Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

[Editorial note: This press release came out just before Calderon’s campaign kickoff, which has since passed. The 2026 State Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 30th. Learn more about important election dates here.]

Contact: Sarah Lake, (720) 601-8763

Denver, CO – Long-time Denver leader and top 2023 mayoral progressive candidate, Dr. Lisa Calderón, is running for Denver mayor. Dr. Calderón is heeding the increasing calls from residents citywide to make Mayor Mike Johnston a one-term mayor.

“Denver residents are asking for leadership that makes our city work for everyone. Across neighborhoods, people are urging me to run and telling me the same thing: Despite Mike Johnston’s campaign promises, things have only gotten harder. The cost of living keeps rising, the city faces serious financial challenges, and homelessness has been pushed out of sight rather than solved. And when people have pushed back against the mayor’s decisions, they have been retaliated against or entirely ignored.”

Dr. Calderón shares the increasing sentiments of Denver residents that Johnston has been bad for Denver, with 45% of Denverites disapproving of him.

“Johnston’s overspending and mismanagement of the budget have compromised the future of our city,” states Dr. Calderón. “He repeatedly misleads voters and allows billionaires and lobbyists to influence neighborhood decisions. Someone has to stand up and take him on. I came very close to beating him once, and I am the best person to challenge him and win.”

Dr. Calderón enters the race with a track record of advocating for the people of Denver and brings an experienced campaign team. She was a top contender against Mike Johnston in the last mayoral election, nearly missing the runoff by less than 2% of the vote. She was the leading progressive challenger, winning districts across Denver with a grassroots campaign and a budget totalling $300,000 compared to Johnston’s $3 million, funded largely from out-of-state donors, corporate contributors, charter school reformers, and billionaires. The deciding factor for Dr. Calderón’s decision to enter the race was Mayor Johnston’s decision to lay off Denver City employees.

“Someone has to stand up and fight for workers.” Dr. Calderón, also a former city employee, organized with workers and local unions to oppose Johnston’s unprecedented layoffs — disproportionately impacting women, older workers, and people of color. She even helped to arrange legal resources for laid-off workers when the city failed to follow due process. Dr. Calderón brings a wealth of experience in addition to her community organizing. She is the Executive Director of Women Uprising, an organization that trains progressive women across Colorado to run for office, and is the elected co-chair of the Colorado Working Families Party State Committee. She currently teaches at Regis University in the Criminology Department and is a consultant on law and policy matters. Dr. Calderón’s campaign kickoff will be on  Wednesday, February 11, at Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center.

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The post PRESS RELEASE – Dr. Lisa Calderón is running for Denver Mayor appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

A Main Street Longmont Old Fashioned Tour

Times like these call for something stronger than kombucha. The Old Fashioned dates back to the late 19th century. Where it originated remains up for debate, with Louisville, Kentucky and New York City vying for that honor. Whatever tale you believe, there is no denying its place as a classic, and it’s hard to find a menu that doesn’t offer some version of it.

Finding a friend who loves them as much as I do provided an opportunity to do an Old Fashioned tour. Wanting quality and walkability, I knew where we were headed: Main Street Longmont. I planned our stops, grabbed my notebook, and set forth to learn more about this drink from the people serving it. 

We started at The Roost, part of Longmont’s Gafner group of restaurants. Jennifer, our bartender, explained the foundation of the drink with their House Old Fashioned. It’s a simple drink composed of spirit, sugar, and bitters. From there, mixologists riff on that core. The Roost offers a plethora of bourbons and whiskeys and has a selection of spirits from local Colorado distilleries. Their House consisted of Buffalo Trace bourbon, demerara sugar, and bitters. I found it to be a classic taste: spirit-forward, smooth, and slightly sweet.

Jennifer explains how an Old Fashioned is one of her favorites. She loves the simplicity and the variety of whiskeys and bourbons, which create nuanced flavors. Plus, mixologists can get creative by using different spirits, but despite that, it still feels familiar. In October and November, The Roost and 99 Bar Saloon asks every bartender to create an Old Fashioned that is featured for one day. 

“I’m already working on mine,” Jennifer says with a grin.

Abbott & Wallace waits a mere one and a half blocks off Main Street. This grain-to-glass distillery commits to Colorado-grown ingredients and small-batch distillation. They source their grain from Schlagel Farms, only 5 miles away. While there, we meet co-founder John Young, who provides his take on the Old Fashioned. It’s their signature cocktail and the most popular one to do fun riffs on using the different spirits produced in-house. Committing to the classic core ingredients, their house Old Fashioned uses a sugar cube, which makes it easy to control measurements. My friend and I split one of these before moving on to an irresistible offering.

On the seasonal menu, we find a Bacon Old Fashioned. The bartenders collect bacon fat and infuse their house bourbon, a process known as fat washing. The sugar part of it comes from maple syrup, and the bitters consist of house bitters and walnut bitters. It’s then smoked for added flavor. Sam, our bartender, serves it up along with his thoughts on the Old Fashioned; it’s hard to go wrong because it’s timeless and comforting. This version definitely provides depth to the drink, with the bacon fat creating a unique viscosity.

Dry Land Distillers bill themselves as ground-to-glass. They celebrate Colorado by using native and local ingredients in their spirits. This time we pick the spirit to put in our Old Fashioned. We go with the rye. The cocktail reads bright and crisp, with hints of honey and comes in a slightly bougie glass. We discover a difference in the sweet component; Dry Land uses simple syrup.

Nels Wroe, owner and head distiller, takes time out of his busy day to come and sit with us. He explains he likes using the simple syrup because, when made in-house, control over the sweetness increases. Regarding ice, Wroe appreciates the large cube as it allows for the water to slowly dissipate into the drink. This provides for different experiences as the larger cube slowly melts. My friend, an engineer by trade who loves to quantify things, brings up how this process plays out in our tour.

I started off this tour appreciating the simplicity of my favorite adult beverage. As the day progressed, I became more aware of the complexity hidden under the surface. If you’re looking for a fun cocktail adventure, Main Street Longmont definitely delivers. Easy walking, friendly staff, and great beverages comprise the core ingredients.

You may be wondering what the best of the day was. Wroe sums it up perfectly.

“The best Old Fashioned is the one you like.”

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The post Three Ingredients Belie Complexity | In The Cups appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Young artists who are opting for a nine-to-five while making their art the side-gig

A journalist, a musician, a poet: the storytellers keeping our oral history alive, as they have for generations, but forced to work in corporate America. The current job market is brutal. In a study published by The Wall Street Journal, it has taken 1.6 million unemployed workers an average of six months to find a job. Americans are struggling to land jobs; in times like these, many are feeling daunted with choosing between a career they love and the arts. In 2022, another study found that since the 1970s, there had been a consistent decline in people choosing to work in the arts, picking up the descent since the pandemic. 

What is the price of doing the work one loves? Is it worth it? From corporate jobs that require sacrifice of a social life or family to the arts that may not have the financial pay-out, dedicated professionals are throwing caution to the wind and committing themselves to what they love. But even in corporate America, love prevails. There are professionals who clock out of their nine-to-five in order to pursue their passions in their precious free time.  These working professionals in different industries understand the currency of the market, the demands, and the sacrifices people must make to survive. They also follow their heart; integrity must be more valuable than making as much money as possible.

What is the Price of Financial Freedom?

Logan Garcia is a market analyst and journalist with 10 years of professional writing experience. When he was younger, he had aspirations to work in film, focusing his austere self-described and less creative personality on documentary filmmaking. His appreciation for portraying non-fiction storytelling led him to pursue a career in reporting and what he describes as the “information” industry.

He validated that people make sacrifices to pursue more profitable work. Perennially, the American cultural experience, in particular, dismisses “dreamer” culture as unrealistic, according to the current application of a Western capitalist economic model. He admits that as a salaried business journalist and marketing specialist, “When your big customers are Fortune 100 companies, you can afford to pay your guys a bit more. It’s not idealistically what I wanted to do.” He supposed that he had to stop following certain morals to be a podcaster or journalist for local sources, so he could pursue jobs that are “less morally rewarding but more financially rewarding.” Garcia states that his career is still “fairly respected,” but he began to follow a path other than his youthful ideals of being a documentarian. The benefit of all this to him is that he does what he enjoys; he has more freedom because of his stable, financially in-demand career and salary. 

His stable money-making career significantly enhances his quality of life than if he were struggling to pursue his younger ideals. He has the financial freedom and plenty of work-life balance peace of mind to do what makes him happy. Advising employers are cognizant and respectful of the reality that many highly skilled professionals demand their freedom and happiness to not only enjoy the work they do, but live their lives to the fullest because of what their professions provide. In his own words, “to enhance my off-hours in my personal life.” 

He believes the solutions to any problems we face in general are to stay optimistic. Without that, life is too sad. If we take responsibility and learn to be appreciative of our situation with the nice things we have going for ourselves, that won’t hurt anybody. Gratitude is a valuable ability. 

Molding Young Minds and Making Music

Jesse San Rosier (pronounced rosie-aye) runs Plot Line Records, a lo-fi indie label based in Fort Collins, Colorado. He also works as a high school English Teacher at GOAL Academy, mostly working with at-risk youth, or, as “we like to call them, ‘at-promise youth’”. He sees himself as more of a musician than a business manager. He is also an audio engineer. 

He feels he has sacrificed much to understand the professional position he is in now, working some “dead-end” jobs, such as building cabinets. He also feels that having a stable career gives him the freedom to pursue what he is more passionate about in his free time, even if that is not necessarily what makes money. “I would say most people fall into a camp,” San Rosier states, “of they kind of abandon, or kind of compartmentalize what they love, and they learn to love what they need to do.” He explained that staying true to a positive perspective and learning to “see the good” in the work he does is responsible for much of his success in life. He feels he is able to “compartmentalize” his “work hat on” and not be bitter about it, so that he can go home and put his “musician cap on”. He doesn’t believe everyone should work that way because some people are willing to take the risk of putting their security on the line to pursue their musical ambitions and make it. Finding a work-life balance that is authentic to the individual’s needs is crucial for living. 

San Rosier discussed the music industry in particular, noting that it has been oversaturated by AI, in particular, and the accessibility of modern technology for recording and releasing songs. “It’s a crabs in a barrel situation.” He states, “We have 1000 crabs in a barrel and no one’s listening to each other. I have to say, concert venues have just totally gutted artists. Now, to make money as a musician, what you likely have to do is suffer; you have to sacrifice something in terms of, like, your artistic integrity. As a record label manager and artist, he realized his love for music is likely not the most realistic way to make a living. “Instead of something we fight, it’s just like, ‘oh yeah, that’s what I should expect. I should expect to sleep in my van on tour and barely make any money. And, you know, hopefully I’ll get more followers.’ It’s like you’re gonna make money, it’s gonna be like sitting in your cubicle, or it’s gonna be the mentality of, nothing is sacred in America. You made this album that you love, that’s about, you know, your grandpa passing away. It’s a concept album. You need to commoditize it; you need to, you know, put it on ads. You need to be on TikTok and be like, ‘My face when grandpa dies.’ And like, here’s my new song.’ It’s terrible. Capitalism can help me get my music out. But have I lost the initial goal of what music is for?” 

Jesse also believes that his morals changed due to the actions he took to survive. “My entire kind of family lineage, everyone either became a teacher or went to the army. And growing up as a kid, I was like, ‘I am never joining the army, and I will never become a teacher. I’m going to be different.’ And I guess that was a sacrifice I made, because I saw the opportunity (through a contact to become an English teacher), and it was a way out of where I was, but it went against kind of this principle I had for my life that I was going to not necessarily do better, but do something different than my parents — add a different branch on the tree. But it was a really good job, a good opportunity, and I took it, and I’m glad I did. The spirit of wanting to be different was from just a teenage ‘I want to be different.’ It wasn’t really thought out, because I’m really made to be a teacher and, like, it’s great.” 

