YS Publisher’s 2024 Election Endorsement in Her Hometown of Erie

10/27 updated to reflect the Comp Plan restricts density to 5-10%.

Welcome to Erie, CO, for all the newcomers. It’s a good little-big town, it really is. I have lived here a long, long time. Election season can be stressful, but that’s true in most places. I hope you find Erie to be a good town to live in, raise your children in if you have them, shop and dine in, and, of course, choose to volunteer in our town.

I welcome all the newcomers. Like all towns, elections get messy. But in rapidly growing municipalities with lots of outside interests, there can be added motives. In our last election, we had Dark Money in Erie.

I would advise watching our town council meetings to learn more. They are all available at the Town of Erie website. https://www.erieco.gov/322/Watch-Meetings-on-Demand. It will give you a flavor of how current elected officials, up for reelection, govern.

Having experienced over twenty election seasons since moving here in 1992, I’m personally voting for these candidates because I believe they best represent the vision we need for our future.

Reelecting Justin Brooks for Mayor
D1: Pesaramelli, Garcia
D2: Reelecting Hoback, Hemphill
D3: Reelecting Baer

The slate I am not aligning with chose not to interview with the YS Election Guide, and although that isn’t the only reason I’m not supporting them. The way they chose to turn us down gives a peek at their mindsets and temperament. All candidates were contacted by our journalist and provided the same questions. Brandon Bell posted on social media that he would rather be caught on fire and rolled in salt than interview with YS. Andrew Moore claimed they were not Erie questions; John Mortellaro initially ignored our request but did eventually respond on NextDoor. You can view our exchange there. Sadly, they chose partisan politics over reaching their community. However, the same slate has demonstrated a lack of willingness to respond to questions from voters.

Andrew Moore (former mayor from 2004-2010, 55 well pads during that time)
D1: Mortellaro, Sawusch (Incumbent)
D2: Bell (Incumbent), Maloit
D3: O’Connor, and Pinz

The policies the Moore slate has advocated that I take issue with include:

A water park at the airport (which has one way in and one way out, and years ago, the airpark residents voted down connecting Bonanza, so are they cool with a water park?)
Vouchers for housing but no density housing (where are the vouchers coming from? Is the Town going to buy a bunch of houses? That makes no sense?)
Home Rule, which was just approved by Erie voters in 2023, already needs to be repealed or changed (?)
Taxing citizens more for what we need instead of using the Capital Investment Fund for Capital investment improvements
Claiming Erie is overbuilding “high-density.” This term has been bantered around as the main talking point. Erie needs to have more than just a sea of high-income housing to sustain itself. The recent Comp Plan, approved in a 4-2 vote, raised the total to 37 units per acre. By comparison, Boulder and Longmont are at 40 per acre, and Aurora is as high as 200 per acre on some properties. Additionally, the Comp Plan designates 5-10% for density. Don’t worry Erie can continue to build a sea of houses.
Claiming the Comp Plan was rushed. See local resident Ms Terranova’s Letter to the Editor. In short, it was a two-and-a-half-year process, with community volunteers who participated.
More fireworks and snowplows
The Moore slate typically does not respond to citizen’s inquiries
Councilperson Bell chose to share a private Facebook post of a local citizen in response to a letter to the editor she wrote that endorsed the Brooks slate.
Oil and Gas is just fine with 181; there is no need for further regulations by the town, according to several of the Moore slate.

Erie has been heavily fracked for 20 years for those who don’t know. Draco Pad is a huge problem, and you may want to attend the meeting Oct 29th, 2024, at Erie Middle School: https://yellowscene.com/events/

There are many new homeowners in our town now. I have been to neighborhoods I have never been to, ever. There are so many houses—I can not believe how many houses. Erie has become a sea of houses where there was once wide open plains and little light pollution in just under 25 years.

I would like:

Less sprawl, please. Yes, build more density so things are closer together.
Driving across town is a hassle because there are so many houses and cars. There are also more potholes because there are more cars! Yes, public transit, please.
Yes, to things staying closer together and being walkable. Why would anyone think that sprawl is a good thing?

Now that we are done publishing the Election Guide, it is time to turn in my ballot. Only 14% of you have as of the time of this writing. If you are not sure about all those messy ballot issues and candidates, check out our endorsements in this year’s Election Guide. Last year, it won first place at the Better News Awards.