says, to create infill so Main Street remains vibrant. Along with supporting ballot issues 2A and 2B, Baxter, a Coldwell Banker employee, wants to promote Longmont as a tourist community.

Pauline “Polly” Christensen 

This is Polly Christensen’s first foray as a Longmont City Council member, but it’s something she was asked to do by a number of people—not to mention having nearly a dozen political endorsements, like former Mayor pro tem Tom McCoy and RTD director Judy Lubow. “Many people in Longmont feel frustrated because this is supposed to be a nonpartisan office,” Christensen says. “There isn’t much of a voice for working people and small businesses.” She has run her own business for 15 years and is currently managing editor and art director at CU Boulder. She’s a firm believer in affordable housing, renewable energy and FasTracks.

Gabe Santos 

As a councilman since January 2008 and Mayor pro tem for the past four years, Gabe Santos is an extraordinarily invested Longmont citizen and valuable liaison for many of the city’s boards. This makes him a very worthy candidate. Like many city representatives, his focus right now is on flood recovery. “People have lost their homes,” he says, “and it’s imperative of us to work on that infrastructure.” One thing Santos hopes to accomplish is resetting the budget. Other focuses include redeveloping the Twin Peaks Mall and getting more “primary employers to Longmont.” His political involvement stems all the way back to Washington D.C.

 Ron Gallegos 

“If you were a tourist coming to Longmont,” says Ron Gallegos, “you’d have a hard time finding a postcard.” Getting an iconic piece in Longmont—he references Boulder’s Flatirons or Seattle’s Space Needle—is something Gallegos, president of the Longmont artist guild, has wanted for awhile. This is his second go at re-election after initially serving Longmont City Council Ward 3 from 1995 – 1999. He wants to change the “status quo” of the current council by refining plans for the city’s economy. For Gallegos, this includes creating an “architectural nuance” to the city.

 Alex Sammoury

Alex Sammoury is up for re-election for a second term as a councilman. For 15 years, he has been involved with the community, volunteering for a long list of various organizations including the Downtown Development Authority and Longmont Economic Council. One of his top priorities this term will be accessing the damage done to Longmont’s infrastructure due to the flood, “and then relocating some of the capital improvement project money set aside for this coming year to upgrade, maintain and fix it.” He brings fair and impartial judgment to making decisions, a trait he attributes to his training as a mediator.

YS votes Yes for: Alex Sammoury, Pauline Christensen, Jeff Moore