Poetry by Night, Accounting by Day

Hannah Benson is an accountant by day and poet by night. She enjoys writing poetry, learning various instruments, such as the banjo, and macrame. She understands and respects a clear boundary between her accounting work and something financially in-demand. She earns a stable income, allowing her to have the peace of mind to focus on her passion for creativity.

Currently, her accounting job is in financial technology (fintech). Because fintech, well, is “a little bit like the Wild West sometimes”, due to the nature of “it being an emerging industry.”

The American economy and job demand are leaning into a corporate superiority complex. That means people have to pursue what generates money, even if the work is not authentic. Instead, the American economy is leaning into what generates profits for the sake of profits, even if their true colors are not profitable. Of course, that has scary implications for the future of our economy. If all jobs become part of a hierarchical capitalist structure, then where does work that creates inherently livable and valuable products go? What would happen to the value of services that don’t make much money? It is clear that what generates the most revenue is not necessarily essential for the function or well-being of society. 

More than anything, what she likes about her job as an accountant she sums up in a joke she started when people would ask her if she likes to count, that no, her favorite part is she likes “to bring companies accountability”. That explains another common theme of all these interviews, and what many Americans feel: They might have met the demands of what makes money in the job market, but they can still apply their morals, without compromising, in novel ways. The conversation continued with a more positive tone as she explained that a “great thing” about accountants is that they have an ethical code, much like lawyers would. She is a certified public accountant (CPA) and would lose her license if she violated her integrity. 

If Benson could do the work she loved, while still doing what is necessary, if she had it her way, so to speak, she would open a tea shop. However, she admits, some of the reasons why she doesn’t start her own business are the risk and the extra grind involved; even if she could bolster a stable income with something as practical as operating a tea shop, she’d rather not deal with the added stress of running a business. 

Her personality is responsible for pursuing a stable career, when she knows many people “make it” pursuing their “dreams” (as people’s more idealistic ambitions some people commonly describe as.) She knows that she always has the power to make the right decision, even if that means getting fired. This accountability pendulum swings both ways, as smart businesses don’t want to lose their employees, reputation, and profits by having employees leave and hinder the stream of new hires when they inevitably choose not to sacrifice common decency and ethics for financial gain. It harms companies when they choose exploitative strategies, such as scamming others or multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs), because those models often fail, and usually do so brutally. 

She says, “You probably won’t find me in my later life being an accountant. And if I am, maybe I’m doing it for a non-profit or something.” Already, Benson does work with Gulo Gulo Poetry Collective, which helps burgeoning poets find their strength and voice through workshops. She wants to retire one day with sufficient financial independence to dedicate her life to pursuing her passions. 

She does admit there is value in having financial and security incentives to motivate people to do the work that is less glamorous or more “boring” compared to what people might assume are “fun” jobs. She admits the systems of global operation do need accountants, and fewer people might become accountants if there weren’t certain economic protections in place to ensure people do the work that causes the world to function correctly. 

Benson has found purpose and a revitalized will to live through her work with the Gulo Gulo Poetry Collective and other groups, which allow her to bond over creativity and share her love for connectivity, people, and relationships. For her, she is inspired to continue working a full-time accounting job because of its social duties. Without any profitable intentions muddying the waters, people unveil their credibly angelic wings. Ultimately, love and benevolence for our fellow humans are how we have survived with the longevity we have. If we need the future generations to build significantly, too, we must rely on integrity and trust. It might be hard to believe, but understanding the value of bridging gaps is what will get us wherever we need to go.

The market is cold. The economy is tanking; inflation is frightening. People are moving on from work they “love” to focus on what makes money. However, the dedicated artist, humanitarian, storyteller can still find a way to shine in the world. People may not have to sacrifice authenticity entirely, but many are sacrificing part of what they love to do to generate security. Finding ways to nourish the soul while financially surviving the work week may be the new American Dream.  

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Democracy needs journalism more than ever. For 25 years, we’ve told the truth — your support helps us keep doing it for the next four and beyond. Administrations come and go. Our team stays, ready to lead no matter who’s in charge.

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The post Financially Thriving While Creatively Surviving appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

GENERAL INTEREST/ RECREATION

Lafayette School’s Out Camps

Email: becca.mack@cityoflafayette.com

Phone: 303-665-0469

Website: lafayetteco.gov/1950/Schools-Out-camps

Town Of Erie- Activities and Programs

Email: geninterest@erieco.gov

Phone:303-926-2797

Website: erieco.gov/220/General-Interest-Programs

BVSD School- Day Off and Holiday Classes

Email: anthia.munoz@colorado.edu

Phone:303-735-8422

Website:colorado.edu/sciencediscovery/programs/bvsd-school-day-and-holiday-classes

.

Jewish Community center

Email: Teen- tzuria.malpica@boulderjcc.org, ElementarySchool–julia.paeglis@boulderjcc.org

Phone: 303-998-1900

Website:boulderjcc.org

Lifelong Learning, BVSD, Superior

Email: lifelong.learning@bvsd.org

Phone: 720.561.5968

Website: bouldervalley.augusoft.net

YMCA of North Colorado – School Day Off Camps

Email: afterschool@ymcanoco.org

Phone: Mapleton – 303.442.2778; Arapahoe – 303.664.5455

Website: https://www.ymcanoco.org/summer-camps/boulder-valley-camps

Boulder Parks and Recreation – School Day Off

Email: langerakm@bouldercolorado.gov

Phone: 303.253.4271

Website: bouldercolorado.gov/services/youth-camps

Winter Kids Camps and Classes, Longmont Museum and Cultural Center

Phone: 303-651-8374

Website:longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-e-m/museum/education/summer-camps

Nature & Science Camps 

Winter Safari Camp, Denver Zoo, Denver 

Email: safaricamps@denverzoo.org.

Phone: 720.337.1400

Website: denverzoo.org/winter-safari-3.

Rosie’s Discovery Winter Camps, Butterfly Pavillion, Westminster

Email: camps@butterflies.org

Phone: 720.375.9986

Website: butterflies.org/winter-break-camps

Winter Break Camp, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Email: camps@dmns.org

Phone: 303-307-6000

Website:www.dmns.org/learn/onsite-at-the-museum/overnight-adventures/school-ca mp-in-best-of-the-museum/

Climbing

Boulder Rock Club – Camp, Boulder

Email: frontdesk@boulderrockclub.com

Phone: 303.447.2804

Website: boulderrockclub.com/youth/day-off-school-camps/

ABC Kids Climbing – Holiday Camps, Boulder

Email: info@abckidsclimbing.com

Phone: 303.443.5437

Website: abckidsboulder.com/school-holiday-camps

Gymnastics/Martial Arts

Airborne Gymnastics – Longmont

Email: frontdesk@airbornegym.com

Phone: 303.684.3717

Website: airbornegym.com/camps

Easton Training Center, Boulder

Email: boulder@eastontc.com

Phone: 303-938-1275

Website: eastonbjj.com/boulder/schedule/

Mountain Kids Gymnastics and Movement, Louisville

Email: fun@mountainkidslouisville.com

Phone: 303.720.7617

Website: mountainkidslouisville.com/events

Role Playing/ Adventure/ Dramatic Arts

Rocky Mountain Theater For Kids – Classes Only, Boulder

Email:info@theaterforkids.com

Phone: 303.245.8150

Website: www.theaterforkids.net/fall_classes

Renaissance Adventures, Boulder

Email: info@renaissanceadventures.com

Phone number: 303.786.9216

Website: renaissanceadventures.com/registration

Arts and Crafts

Common Threads Boutique – Sewing Camp, Boulder

Email: boulder@shopcommonthreads.com

Phone: 303.449.5431

Website: shopcommonthreads.com/schedule/school-day-off-camp-oct-11

KidCreate Studios – Camp, Broomfield

Email: boulder@shopcommonthreads.com

Phone: 303-578-8060

Website: kidcreate.com/broomfield/classes/camps

Soccer

FC Boulder, Lafayette

Email: questions@bcunited.com

Phone: 303-443-8877

Website: https://bouldercountyunited.com/

Boulder Indoor Soccer – Winter, Boulder

Email: info@boulderindoorsoccer.com

Phone: 303.440.0809

Website: boulderindoorsoccer.com/camps-clinics/holiday-clinics

Creative/ Food/ Art

Tinker Studio – Day Off and Holiday Camps, Boulder

Email: tinker@tinkerartstudio.com

Phone: 303.503.1902

Website: tinkerartstudio.com/holiday-camps-21

Kid Create Studio, Broomfield

Email: broomfieldco@kidcreatestudio.com

Phone: 303-578-8060

Website: kidcreate.com/broomfield/classes/camps

Food Lab, Boulder

Email: becca@foodlabboulder.com

Phone: 303-952-8364

Website: foodlabboulder.com/kids-day-off-school-workshops

The post Winter Camps Directory 2025 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

For 25 years, Yellow Scene Magazine has been a trusted voice in local election coverage. Every candidate featured here was interviewed in person, by phone, or via video—never by email. We believe voters deserve authentic, unscripted answers, and the only way to achieve that is through real conversations that allow for follow-up and nuance.

Our writers—Guethshina Altena, Mandie Johnson, Akshaya Krishnan, Jamie Lammers, Owen Swallow, and Noell Wolfgram-Evans—approached each interview with integrity and fairness, ensuring candidates were heard in their own words.

Endorsements were determined collectively by our editorial board, including our team of writers, Associate Editor Lexi Miller, and Publisher Shavonne Blades, based on which candidates best align with the values of Yellow Scene Magazine and the communities we serve.

Update 10/22: Sean McKenzie was added and endorsed for Broomfield Ward 4.

Update 10/24: Austin Ward, upon more review, was endorsed for Broomfield Ward 2.

Board of Education

Board of Education Questions:

ENROLLMENT

Enrollment has been declining; what can be done to keep kids in public schools?

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (two parts)

What are your thoughts on the attempts to defund and dismantle of the Department of Education at a federal level?

How do you plan to support schools if the DOE is dismantled?

STUDENT SUPPORT

What is most important in supporting students in today’s climate?

TEACHER SUPPORT

Colorado has experienced a staffing shortage; how can teachers best be supported?

SAFETY

How can safety be implemented in schools?

St Vrain Valley School District

District B

Peggy Kelly: REFUSED INTERVIEW

Hadley Solomon – ENDORSED
Safety: In addition to keeping students physically safe, we must ensure they feel honored, respected, and valued for who they are. A strong school culture should make students feel safe without even having to think about it.

Teacher Support: Teaching must remain an appealing career. That means creating an environment that’s supportive and well-compensated. Our starting salary is the highest in the state, showing our commitment to helping teachers work and live without financial stress.

Student Support: Technology is moving fast, but education must stay human-centered. Students can bring what they learn from technology into the classroom to expand understanding.

Enrollment: A strong public school system unites a community. We need to show the value of public education in what our kids learn and how that benefits all of us.

Defunding the Department of Education: Colorado’s funding system is complex, and losing federal support would create major shortfalls, especially for Title I schools. We’ll need to untangle finances to ensure every child continues to receive a quality education.

District D

Meosha Babbs – Incumbent, ENDORSED
Safety: Safety is one of our top priorities. Funding from the 2024 bond issue is improving both physical and non-physical safety measures. Every high school now has an SRO, and middle schools have campus supervisors to ensure students feel secure.

Teacher Support: We’re not seeing a shortage of teachers because we prioritize staff. We give them the tools and support they need to succeed. Our P-Teach program lets students earn transferable credits toward a teaching degree, helping grow our next generation of educators.

Student Support: It takes the whole community to educate children. We can’t rely on the government alone. Parents, teachers, and volunteers must work together to keep our schools strong.

Enrollment: Our 411-square-mile district serves 33,000 students. We use data—birth rates, housing, and business trends—to forecast needs and use resources effectively.

Defunding the Department of Education: Lawmakers need to value education as they do defense or infrastructure. Too many decision-makers haven’t been in a classroom. We must invest where we claim our values are—our schools.

John Ahrens
Safety: Safety is central to everything we do—at school, online, and in the community. Our SRO program protects students while also building positive relationships with police.

Teacher Support: We offer the highest starting pay in the state, but support goes beyond pay. We provide opportunities for professional growth, credential renewal, and recognition. Respect and appreciation go a long way.

Student Support: Technology should enhance—not replace—learning. School should be a safe place for students to stretch their wings, make mistakes, and grow.

Enrollment: Attracting great teachers draws families. Programs like robotics, drones, and sports strengthen our appeal and keep students engaged.

Defunding the Department of Education: Most of our funding comes from local and state sources. Federal cuts would hurt students facing hardships, but this community always finds ways to meet needs and support mental health.

District E (Uncontested)

Jocelyn Gilligan: Did not interview – Incumbent, UNCONTESTED
Sarah Hurianek: Did not interview – Incumbent, UNCONTESTED

Boulder Valley School District

District B

Nicole Rajpal – Incumbent, ENDORSED 
Enrollment: To attract students, we must meet their needs and showcase our programs. Hosting BVSD showcases and analyzing why some families choose other districts help us adapt and strengthen community ties.

Department of Education: Most of our funding comes from the state, so advocating for stable and increased state funding remains a key priority.

Student Support: Our renewed strategic plan lays out specific supports for classrooms, schools, and staff. The board must ensure the superintendent stays focused on these goals.

Teacher Support: Great teachers make great classrooms. We need relevant professional development and access to the resources teachers rely on.

Safety: Recent events like the Fairview lockdown showed our safety systems work. Strong emergency protocols save lives.

Overall Campaign Goals: Every student deserves access to high-quality education. We’ve made progress, but must continue closing gaps in achievement, growth, and discipline while supporting student well-being.

District E

Deann Bucher – Incumbent, ENDORSED
Enrollment: Boulder Valley’s open-enrollment system attracts families from other districts, including students with special-education needs. While this can stretch resources, it’s a testament to our quality. I believe in neighborhood schools—they build community and belonging in ways that can’t be measured. As enrollment shifts, we must manage budgets carefully without losing what makes local schools vital.

Department of Education: The potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education deeply concerns me. Without federal oversight, we risk losing accountability and protections for students of color, students with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. The DOE enforces Title IX and ensures equity—critical safeguards that can’t disappear.

Student Support: Inclusion means giving every student freedom and voice. Years ago, opening our schools to all clubs—from Bible study to Gay–Straight Alliance—showed that fairness comes from welcoming all perspectives. When students feel heard, they feel safe.

Teacher Support: After 27 years teaching in BVSD, I know how hard educators work. I want them to have an ally on the board—someone who listens and advocates. We need creative ways to bring new teachers into the field, like paid training and internships that make the profession more accessible.

Safety: Gun violence has made some young people afraid to teach. We must strengthen mental-health support within schools—most school shooters are current or former students. Caring for the whole child means creating trusted, supportive environments.

Overall Campaign Goals: I’m running to protect BVSD from political attacks on public education. We were among the first to adopt LGBTQ+ protections and defend inclusion in court. I’ll continue that legacy by ensuring every student—especially trans students and students of color—feels safe, supported, and proud to belong.

Jeff Anderson
Enrollment: We can’t fix low enrollment school by school. Over the next four years, we need a holistic approach that addresses districtwide impacts, starting with our elementary schools.

Department of Education: The Department of Education has been remarkably effective since its creation under President Carter. Losing its funding and services would strain local budgets. We must protect students while being efficient with taxpayer money.

Student Support: Students need guidance in managing both AI and the mental health challenges that can come with it. We should help them use technology wisely and maintain balance.

Teacher Support: Teachers must be trained to use AI effectively—it can multiply what great instructors can do. They also need competitive pay and community respect. Building public support for teachers helps everyone.

Safety: We can never make any school completely safe, especially high schools, but we must keep working to protect both students and staff.

Overall Campaign Goals: Safety and inclusion are my top priorities. I want every student in BVSD to feel welcome, supported, and secure.

District F

Ana Otting Temu
Enrollment: Declining enrollment is shaped by many factors—housing, zoning, and school choice. We need to understand those forces and work with the community to address them.

Department of Education: Many programs we’ve built over decades are now at risk. We need to be explicit about what works and maintain programs that directly support our students.

Student Support: Good governance requires equity and transparency. We must avoid policies that draw unnecessary political attention to our students and instead focus on meeting their needs.

Teacher Support: A strong union contract gives teachers the safety net they need to stay in the classroom and keep doing their work.

Safety: Safety includes emotional well-being. Programs that provide mental health resources are essential to keeping our students healthy.

Overall Campaign Goals: Open communication with the community and transparent decision-making are key. We must preserve the programs that serve our students and staff best.

City Council and Mayoral Questions

The questions our team asked were determined through consensus and were the same for all candidates. Each candidate was asked identical questions.

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT

The State requires a percentage of land to be dedicated to Affordable Housing. Would you like to increase the above state regulations?

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY

Like many Front Range communities seeing increasing conversations about homelessness. What role should the city play in addressing homelessness versus relying on county or regional programs?

OPEN SPACE

Broomfield passed a new Open Space 20-year roadmap in 2024 with goal of 40% of land remaining dedicated to Open Space. What would you like to see come from that? 

FIRE MITIGATION

What are your goals to prevent wildfires that would put homes at risk?

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE (two-part question)

New text needed 

INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT/ GAZA

What is the role of local governments in dealing with international conflict, such as what is going on with Gaza?

SAFETY

What is the biggest threat to safety in your town?

More and more police departments are getting military grade weapons, including Lafayette. How will your police respond to overdoses, the unhoused, school shootings and protestors?

ICE

Do you support the police department working with ICE?

TRANSPORTATION

What are the issues facing transportation in your town?

BUSINESS SUPPORT

What is needed to encourage small businesses in your community.

Broomfield Election 2025

Mayor 

Guyleen Castriotta – ENDORSED

I was first elected Mayor of the City and County of Broomfield in 2021 after serving four years on City Council and two years as Mayor Pro Tem. I was re-elected in 2023 in an uncontested race.

Housing
Broomfield has expanded affordable housing through new zoning, policy, and regulatory changes. We’ve increased density to encourage compact, lower-cost development and aligned with recent state laws to speed up construction. In 2023, we strengthened our Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, now requiring that 20 percent of new units be affordable to households earning 60 percent of the area median income. These updates broaden housing options across income levels and help ensure that our community remains accessible to residents of all backgrounds.

Homelessness
Broomfield provides a comprehensive range of housing stability and homelessness prevention services through the Housing Alliance and local partnerships. The Housing Alliance connects individuals and families to home referrals and voucher programs, while during periods of extreme cold, we partner with Almost Home to activate the Severe Weather Activation Program (SWAP), offering hotel vouchers to those who need safe shelter. These programs reflect our commitment to compassion, dignity, and stability.

Open Space
Residents approved a quarter-cent sales tax dedicated to the preservation and acquisition of open space. These funds are used to purchase land for recreation, conservation, and outdoor activities, as outlined by the city charter. This approach gives residents a direct say in how open space is managed and maintained.

Transportation
Broomfield lacks sufficient representation on the RTD Board, which limits our ability to advocate for local transit needs. This has led to service gaps, particularly for transit-dependent populations, including paratransit users. Some neighborhoods, like The Grove, have been left without service since route discontinuations. I’m committed to working with regional partners to restore reliable, equitable transit options for all residents.

Business
Attracting new businesses often requires strategic incentives, especially in competitive retail and dining sectors. We’ve successfully redeveloped underutilized mall and big-box spaces into mixed-use developments featuring ground-floor retail—often local businesses—and residential units above, some reserved for residents earning $60,000 or less. These projects revitalize our economy and reflect Broomfield’s values of smart growth and community balance.

Safety
Broomfield’s police force is known for professionalism and ongoing training focused on de-escalation and community safety. Our co-responder program pairs officers with mental-health professionals to address crises compassionately. This approach keeps Broomfield’s violent-crime rate the lowest along the Front Range and reflects our city’s commitment to public well-being.

Fire Mitigation
The Marshall Fire was a near miss for Broomfield when the winds shifted at our border. That event prompted us to review emergency plans, strengthen wildfire education, and prepare to adopt Wildland-Urban Interface codes requiring fire-resistant materials in future development, especially in high-risk areas.

International Issues
Local governments must focus on what they can control—our neighborhoods, safety, and infrastructure. While broader issues matter, my responsibility is to keep Broomfield strong, safe, and resilient.

Kimberly Groom: DID NOT RESPOND

City Council

Ward 1 

Elizabeth Law-Evans

Affordable Housing
We certainly have a deficit of affordable and attainable housing in Broomfield. One question we must carefully assess is who is coming in. If we’re asking citizens and taxpayers to be generous with their resources, we must ensure those resources go to people who already have ties to Broomfield.

Homelessness
Rather than focusing solely on short-term fixes, I support a holistic approach that prioritizes mental health treatment, addiction recovery, and transitional housing. Working in partnership with nonprofits and regional programs will ensure lasting solutions.

Open Space
Maintaining 40 percent open space is a remarkable achievement and a reflection of Broomfield’s relative affluence. Our scenic trails and parks add to the city’s appeal, but that desirability also contributes to rising housing costs and property taxes. Preserving open space is vital, but it must be balanced with housing affordability.

Transportation
I fully support Broomfield’s police and will work with the chief to assess whether more officers or resources are needed for traffic enforcement. Highway 7 is a vital corridor that deserves long-term investment for safety and regional connectivity. As a cyclist and former member of the sustainability committee, I’m committed to expanding infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and all forms of non-car transportation.

Safety

I have great respect for our police and first responders. Broomfield consistently ranks among the highest in the state for crime clearance, and I’ll continue to support law enforcement with access to the best technology and resources available.

Business Support
As a former small business owner in commercial real estate, I understand the challenges owners face. Too much time is lost to paperwork, regulations, and taxes. Rather than relying on incentives, I believe the best way to support small businesses is to simplify government processes so owners can spend less time on compliance and more on growing their business.

International Issues
Local governments should focus on local matters rather than taking positions on national or international concerns. As a member of the North Metro Fire Rescue District Board, I’ve seen firsthand the dedication of our firefighters—many of whom risk their own homes to protect others. With new wildfire mapping, we now have tools to strengthen prevention and build comprehensive plans for community safety.

Julie Twiss – ENDORSED

Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is personal to me—I got my start in affordable housing, and I want my kids to have the same opportunity here. As a supporter of the Broomfield Housing Authority, I’ve worked to expand income-aligned housing and support inclusive developments for seniors and people with disabilities. I also support higher-density housing, efficient project approvals, and creative redevelopment—like the former FirstBank Center site—to meet our growing needs.

Homelessness
As a public librarian, I work every day with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Broomfield has strong partners, like The Refuge, but resources are stretched thin. We should expand programs that help residents stay housed—such as utility assistance—and strengthen partnerships with nonprofits to ensure vulnerable residents have the support they need, especially during extreme weather.

Safety
I strongly support Broomfield’s well-trained, community-focused police. Funding increases have expanded training and programs like the Mental Health Co-Responder initiative, which I’ve seen work effectively. As a parent, I’m deeply concerned about school safety and gun violence. These issues require thoughtful legislation and bipartisan cooperation to keep our community safe.

Open Space
I’m passionate about protecting and expanding Broomfield’s open spaces. Living near Broomfield Commons, I see every day how access to nature shapes our community’s quality of life. As we grow, we must balance housing needs with preservation to ensure future generations enjoy the same access to the outdoors that we do.

Transportation
Transportation will be a major focus of Broomfield’s 10-year strategic plan launching in 2026. It’s an opportunity to improve how we move through the city and strengthen our transit infrastructure. I’m especially concerned about RTD service cuts; Broomfield residents continue to pay RTD taxes, yet many routes haven’t returned since the pandemic. I’ll work to hold RTD accountable and ensure our community gets the service it pays for.

Local Businesses
Community feedback on the upcoming Town Square project shows residents want walkable, locally focused spaces with independent restaurants, cafés, and shops. I share those priorities and want the city to do more to help local entrepreneurs thrive. Creative incentives and financial support can help small businesses grow and ensure that development reflects Broomfield’s character.

Fire Mitigation and International Issues
My mother’s neighborhood was evacuated during the Marshall Fire, so I understand how quickly wildfires can escalate. We must strengthen regional collaboration, public education, and communication for residents in high-risk areas.

As a City Council member and County Commissioner, I believe it’s appropriate—and often necessary—for local officials to speak out on broader issues when they affect our residents. Representing Broomfield means reflecting the values and concerns of our community, even when those concerns extend beyond city limits.

Ward 2 

Austin Ward -ENDORSED, INCUMBENT

Affordable Housing
Since 2020, we’ve enforced an inclusionary housing ordinance requiring that 20 percent of new rental units be affordable for households earning 60 percent or less of the Area Median Income. Developers can also opt to pay a “cash-in-lieu” fee or a mix of both. Flexibility is important, but so is accountability. We’re also focused on supporting residents earning below 30 percent AMI, where housing and childcare costs make basic needs unaffordable.

Homelessness
Because Broomfield operates under a consolidated city and county model, we can deliver housing and workforce programs efficiently. Strengthening these services for low-income and working families remains a priority, especially for those struggling to meet basic needs.

Open Space
Our open space roadmap ensures that all residents—regardless of income or background—can access open lands, parks, and green spaces. Our goal is for every resident to live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Moving forward, we’ll prioritize investments in neighborhoods that currently lack access.

Fire Mitigation
Western and northern Broomfield face the greatest wildfire risk. We’re enforcing fire-resistant building standards, managing vegetation, expanding public education, and strengthening coordination with neighboring cities. Wildfires don’t stop at city borders, so our preparedness can’t either.

Safety and Police
Public safety is holistic—it means preventing crime but also addressing the social and economic conditions that affect security. Broomfield’s police department is fully staffed, and our officers reflect community values. Through our BCORE program, officers partner with mental-health professionals to respond compassionately to crises, ensuring residents in distress get help, not punishment.

Immigration and ICE
Our police follow the law, but immigration enforcement should remain the responsibility of federal agencies. Local officers are here to protect residents, build trust, and keep the community safe. It’s not appropriate for them to assist in federal immigration operations.

Transportation
Broomfield’s transit access is similar to nearby cities, but we need to do better. RTD must apply equity when planning routes—too often, financially vulnerable residents are overlooked. Expanding microtransit, improving sidewalks, and adding protected bike lanes will give residents safe, reliable alternatives to cars.

Local Businesses
Broomfield’s small business grant program has already made a difference, helping companies like LaBelle replace essential equipment and stay open. Expanding these programs and adapting financial incentives for small, locally owned businesses will strengthen our economy and community ties.

Community Values
I’m committed to ensuring Broomfield remains a place where everyone—regardless of income, gender, or immigration status—feels safe and supported. Being undocumented is not a crime. Everyone deserves stability and a sense of belonging.

Colin Dielmann:  DID NOT RESPOND

Ward 3 

Peter B. Crouse

Housing
I’m a pro-density candidate. Advocating for construction law reform at the state level is critical to housing affordability. Strategic zoning and smart density help preserve open space and reduce air pollution.

Homelessness
Homelessness will continue to grow, and mental health plays a major role. I’ve been involved with Broomfield FISH, which my mother started in 1965. The city must coordinate with state and federal partners to ensure we have the resources to address homelessness effectively.

Open Space
Open space comes with costs—less room for development and ongoing maintenance. While preserving 40 percent of land is a laudable goal we’re close to achieving, it also involves difficult trade-offs we must manage responsibly.

Fire Mitigation
Higher density means less pollution and a smaller carbon footprint. Open spaces must be actively managed—through trimming, equipment, or grazing—to reduce fire risk.

Safety
Broomfield has the lowest crime rate of the seven metro counties. I recently toured our police department and jail, which serve as national models. We’re a safe community, and I’ll work to keep it that way.

ICE
I do not support ICE working with our police.

Business Support
As a restaurant owner in Broomfield, I know success depends on performance and customer loyalty. I don’t believe city funds should subsidize private business; success should come from service and quality.

Sarah Braun – ENDORSED

Housing
A few years ago, we proudly passed an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to expand income-aligned housing across Broomfield. It’s been an important step, but we still need innovative approaches. I’m especially interested in partnerships like those some Colorado school districts are exploring to provide housing for teachers and essential workers. Too many can’t afford to live where they serve. I’d work with the Broomfield Housing Alliance and our schools to explore solutions that keep vital professionals rooted in our community.

Homelessness
Keeping people safe and supported is foundational to Broomfield’s long-term success. We’ve partnered with nonprofits that connect residents in crisis to vital resources, but seniors on fixed incomes remain especially vulnerable. I’m a strong supporter of our Co-Responder Program, which pairs mental-health professionals with police officers to connect unhoused residents with services compassionately. It’s a smart, humane approach that reflects our community’s values. We must continue strengthening these partnerships so everyone can live with dignity and security.

Open Space
I’m a strong proponent of protecting open space and believe maintaining around 40 percent is a healthy, balanced goal for Broomfield. Residents consistently tell me open space is what they love most—our mountain views, easy access to trails, and proximity to nature. It’s what makes Broomfield special. We need to keep prioritizing and protecting these lands because they define our community’s character, contribute to our well-being, and preserve the natural beauty that draws people here.

Transportation
Speeding and congestion are ongoing concerns, and I’m glad the city completed a year-long Transportation Safety Action Plan focused on our most dangerous intersections. There’s also discussion about speed cameras, which must be implemented thoughtfully and transparently—I value privacy and accountability. We can’t rely solely on delayed federal funding; safety improvements should move forward with urgency. My goal is to make our roads safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians while ensuring solutions align with community values.

Safety
Public safety is essential, and I’m meeting with our police department to understand their operations and ensure alignment with community values. Broomfield is fortunate to have a low crime rate, and a second police station will help maintain responsiveness as we grow. I believe in balanced policing—officers available when needed, but engagement grounded in trust and transparency. True safety is about partnership, accountability, and ensuring law enforcement reflects the community it serves.

Business Support
Many Broomfield businesses open with excitement but struggle to stay. If we want a resilient local economy, we must help entrepreneurs thrive. I’ve seen firsthand how our Economic Vitality Department supports small businesses with training, loans, and grants. Continuing to invest in these programs strengthens our local identity and keeps opportunity close to home. Supporting small businesses isn’t just about commerce—it’s about sustaining the people and relationships that give Broomfield its heart.

Wildfire Mitigation
With a master’s in public administration focused on emergency management, I take wildfire risk seriously. Broomfield sits on the wildland-urban edge, and as fires intensify statewide, preparedness is essential. I support the new WUI building code and believe education, transparency, and community readiness are key. Residents should understand their risk, insurance coverage, and mitigation options. We also need better early-detection systems. Acting proactively will protect our homes, families, and long-term resilience.

Ward 4

Sean McKenzie– ENDORSED

Affordable Housing
Not everyone, not every resident in Broomfield, is going to be able to make career adjustments or grow their income with inflation. I’m particularly concerned about the seniors, because from what I know, their population is set to double as we increase the overall population of Broomfield, that specific population is set to double. I want to make sure that our seniors can stay with us and live in Broomfield and be able to downsize if they need to.

Homelessness
When I think about the budgets, I think about, how can we optimize the budgets and make it efficient so that we can help our partners, like Broomfield Fish, maximize the work that they can do. But,  think beyond supporting these

Open Space
I’m very supportive of the open space the 40% and I think that as we build and develop as we grow towards the build out and maturity of the city over the next 2030, years, it’s important to have and keep that commitment And to weave in these aspects of open space connection to nature through the development process. When it comes to development, we need to think holistically and not just have it sectioned off, but sort of an integrated approach.

Wildfire Prevention
We need t mitigate risk in all dimensions. We need to partner with law enforcement and the fire department to ensure safety as well as work on sustainability. Climate change is only going to get worse with more droughts and decreasing snowpack.

Public Safety
Broomfield as a relatively safe community; the biggest threat to our safety is inadequate funding for first responders.

Immigration/ICE

I am not supportive of the way in which the immigration agenda has unfolded in our country. And again, I think as a city and county council member. My job is to focus on my city and county and making sure that our police department are focused on their job, keeping crime down, keeping us safe.

Transportation
We are going to continue to grow as a city and county so as population increases, there may be more possibility for accidents and things of this nature. The majority of residents in Broomfield work outside of the city. We need to keep up with road maintenance and make sure law enforcement is appropriately funded.

Local Businesses
Better funding for local businesses means that they can hire more local employees, keeping the money and work in Broomfield. With funding and support, we can create an ecosystem where small businesses can weather the storm and survive.

Larry Hardouin 

Affordable Housing
I’m aware that Colorado law (CRS § 29-32-105) requires local governments to increase affordable housing by at least 3% annually. While Broomfield has made progress, I haven’t seen public reporting tied directly to that target. The Broomfield Housing Alliance (BHA), now our official Housing Authority, plays a key role. If elected, I’ll collaborate closely with the BHA to ensure compliance with state requirements, track our progress, and pursue data-driven solutions that promote housing stability and affordability.

Homelessness
Because Broomfield is both a city and a county, we must take responsibility at the local level while also collaborating regionally. I support partnerships with neighboring cities—including Westminster, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, and Boulder—to share data, expertise, and resources. Working together allows us to better plan, coordinate outreach, and provide consistent support for people experiencing homelessness. Regional collaboration is essential to addressing this challenge compassionately and effectively across our interconnected communities.

Open Space
Broomfield’s Charter requires maintaining 40% of land as open space, and any change would require voter approval. I support honoring that commitment. We should develop a clear plan for acquiring remaining open space to meet this goal and ensure we have long-term maintenance strategies in place. Open space is vital for recreation, environmental health, and our community identity. Protecting and maintaining it for future generations must remain a top priority.

Wildfire Prevention
The new 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC) will take time to study and implement. Broomfield hasn’t yet adopted it but is piloting a local mapping project using the state’s required methodology. In early 2026, we’ll hold a study session and community meeting before any adoption decision. Reducing wildfire risk is an ongoing responsibility, and as a Council member, I’ll continue supporting prevention efforts, community education, and preparedness to safeguard homes and residents.

International Issues
City Council’s focus must remain on Broomfield’s local priorities—housing, transportation, and public safety. While international and federal issues matter deeply, they generally fall outside our jurisdiction. If a federal issue directly affects Broomfield residents or local operations, we can and should share feedback through our congressional representatives. My goal is to keep City Council’s energy focused on practical, community-centered action where we can make the greatest local impact.

Public Safety
Public safety consistently ranks as one of Broomfield’s highest community priorities. Resident surveys show strong satisfaction with police, fire, and emergency services. The city tracks how safe people feel, along with police responsiveness, equity, and respect across neighborhoods. These metrics drive ongoing improvement. I believe Broomfield’s public safety performance is excellent, and we’ll keep building on that foundation through transparency, responsiveness, and community engagement to ensure residents continue to feel safe and supported.

Transportation
Traffic management in Broomfield requires ongoing attention. I support continuing traffic studies, safety audits, and incremental improvements to address congestion and speed concerns. There’s no single solution—progress will come from steady, data-informed planning. By prioritizing road safety, intersection improvements, and collaboration with regional partners, we can make transportation more efficient and safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians throughout our growing community.

Local Businesses
Supporting small and locally owned businesses starts with listening. I plan to meet with business owners to learn what’s working and where city policies can improve. As Broomfield grows, we must balance residential and commercial development. The city currently spends more on services for homes than it collects in taxes, so commercial growth helps close that gap. Encouraging both local entrepreneurship and responsible corporate expansion is critical to maintaining fiscal balance and community vitality.

Chad Swenson: DID NOT RESPOND

Ward 5

Todd Cohen – Incumbent, STRONGLY CONSIDERED

Affordable Housing
For residents earning 60–80 percent of the area median income, affordable housing remains a challenge. We’ll keep working with developers to expand options, and the new zoning law allowing higher density in select areas will help address worker housing insecurity.

Homelessness
Many people face hidden homelessness—living in cars, with friends, or couch-surfing. Solving this requires affordable housing, job access, and homeowner assistance programs that prevent families from slipping into crisis.

Open Space
Our long-term goal of preserving 40 percent open space continues. These lands offer room to breathe, protect wildlife, and enhance quality of life. Broomfield’s ranking among the healthiest places to live is no coincidence.

Transportation
We’re working to make Broomfield more connected to major highways while encouraging pedestrian-friendly design and dedicated bike lanes. Though we remain car-dependent, we can build a more walkable city.

Local Business Growth
Our Economic Vitality Department and Chamber of Commerce actively recruit and support businesses. With strong amenities and an affluent population, Broomfield is well-positioned for growth. We’ve managed resources efficiently since becoming a county in 2001 without raising tax rates.

Fire Mitigation
We’re conducting audits and collaborating with the state to improve safety. After the Marshall Fire, maintaining open spaces to prevent hazards is a top priority. Safety and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

Safety
We’ve invested heavily in public safety—boosting police staffing by 50 percent and implementing the Co-Responder Program, which pairs officers with social workers. These efforts have helped maintain the lowest per capita crime rate in the region.

International
Broomfield focuses on local governance but remains open and inclusive. Every resident—immigrant, refugee, or longtime local—deserves equal access to services and to feel welcome in this community.

Boulder Election 2025

Boulder City Council (At-Large)

Matt Benjamin – INCUMBENT

Housing
We’re on track for 15% affordable housing by 2035—we’re already around 9% with a decade to go. The key is making it easier and faster to build what we want by streamlining permits and removing cost-driving barriers. We must free up places to build—CU South includes five acres for affordable housing, and the Area III Planning Reserve offers long-term potential with careful annexation. I support a vacancy tax and stronger renter protections (advance notice and relocation assistance) to stabilize neighborhoods.

Homelessness
I support the city’s data-driven 2025 Homelessness Strategy, which sets measurable goals to end rough sleeping. “Housing first for everyone” isn’t sustainable; we need rapid assessment and diversion to connect people with the right services—medical care, treatment, job support, or short-term shelter—rather than automatically entering long-term housing queues. This is regional: Boulder and Longmont can’t act alone. I’m pressing Boulder County for a cohesive strategy so cities complement rather than duplicate each other’s efforts.

Open Space
I support extending the Open Space Sales and Use Tax but shifting focus from acquisition to stewardship. We’ve purchased enough; now we must maintain and manage what we have. Farmers leasing county open space face competitive pressure from wage disparities across counties. To sustain local agriculture and climate resilience, we should consider subsidies or coordinated city–county–state policies that address “patchwork” wage issues so Boulder’s producers aren’t priced out by neighboring counties.

Wildfire Mitigation
Boulder isn’t ready for a major wildfire. The risk lies in thousands of existing homes—especially on the west side—without defensible space. We need retroactive mitigation: limb trees, remove juniper, and create five-foot noncombustible zones. Education and incentives should lead, but minimum standards will be necessary. This is about protection, not punishment. Losing hundreds of homes would spike prices overnight, so mitigation safeguards both lives and long-term affordability. We must act before disaster, not after.

Transportation
Boulder’s system must work regionally. RTD is restoring service; BRT on the Diagonal and Front Range Passenger Rail could be transformative. Locally, Vision Zero is the priority: redesign high-crash intersections, improve management, and add protected bike lanes and safer crossings. Budget constraints limit expansion, but targeted safety investments and regional collaboration can reduce severe injuries and deaths. Transportation isn’t just about moving cars; it’s about connecting people safely and sustainably across the region.

Local Businesses
Boulder has lacked a real economic development strategy; recruitment has been reactive as other cities grew. I support a comprehensive plan to recruit and support local businesses, tackle office vacancies with creative conversions, and lower barriers for startups. Rising costs hit independents hardest. I’d explore fee relief (e.g., outdoor dining), review tip-credit adjustments, and consider rebates to keep small operators competitive. Boulder should feel local, not just look expensive.

Safety
After the Pearl Street firebombing, many—especially in our Jewish community—don’t feel safe. That attack targeted people peacefully calling for hostages’ return. Antisemitism and hate speech have no place here. Silence enables hate; leaders must be vocal, consistent, and proactive in protecting every community—regardless of race, religion, gender identity, or background. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in Boulder.

Police
Under Chiefs Maris Herold and Steve Redfern, BPD has raised standards and embraced the Reimagining Policing Plan with clear accountability metrics. Oversight—through the Police Oversight Panel and an independent monitor—balances transparency and collaboration. Officers are trained in de-escalation and nonviolent response, including with unhoused residents. BPD does not partner with ICE absent a judicial warrant; ensuring body-cam documentation protects rights. Collaboration with profiling activities is off the table.

Mark Wallach – INCUMBENT

Public Safety
Downtown, the mall, and the Creek Path have conditions that are unacceptable. Without public safety, you don’t have a successful community—property values fall, businesses leave, and sales-tax revenue drops. My goal is to restore safety and stability in public spaces so residents and businesses feel confident in Boulder again.

Infrastructure
We have more than $300 million in unfunded projects: fire stations (two still in houses), rec centers, bridges, roads, and the police building. My first objective is to renew the infrastructure tax and start addressing fundamentals. A successful community takes care of its basics.

Wildfire Resilience
Boulder is in the 97th percentile for wildfire danger. With wooden homes and junipers—“gasoline on a stick”—we must harden the city: five-foot noncombustible zones, pruning, and replacing wood mulch with rock. Open-space fuel management is underfunded at ~$100,000/year; that’s inadequate. I support cost-share programs to help homeowners mitigate now—before one cigarette becomes a conflagration.

Open Space
Open space is central to why people live here. Changing its use for convenience—housing or otherwise—would be a nightmare. We should invest more in maintenance: grazing, mowing, and fuel reduction near neighborhoods without altering its character. Focus on managing what we have rather than constant acquisition.

Housing
Middle-income promises often ignore the math. The market won’t sell a $2M unit for $600K. The practical path is city-owned land where we control price and require the right mix—potentially including decommissioning the airport. I strongly support Boulder Housing Partners. Duplex zoning won’t deliver true middle-income when outcomes are $1.2–$1.4M; we need financially realistic approaches.

Homelessness and Mental Health
We can improve outcomes, but won’t eliminate homelessness altogether. Focus on diversion, centralizing services at All Roads, and continuing to enforce the camping ban. Prioritize families and long-time residents who’ve fallen on hard times. I support a treatment-plus-housing facility using adaptive reuse so police can focus on crime rather than revolving crises.

Transportation
Boulder’s system isn’t functioning: buses are erratic and often empty; not everyone can ride e-bikes in winter. We should improve reliability, shelters, and walkability, but anyone promising quick fixes is “blowing smoke.” These are long-term challenges requiring state and federal support we don’t currently have.

Jennifer Robins: Refused Interview

Nicole Speer – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Housing
We legalized ADUs citywide, allowed duplexes/triplexes, and updated fees to favor smaller, more affordable homes. We streamlined approvals; partnered with BVSD and Habitat to open a modular-housing factory; and scaled eviction prevention for ~1,000 residents annually while piloting guaranteed income for 200. Next, I’ll track impacts of zoning changes, strengthen tenant protections (notice and relocation), lower household costs like childcare/transportation, and advocate for statewide single-payer. Housing connects to everything.

Homelessness
Our strategy emphasizes evidence over punishment. Peer-support shows >90% housed at six months; prevention is cheaper and more humane. I want a full cost picture for ending family homelessness and to plan for it. Our rental-assistance program prevents >95% of evictions. Regionally, through DRCOG, I helped launch the Regional Housing Strategy targeting people under 50% AMI. Housing insecurity is regional; solutions must be too.

Open Space
Roughly 90% of our wildfire-mitigation work occurs on open space. These lands serve recreation, conservation, and a fire buffer. We partner with local farmers for grazing to reduce fuels. As climate risks rise, we must monitor ecosystems and integrate agriculture and food systems into open-space planning so it supports resilience across climate, food, and community well-being.

Wildfire Mitigation
The community pushed for stronger mitigation, and we’re delivering—especially along the western edge where risk is highest. Continued investment and regional coordination are critical. It’s unglamorous work that saves lives and property, and we need to scale it as conditions grow more volatile.

Transportation
We’ve expanded the downtown station, opened Boulder Junction with RTD, and designed safer roads via the Core Arterial Network. We must strengthen regional links. DRCOG’s countywide transit plan will align local and regional systems. I support $1 micro-transit-style options for short trips and a transportation-maintenance fee to fund repairs and operations. Federal dollars remain vital.

Local Businesses
We’re building Boulder’s first real economic-development strategy and exploring a Downtown Development Authority to reinvest in districts. Commercial vacancies hurt safety and walkability. Solutions require landlords, banks, and business owners at the same table—loan terms often limit “vacancy taxes.” We’ve embedded the SBDC to help entrepreneurs navigate costs. Affordability is the deeper issue; if only large corporations survive, we lose what makes Boulder special.

Safety
We can’t police away every tragedy; prevention and mental-health investment reduce risk. Our Reimagined Policing Plan shifts toward prevention, alongside gun-violence ordinances, partnerships, and Fire-Rescue education. Real safety comes when basic needs—mental health, housing, connection—are met.

Police
Culture is improving: accountability, transparency, and relationship-building with Latino residents. I helped strengthen the Oversight Panel and bring in independent safety consultants. We’ve expanded co-responders so behavioral-health specialists can de-escalate and prevent harm. Police shouldn’t handle every crisis alone.

Immigration and ICE
I opposed the 2022 FBI MOU over civil-liberty risks; it’s ended. As long as I’m on council, Boulder won’t partner with ICE. We protect residents from data-sharing and overreach. Our chief is rebuilding trust with immigrants; Boulder officers are not ICE. No one should fear calling for help.

International Policy / Divestment
We need clear, consistent criteria for if and how we engage in international issues so processes are transparent and fair. Boulder residents have global ties; we owe them principled, predictable decisions, not ad-hoc reactions.

Overall Campaign Goals
My focus is affordability, stability, and inclusion. I’m finishing our shift to outcome-based budgeting and pushing for a more stable revenue mix beyond volatile sales tax. After losing my job to federal cuts, I know how precarious middle-class work is. We must attract stable industries, retrain workers, and help families stay in Boulder.

Lauren Folkerts – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Housing
As an architect, I’ve pushed zoning reforms that stop incentivizing only large, expensive units and align supply with need. I want 100% affordable projects to move quickly and more “missing middle” options—duplexes, triplexes, ADUs—by cutting red tape so local owners can participate. Prices have softened slightly, showing supply helps. For renters, I support stabilization (e.g., Tacoma-style relocation fees) and overturning the state’s rent-control ban.

Homelessness
I serve on the county Homelessness Task Force and support the new affordable-housing tax and state reforms. Our updated strategy tracks entries, exits, and the money needed to scale proven programs until exits match demand. Budgets are tight, but these investments reduce human suffering and neighborhood strain.

Open Space
Open space is a core asset spanning recreation and agriculture. We lease land to local farmers despite rising ag-land costs. It’s not perfect—prairie dogs, water, and wages all matter—but overall we balance conservation, recreation, and working lands. I support extending existing funding to keep this resource strong.

Wildfire Mitigation
Voters approved a wildfire tax; now we’re expanding mitigation along the western edge where risk is highest. I see tangible progress near South Boulder and on open space. I’ll keep pushing a data-driven approach that ramps up pace and scale to match community expectations.

Transportation
Land use and transit must be planned together. High-capacity transit works with corridor density; running big buses through low density isn’t cost-effective. We don’t control RTD, but we’re pursuing state-level fixes and building partnerships. Safety is paramount. The Core Arterial Network is designed; now we need grants and funding for protected bike lanes and multimodal options.

Local Businesses
Council made economic development a priority. I support a Downtown Development Authority, tax-increment tools, and restructured entities for predictable reinvestment. Let’s expand technical help so small businesses can navigate hiring and rules, convert vacant offices to housing/active uses, and simplify permits so startups without deep pockets can open.

Safety
Colorado underfunds mental health; unmet needs become safety risks. I support the county mental-health tax and stronger school/community supports. We updated council-chamber procedures and will keep evaluating what helps people feel safe.

Police
Prevention is better than the last line of defense. I support de-escalation, preparedness, and strong accountability—independent oversight, public use-of-force stats, and timely video releases. Trust and transparency are essential.

Immigration / ICE
Our goal is keeping residents safe. We don’t collect immigration status unless required by a specific grant, and officers don’t assist in deportation or share information for that purpose. People should feel safe reporting crime and seeking help.

Rob Kaplan

Housing
I focus on buildable, middle-income ownership. To get deed-restricted homes families can own, waive the 25% in-lieu fee for projects delivering AMI-based, permanently affordable units—so townhomes and three-bedroom homes pencil out. I’m open to land-lease on city land to keep affordability permanent. Prioritize local developers and community-driven proposals, like the North Boulder Little League concept preserving fields, adding senior housing, and designing with neighbors.

Homelessness
The intent is good, but coordination is lacking. I support one HIPAA-compliant, centralized database so nonprofits, outreach teams, ambassadors, and city staff can share information and reduce duplication. I’ve seen separate apps tracking the same people—inefficient and fixable. Regional collaboration with clear roles and accountable outcomes beats simply spending more without the right tools.

Open Space
Budgets are tight. I won’t rubber-stamp every tax or fee. From my Parks & Rec Board experience, costs are up across the board. We need transparency and outcome-based decisions. I love open space, but the priority now is maintaining what we have and investing where it’s most critical.

Wildfire Mitigation
Eighteen years in fire service—including Marshall—taught me wildfire drives insurance, business viability, and housing. I want a practical WUI code and retroactive mitigation that’s effective but not punitive. Increase grants and focus on high-impact steps like limbing and basic hardening. On land, manage forests with shaded fuel breaks and ladder-fuel removal; agriculture can buffer. This also signals insurers we’re serious.

Transportation
Housing and transportation are linked. We paid for rail that never arrived; I’d build it tomorrow if I could. Meanwhile, invest strategically: protected bike lanes and multimodal upgrades must match growth and evacuation needs. For Iris, weigh road-diet plans against potential high-density proposals and consider routing a two-way protected bikeway on Balsam/Alpine/Edgewood. Near-term: maintain 300 miles of streets, snow plowing, and accessible sidewalks.

Local Businesses
As a founder, I’ve felt the drag: months to approve a sign, then the code changes. We need a one-stop permit shop, faster responses, and more in-office staff presence to solve problems face-to-face and boost downtown activity. Use AI code-cleanup to cut conflicts and hurdles. Favor local ownership—PE-driven ROI pressures raise rents and cut maintenance.

Safety
Public safety is foundational. With Sundance bringing tens of thousands, we need visible patrols in high-incident corridors—not a “police state,” but presence that deters crime and boosts confidence for residents, workers, and visitors. Safety must be felt to be real.

Police
Support must show up in pay and benefits. After arbitration, police got 4.75% instead of 6%; we’re losing officers to nearby cities with better compensation and mental-health coverage. That’s a false economy—turnover costs more. I’ll prioritize competitive pay and strong wellness support to retain talent.

Rachel Rose Isaacson

Housing
We need better renter protections and data. Landlords should report rent increases so the city can publish an annual Fair Rental Guideline and offer a voluntary pledge tied to grants, tax credits, and services. Rent control is illegal, but we can encourage stability. “Affordable” isn’t always attainable—I’ve seen units at $1,600 sit vacant while rooms at $1,000 exist. Use city-controlled land (including parts of Area III) for permanently affordable and true middle-income homes.

Homelessness
I support the Clutch strategy: compassionate and pragmatic. Centralize resources, improve data sharing, and partner with state, regional, and nonprofit providers. Prevention matters: require more advance notice for large rent hikes and stronger notice for no-fault evictions, including a winter pause. Protect tipped-wage workers’ earnings—cuts push families toward homelessness. Regional gaps are real: we lost the county’s only youth shelter, and 1,000+ BVSD students experienced homelessness; childhood homelessness predicts adult homelessness.

Open Space
Given the deficit, I’m open to increasing funding for open-space management and upfront wildfire mitigation. Stewardship now prevents higher costs later, but we must balance against other urgent needs.

Wildfire Mitigation
Mitigation should be part of our culture. If we consider mandates in higher-risk areas, pair them with financial help so lower-income homeowners aren’t left behind. Focus on “low-hanging fruit”: limbing, removing flammable landscaping, and smarter fences/mulch. I’d support community fundraising to help neighbors harden homes for everyone’s safety.

Transportation
Many workers commute from nearby cities, and congestion spikes when students return. We should build a more accessible regional transit system while pacing investments during a deficit. Better access remains a clear goal.

Local Businesses
Keep dollars local: support local nonprofits and spending. Small businesses face rent, property-tax, and cost pressures. We can simplify and digitize permits, set clear timelines, and expand technical help. Offer grants for critical equipment and explore startup incentives given vacant space. Housing policy also helps—shorter commutes improve hiring.

Safety
Everyone deserves to feel safe. Crime is trending down in many areas, but not all. A stronger law-enforcement presence on Pearl can boost real and perceived safety. The oversight committee was a good step; I’m open to giving it more power so accountability is clear.

Maxwell Lord – ENDORSED

Housing
Affordability spans street homelessness, rent-burdened households, and priced-out buyers—each needs tailored tools. Strengthen renter protections; enforce inclusionary requirements without loopholes. Enable small owners to convert vacant offices to housing and support pop-ups that enliven downtown. Shift from luxury pipelines to attainable ownership; consider city-backed loans for first-time buyers. Don’t loosen STR rules for events like Sundance—owner-occupied is fine, but not corporate profiteering. Use vacancy penalties for idle units/storefronts and bolster tenant unions.

Homelessness
Make boarding houses and hostels easier to build to catch people before they fall further; they’re distinct from shelters. Boulder lacks sober-living and robust rehab capacity—72-hour holds aren’t enough. Partner with nonprofits like Bridge House on transition and work, while building treatment resources they can’t provide. The mental-health tax’s three-year window is too short for permanent infrastructure; our strategy overemphasizes diversion. We need deeper, long-term solutions and stronger regional coordination.

Open Space
Preserve open space and extend the tax. Protect the workforce that stewards it: OSMP’s seasonalization hurts retention and skills. I support better job stability, benefits, and organizing rights. As use grows, improve trails and basics so the public can recreate responsibly.

Wildfire Mitigation
Resilience takes builders, firefighters, and land managers. Make home hardening easy—noncombustible zones, ember-resistant vents, and safer fences/landscaping—without bureaucratic barriers. Improve outreach about real risks (like junipers against walls). On the land side, support crews that reduce fuels, maintain native grasses, and remove invasives.

Transportation
Reliability hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels. When routes fail—especially evenings and east-west—drivers fill the roads. We need dependable service and regional partnerships to win RTIP grants. In a tight budget, favor near-term wins: smarter bus scheduling and clear bike wayfinding so new riders navigate safely. Support Core Arterial elements that protect cyclists, paired with frequent, reliable transit.

Local Businesses
Red tape and delays keep storefronts empty. Streamline permits, enable sensible conversions (office to art/retail), and let locals take smart risks. Promote shopping local and ensure locals can access spaces currently locked up by corporate players.

Safety
Diplomacy matters. After the Pearl Street attack, I support a community where peaceful demonstrators feel safe and we avoid painting whole movements by one person’s actions. Leaders should model dignity and respect.

Police
Support the department while broadening safety responses. Deploy social workers and mental-health professionals to crises where officers aren’t the best first tool. Avoid militarization, align training with Boulder’s values, and build trust with migrants. I oppose local cooperation with ICE.

Aaron Stone

Housing
Affordable housing hasn’t kept pace despite higher density. I want to exceed the 15% goal by 2035 and rebuild confidence about going downtown—if people don’t feel welcome or safe there, housing and economic strategies won’t work as intended.

Homelessness
Shelters and outreach have been underfunded. I support reliable funding for beds and day services and proactive outreach so people know where to find help. Treat unhoused neighbors with dignity and help them stabilize.

Open Space
Open-space access defines Boulder. Keep trails and lands open, and expand bike connections through open space where appropriate to improve access and safety.

Wildfire Mitigation
Require new construction in fire-prone areas to meet strong standards first, and build neighborhood buffer zones—defensible space, smart landscaping, and safer design—to reduce risk community-wide.

Transportation
Run routes that make economic sense, keep them frequent and dependable, and continue free transit for riders under 18 while expanding access for low-income residents. When buses are affordable and predictable, ridership grows.

Local Businesses
A few owners control commercial rents; independents are getting squeezed. The city should engage those landlords to reach workable rates and consider public co-ops or shared spaces so small businesses can thrive without selling out to corporations.

Safety
Free speech is a right. We won’t all agree, but no one should be threatened or attacked for beliefs. Schools have implemented strong safety drills and protocols; I want that culture of preparedness and respect citywide.

Police
Direct collaboration between BPD and schools—training, education, and community support—prevents crises and builds trust. I support strengthening that partnership.

Robert Smoke: Did not reply

Montserrat Palacios – ENDORSED

Housing
Affordable housing is essential. We should be less lenient with developers and stop allowing fees in lieu of building required units. I support strict guidelines, cutting red tape, allowing ADUs, and rezoning for duplexes/triplexes. Boulder needs denser, vibrant neighborhoods like Holiday—not one house on 40,000 square feet. Trust ownership isn’t inherently a problem, but we need clearer, neighborhood-by-neighborhood rules to deliver ADUs and multiplexes where appropriate.

Homelessness
Our shelter should never run at capacity; there should be beds for residents in emergencies. Many unhoused are transient; I prioritize services for people with local ties. Drugs and safety are serious concerns; police need full funding and support. Enforce the camping ban while building a regional response—Boulder cannot solve this alone.

Open Space
I strongly support open space, height limits, and accessible trails. I back the county’s open-space tax extension, the mental-health sales tax, and the city’s infrastructure tax—long-term investments in community health.

Wildfire Mitigation
Get ahead of risk without imposing costly mandates on residents. Rather than banning wooden fences, focus on banning flammable trees/plants and on education and prevention. Teach homeowners how to protect buildings while keeping costs manageable.

Transportation
Anyone who wants an EcoPass should get one. Expand routes and service hours—service shouldn’t end near midnight—and consider higher wages to attract drivers. I support the Core Arterial Network and protected bike lanes for children and families. Be transparent with corridor neighbors, including along Iris.

Local Businesses
Local, small businesses make Boulder special. Work with owners and landlords—even when it’s difficult—to reduce long vacancies and encourage realistic lease rates. Incentivize filling storefronts rather than holding out. Offer discounted EcoPasses for employees to support workers and employers.

Safety
Public safety is a shared priority. Fully fund and equip police and work with CU Boulder on crime in the Hill and citywide. Pair enforcement with compassion and community-wide education to identify improvements in policy and practice.

ICE
As someone born in Mexico, I oppose ICE’s nationwide tactics. Boulder should remain a sanctuary city—no raids, no family separations, no fear. Work with state and local partners to maintain safety and trust without dividing the community. I also support quarterly open sessions for broader public concerns so people feel heard.

Firestone Election 2025

Trustee

John Damsma

Affordable Housing
I support an increase in affordable housing within Firestone in order to support those who do not have accessible housing options. Alongside this, I would also like to see an increase in the diversity of housing within the city in order to provide more accommodations.

Homelessness
I believe that a partnership between the city and local organizations is the best way forward. The town works with local agencies and creates their own policies to help those who are having a tough time economically. 

Open Space
I support preserving open spaces while finding a balance between development and conservation. In Firestone, as discussions continue around Central Park, there’s a clear divide between pursuing economic development and creating a community-focused park. I believe the town needs open, shared spaces, and I fully support developing the park as a community hub. I’m committed to realizing residents’ vision for Central Park as a vibrant, people-centered space—not a commercial destination.

International
I believe that before we can focus on international issues, we must first focus on taking care of business in our own neighborhood. If our town abides by the Constitution and functions for the benefit of our community, then other issues will fall into line. I think from where we are, we can facilitate resources to spread awareness of international issues, but ultimately as a small town we must remain nonpartisan. 

ICE
I support the work of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement within the law. I believe immigration should be done through legal channels, and anyone who has not done that has already broken the law. 

Transportation
While one day we are hoping to establish a bus service through the town, there are still options to use more accessible transportation in Firestone. Though the city’s agreement with AVIA, there are options for public transportation that are at little to no cost for the user. This is a policy I support and am hoping to continue. 

Business Support
Many new businesses have been coming to Firestone as a result of increased housing, which is leading to a lot of new, overall growth for the city. Due to new developments such as office buildings, there are many available spaces open for small businesses to function out of. There are also many new corporations coming to town, such as Target, Porsche and Chick-fil-A, which also provide new opportunities for residents.

Samantha Meiring: DID NOT RESPOND

Michael Malek – ENDORSED

Housing
I am for a portion of housing being delegated towards affordable housing for people with middle to lower incomes. The town of Firestone has done moderately good job of doing this, and I know that they have upcoming plans to further increase homes that are in affordable price range. 

Homelessness
The homeless problem is very bad, and very likely to get worse. Combining our resources, may be a partial solution. I really believe in unification, resources, because not all towns have financial resources or land availability in order to solve these issues. 

Open Space
Firestone has done a fairly good job of creating open space areas where citizens can enjoy time in nature. ?I would like to see the town of Firestone open up some of the water reservoirs or lakes that were intended for water storage for drinking could be also opened up for some level of public use. 

International
I don’t know that it is going to be dealt with locally. But efforts from a local resources need to be combined with the efforts of a county or a state. For example, with Gaza, I’m horrified by what I see going on over there.

Safety
In one of the neighboring cities, we had a situation where one of the oil field systems failed, and there was an explosion, and poisonous gases were being emitted into the atmosphere. That, to me, is probably the greatest danger that I can see with the town of Firestone. ?In addition, Firestone itself is undermined by a lot of old coal mines, underground coal mines, and the tunnels, and other things that are under there, need to be very carefully monitored with the oil drilling.

ICE
I personally do not support ICE. I see that the situation as having many, many abuses and the immigration processes. Grabbing people off the street that,for just suspecting them as being immigrant, to me, that is un-American. ?According to our Constitution, your innocent, until proven guilty, and ICE is grabbing people without any regard for that. 

Transportation
We are not paying the RTD tax yet, so transportation is not fully integrated. It is easier to introduce to the newer parts of Firestone, especially those, do I 25 and Highway 119. I am not sure it would be feasible in the old, historic Firestone.

Small Business
The newer parts of Firestone are doing well with development. My plan would be to revitalize the center part of historic Firestone. ?This part of town has not received the level of attention that I think it deserves for creating new small businesses in this area. I would like to see it revitalized to reflect the core part of town. 

Keith Foster: Did not reply

Drew Martinez: Did not reply

Kevin Plain: Did not reply

Lafayette Election 2025

City Council (AL)

Crystal Gallegos  – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Affordable Housing
I think we are the leaders in affordable housing in our area, and it is important to work as partners with other communities in order to mirror what we have done here. When it comes to development, making sure we are developing smartly — having suitable infrastructure, good water quality and an attainable volume — are all things we need to consider when looking at a new project. 

Homelessness
While our city funding is limited, I want to do more as a city to offer support to our unhoused citizens. Our county partners, such as Sister Carmen, have been doing a great job in that area. We try our best to support those organizations and our residents who are in need. I would want to work on utilizing grant funding and applying it to the organizations that can better make a difference with those funds.  

Open Space
We need to take a responsible approach to growth that does not come at the expense of our open spaces. I want to do what I can to preserve this beautiful space, while also allowing ourselves room for growth within our community. 

Fire Mitigation
Our sustainability department has a great program that teaches community members about how to select gardens that are less fire prone. This kind of education is something I would love to see continue. I want to be sure we are working in conjunction with our fire department in order to spread more education regarding fire safety. 

Safety
Chief Bashor has done a great job running the police department for the decade I have lived here. While it is unsure who will be replacing him once he retires, I hope they will continue to honor Bashor’s legacy of being compassionate. 

International
Focusing on local issues first is important. If we have community members passionate about international topics, I would love to sit down and talk with them and see how the city could better support them. 

ICE
I would love to start discussions with our Human Rights Commission to hear what they advise as the proper protocol and how to move forward in the future. I want everyone to continue to feel safe, and our immigrant community has made so many wonderful contributions to our town. They are built into our culture. 

Transportation
I am working on improving transportation within our highway corridors and enhancing our roads to allow more types of alternative transportation. We have just launched our Vision Zero Action plan, which aims to prevent crashes on the road as well. So I think we are moving in the right direction when it comes to improving transportation, although there is still work to be done. 

Business Support
I advocate for a partnership between our city and chamber of commerce with the Downtown Development Authority to ensure that we are retaining and supporting our local businesses while also bringing new businesses into our vacant commercial spaces. 

Luke Arrington: Did not reply

Josh Beryl – ENDORSED 

Housing
The city should have oversight on development. It is a balancing act to have enough affordable housing without overdevelopment. I believe strongly in making sure that we have the opportunity for people to work in Lafayette and also live here and be able to afford to live here and afford food for their families. 

Homelessness
As a community, we need to get creative with solutions. Creating our own shelter or food banks or other types of social programs through the community center and library that can help folks who are unhoused either find housing or find jobs again. Additionally, it is crucial to raise wages to a livable level.

Open Space
We need to respect and protect our open space, both from an environmental and a quality-of-life standpoint. I am not willing to sacrifice our open space in the interest of large corporation development. That being said, we do need to make some room for affordable housing.

Safety
I want to see our law enforcement and police officers acting in kind and humane ways. I think militarization of our police forces is a problem. Prioritizing the availability of Narcan, treatment programs, support for the unhoused, stronger gun laws, and, as much as I hate to say it, teaching safety measures to students and teachers can all keep our community safe. Protesters are part of our community, so police must respond to them peacefully and respectfully.

ICE
ICE should absolutely not be working with our local police department. I see ice kidnapping people from the street, and that is not okay. One of my core issues is protecting the most vulnerable people in our community, including people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ, and plus folks. And so I want to keep ice out of Lafayette in any way that I can

Transportation
Traffic going through communities is a major concern for citizens. Working to divert or slow down traffic driving through communities is one solution. I am a big believer in automobile safety, and I  think there needs to be the same training for bikes and e-bikes.

Small Business
Supporting small businesses is multifaceted. One part is taxing corporations and big companies, so if they operate here, they pay to do so. It can also be subsidizing local businesses,with  public loans or bonds to help bring new small businesses into town.

Eric Ryant 

Affordable Housing
I am for affordable housing. When all is said and done, I think we are leading our community in this work, and it is important that we communicate with our neighbors to spread what we have learned in our own efforts. When pursuing more affordable housing in the future, I would want to analyze our community more and be certain it can handle the infrastructure. 

Homelessness
Some communities have designated areas for a shelter or community, so that would probably be my approach. This is an issue many communities are dealing with, and if it is a burden to the community we must address it. 

Open Space
There has to be a careful balance when it comes to development and open spaces, as we all want our nature to be preserved. I really want to keep these places protected. When considering developments, I think we must take this into account before we make a decision. 

Fire Mitigation
We have to make sure that the fire department has the proper tools, equipment and staff to run effectively. A number one priority of mine would specifically be to ensure they are staffed adequately. They are in life and death situations sometimes, and they need our support to ensure their safety. You cannot put a dollar amount on someone’s life, and I endorse the fire department strongly.

Safety
I am pro-police. I think the city and Bashor does a good job with the way the department is being handled. Their deescalation policy is something that I would like to see continue. The U.S. can be a violent place, and we need protection, and our department is doing a good job at handling that. 

International
I do not feel international issues are relevant to our community in terms of policy. But on the humanitarian side of things, the situation in Gaza must stop. 

ICE
I am against the way ICE is handling things as it stands, and I think they are overstepping their boundaries. On the federal level, there is not much we can do. 

Transportation
As a baseline, I think we need to watch our congestion. I think the easiest growth opportunity is the south baseline, where the RTD runs, and they may be able to manage more growth. Ultimately, I think it needs to be studied in order to make a well-informed decision about how to improve. 

Business Support
Working together to make sure our independent businesses are supported is critical. I would like to sit down with our local entrepreneurs to see which issues are hitting them the hardest in order to tackle those issues first.

Kyle Beaulieu 

Affordable Housing
This is a structural challenge affecting communities across the state. One of the best ways to address it is by building coalitions with neighboring cities—leading, advocating, and finding key partners to tackle development issues together. I believe the most effective path to affordable housing is simply to build more housing. While there are always nuances, collaboration among communities allows us to determine what approaches best fit our shared goals and local needs.

Homelessness
Being a city councilor means focusing on small, meaningful actions while pursuing big solutions. Many of us are only a crisis away from homelessness, and ignoring the issue won’t make it disappear. People experience homelessness for many reasons, so our policies must address job loss, mental health, and substance abuse. Partnering with local nonprofits already doing this work allows us to provide coordinated, compassionate support and begin making real progress for those in need.

Open Space
A big part of what I love about our town is how beautiful our environment is. These spaces should be protected, and I think there are other ways to develop things such as housing without harming them. This is where I propose a higher housing density, which would allow us to protect our open spaces while allowing Lafayette room to expand. Our open space is the crown jewel of what makes Lafayette beautiful, and we should protect it for future generations to enjoy. 

Fire Mitigation
I think one of the biggest things we can do is listen to the experts and build city ordinances from there. Learning towards materials that are not incendiary, plants that are less incendiary, is a good place to start from when safeguarding from future disasters. I think this would also be best achieved working in tandem with neighboring municipalities, so we can all work together to protect each other. 

Safety
I strongly believe in deescalation when it comes to law enforcement’s interactions with the public. After working with the FBI, I saw firsthand the value of extensive training, and I’m proud that Lafayette’s Police Department demonstrates that same commitment. However, I’m uncomfortable with military-grade weapons on our streets. Such equipment belongs in national defense, not our neighborhoods. Police should be viewed as neighbors and protectors, not as an intimidating or oppressive force.

International
The genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza is a catastrophe, and it is a shame our tax dollars are going to fund it. While foreign policy is decided in Washington D.C., and not Denver, what we can do here is signal to our Jewish and Palestinian neighbors that they are members of our community, and we will do what we can here to protect them. 

ICE
I view ICE as one of the worst excesses in modern American history. If elected to city council, I would uphold the law but oppose assisting a predatory, militarized agency. Municipal government should model cooperation and compassion, working to make our community stronger through unity and respect for diversity. Residents deserve to know their local leaders are here to help and on their side, providing an example of collaboration and effective, humane leadership.

Transportation
I think the biggest transit issue that we can tackle from a city councilor’s position pertains to the skyrocketing rates of individual car ownership and use.  So how can we get cars off the road normally? Investing in better busing infrastructure, train infrastructure, would help so our children do not have to deal with the structural and environmental effects of expanding our roadways. I think incentivizing electric car usage and building up our infrastructure to support this is also something that is critical when it comes to improving transportation. 

Business Support
As the cost of living and the cost of owning a business skyrockets, anything we can do to afford more opportunities to local businesses is really important. There are many complaints of the amount of red tape entrepreneurs have to go through just to begin their businesses, so what can we do to make those things easier for them? I would be interested in exploring a digital one-stop-shop of resources in order to gather the steps together and simplify the process for owners. 

Adam Gianola 

Affordable Housing
Many members of the community are concerned about development, and rightfully so. Lafayette is one of the communities in the area that has the most affordable housing. When it comes to zoning issues surrounding affordable housing, I think it is best left to Lafayette to decide what is best for us rather than leaving it to the state. This would allow us to focus on more in-fill and accessory dwellings rather than building more empty houses that no one can afford. 

Homelessness
I think working with regional partners and encouraging mental health access and job development to those in need to get back on their feet is a way we can tackle this issue on a city level. Working with our regional partners is the best opportunity to do this work. 

Open Space
There is no chance that the city’s open spaces should be used for development, that is a non-starter. I think taking the community’s vision into what land should be developed for what purpose is the most important thing that city council can do. 

Fire Mitigation
Education and providing resources to our community is one of the easiest ways to help mitigate the risk of fires. Helping let people know about fire prone materials or removing their juniper bushes is a good way to begin. We also need to help maintain our fire departments, but the impetus for the city is education more than anything else. 

Safety
Keeping our police departments funded is important. The city has done a good job of that. They are sufficiently supplied with what they need to protect our communities, and I would be hesitant to support more access to assault type weapons within the department. Staying in touch with community partners would take us a long way in dealing with more delicate issues. 

International
I am in support of human rights, and I am not in favor of those who are abusing them. So, if there are policies that Lafayette could enact to support those rights, I am in favor of that.  

ICE
No, thank you. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is their own department and they have their own substantial funding. They do not need our department’s assistance or resources. I would rather use our resources on supporting our immigrant community members and making sure they have the resources they need to thrive. 

Transportation
I believe Lafayette should focus its efforts on improving the quality and safety of our roads. We’ve had a lot of head-on collisions, and improving the quality of our roads would help lessen these issues. I’d love to see more Lafayette-exclusive local transit as well. 

Business Support
One of the great things about Lafayette is how the small business community supports one another. So I think the city should do more to support these efforts when possible. Whether that is through grants or tax incentives, or simply making starting a business quicker, this would really help our community. 

Rob Glenn 

Affordable Housing
Lafayette is already the leader in affordable housing in Colorado, and my priority if elected is to make sure we would stay in that position. An important thing that I want to focus on is the county and state qualifications for affordable housing. Many Lafayette residents moved here due to the rising cost of housing in Boulder. So I believe there needs to be more consideration from the state and the county to adjust affordable housing percentages based on where it is needed the most. 

Homelessness
I think the city has resources in order to support unhoused populations, and is willing to give support. If there was a good site available, I would be open to building a shelter in a more eastern community to support the need.  

Open Space
The beauty of Lafayette is what attracted me to move here, and that is something I want to protect. The most important thing is smart development. While growth is inevitable, we have to be conscious about how it is done. I would love to see our open space portfolio continue to expand. 

Safety
Our population has grown significantly over the years, and our police force has grown with it. We rely on the security they provide, and I believe our department does an excellent job. It’s essential that all emergency departments — police, fire, and EMTs — receive proper training to handle delicate situations. As paid public servants, they have a responsibility to offer the highest level of support and care to every member of our community.

ICE
I don’t want any person who lives in the United States to live in fear, whether they came here legally or illegally. Our local police department has to walk a fine line as they have certain limitations, but nobody deserves to live in fear. 

Transportation
As our town and neighboring towns are growing, it is natural that we are going to see more traffic. I think in the short term, something that will help is creating more access to safe biking infrastructure. There is still more to do when it comes to opening up bike lanes for commutability, especially as it grows in popularity. 

Business Support
A big platform point of mine is supporting small businesses. There is plenty of undeveloped space along the mainstrip of Lafayette that would present many opportunities for new business owners to add to the unique culture of our city. I think working to improve the permitting process and implementing code changes would help to aid in the development process, but we can also support local businesses on the individual level by making sure we spend our time there. 

Saul Tapia Vega – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Affordable Housing
Lafayette is too expensive to live in, but we’re actively advancing projects to fix this issue. We’re not just proposing ideas—we’re ensuring progress, as seen with La Luna Cooperative. I believe we’ve become a model for others to follow. Moving forward, we must focus on responsible development—balancing what we allow with what our community needs. I want a community-driven approach to achieving sustainable, inclusive growth that truly reflects Lafayette’s values and priorities.

Homelessness
While county partners who are working to solve this issue already exist, it is on us as a city to continue to support them. It’s why I am proud of our Mental Health and Human services tax, which helps goes towards funding these organizations. As a city, we shouldn’t take a backseat, we should be proactive in supporting our partners from the ground up. 

Open Space
To me, this is an all-hands-on-deck situation. When it comes to development, we need to be sure we are being transparent about what will happen. Ensuring that what we are doing fits our community is key, and that includes protecting our open spaces. The climate action plan that I passed while on council helps to tell us where we’re going in the future, and works towards fitting our city to its residents. 

Fire Mitigation
I think we need to have both a proactive approach and a reactive approach. Proactive, by utilizing planning and development to take into consideration what our city will look like 30 years from now and how we can plan for that. Reactive, by ensuring we have a strong emergency response in the unfortunate case there is a natural disaster. It is about having a robust system on both ends. 

Safety
I think we are in a privileged situation in Lafayette where our police department really focuses on community policing, and does a good job at it. As a person of color, I understand not having trust in these departments, especially during the times we are living in. The city of Lafayette has done a great job at putting community first. We just have to ensure that we maintain strong ties between our community and the city’s departments, and to me, that bridge is our elected officials. 

ICE
There is no role for the city to work with ICE, and I’ve confirmed this through recent conversations with our police department and state officials. There is absolutely no collaboration. As the child of immigrants, I take this responsibility personally. It’s vital that our council continues educating residents about their rights and guiding them through these situations. This isn’t a distant issue—it’s happening here, and we must stand together to protect our community.

Transportation
While we have a stronger system than many other municipalities, it is still not perfect. I think what we can do now is work on getting people out of cars and offer other alternative forms of transportation. So expanding bike lanes and multimodal expansion, but also making sure we do it in a way that ensures their safety. I want to make our city more walkable and accessible for everyone. 

Business Support
Our small businesses are what make up our community, and I want them to be able to expand and thrive. So I want to cut some of the red tape that our businesses experience by shortening the permitting process. This will eliminate unnecessary barriers to entry, and make Lafayette an even more welcoming environment for those looking to start entrepreneurial careers here. 

Michael Watson

Affordable Housing
The affordable housing we have now is not necessarily affordable for all who need it. One of the solutions I would like to see in terms of affordable housing is taking a more community-focused approach. Many people own single-family homes where members have either moved out, or they may simply have an extra room. Instead of relying on the passive income that comes with another empty property — such as AirBnB — converting single family homes into duplexes or renting out individual rooms is an attainable step in the right direction. 

Homelessness
Overall, we should act with kindness towards those who are experiencing homelessness in our community, whether it be providing odd jobs around town to help people get back on their feet or offering a bite to eat or a place to stay. Through the city, we can offer our services and provide shelter and food. We also need to look at the root causes of homelessness, such as the economy we are living in or mental illness and addiction. If we really want to solve the problem in a way that makes sense, we have to build together a coalition of people and communities who can help provide these resources. 

Open Space
There must be a balance when it comes to attaining proper development and protecting our open spaces. I am an environmentalist, and it is imperative that we protect these spaces. I am an advocate for regenerative agriculture, and this is a good way to begin protecting our natural spaces. I would love to live in a community where we welcome outsiders and take care of our environment together rather than getting stuck in a “limited resources” argument. 

Fire Mitigation
Taking care of our first responders is what comes to mind, fire and foremost. Making sure they have proper equipment and training is very important when it comes to fighting these natural disasters. I think another way to help this mitigation is to offer suggestions on materials builders and homeowners could use to make their properties more resistant.  

Safety
While I support the police in having military grade weapons and think it is necessary for some of the situations they handle, I do not think it should be the public face of the department. There need to be strict rules of engagement when it comes to when and where these types of weapons should be used. Optics matter, and I think a form of policing that is community focused is best.

International
We have plenty of problems to solve at home. I think small town government should focus on small town issues, and we hopefully can fix our national government who would be much more capable of addressing these larger international issues with more morality and ethics then we are seeing now. 

ICE
In a perfect world, I would want to see cooperation and humane policies coming from the federal government and its agencies regarding immigration. That is not the world we are living in today, so I would like to see local law enforcement making sure that we have safe communities. In how it is operating now, I don’t think we would be able to cooperate with ICE and maintain our morals. They do not get to come here and kick our people out.

Transportation
When the population grows, the roads are going to get more congested. Ultimately, we are a driving culture, but I think bringing more accessibility to transport through walkability or the like is a good way to keep our foot-traffic in our town while getting some people off the roads. I also like the idea of a local communal transportation system outside of the bus system we already have that functions within city limits. 

Business Support
Keep it going. I would love to work to offer something like an in-town currency that can only be spent on local businesses. I like the ideal because it preserves people’s ability to choose, while also encouraging them to choose a more locally-based, sustainable option. 

Annmarie Jensen – ENDORSED

Affordable Housing
I think two things that can immediately be done is provide more incentives for accessory dwelling units alongside utilizing inclusionary housing ordinances so we can work on redevelopment and infill rather than continuing to develop out. 

Homelessness
The homeless shelter in Boulder should be supported by all the communities that feed into it, and we need to work together as a coalition of smaller communities in order to continue to support the agencies and entities that are helping homeless populations. Mental health services are also something I support, so I think that is an aspect we can address in order to help our homeless populations. 

Fire Mitigation
Flexibility in zoning is something that is important when it comes to addressing these disasters. I think we can help promote the resources that the city already provides when it comes to how to protect your home through landscaping and zoning, since as of now most people do not know they are there. The best role for the city is letting people know they have options available. 

Safety
I support the community policing model that Lafayette has embraced. A rigid law enforcement that just arrests people is not what we need, but when we build one that interacts with the community through providing resources, then that is the law enforcement I want to see in Lafayette. 

ICE
I do not support cooperating with ICE. That is not the local government or law enforcement’s job. This is important for public safety, as undocumented people need to be unfearful of coming forward in the event they are the victims of a crime. I think it is important to focus on what the city can do in the event this happens. 

Transportation
I believe we need to improve our existing structures, such as our sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes. This is something that would rapidly improve the quality of Lafayette’s alternative transportation options. We need to inventory the routes that people could use to utilize nonmotorized transportation, especially to large locations such as the grocery store or the recreation center — major things that are cornerstones of the community. We need a systematic way for neighbors to make requisitions of transportation related improvements. 

Business Support
I think reaching out and communicating with our local businesses about how and why they are struggling is key. This way, we can help both the business be successful and be able to have workers being paid a living wage. We have to figure out how to create a diverse portfolio of businesses — small and large — to ensure that our town can remain supported.  

Louisville Election 2025

Ward 1

Josh Cooperman – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Affordable Housing
In Boulder County a number of years ago there was a non-binding agreement made to try to get 12% of all units across the county to be deed-restricted affordable by 2035. Right now we’re only at about 3%. There are a few things that could help us increase that number. For example we set aside $2 million this year in capital funds to be used for affordable housing initiatives. We also may need to look at rezoning some areas for residential development.

Homelessness
As far as I know the city doesn’t offer any direct services for the homeless. I was talking to a resident who volunteers at All Roads in North Boulder. They said that Louisville doesn’t contribute to the facility even though All Roads is one of the primary providers for homeless services in the county. I saw a breakdown of services provided and there are people reporting to be from Louisville who are going there. Louisville should contribute to support its residents.

Safety
I feel that, for the most part, people feel we have a very safe community. The only concern I hear about over and over are electric bicycles. People are afraid they are going to get hit or they are going to hit someone. I’ve suggested that our police department might need to step up their education and enforcement activities.

Business Support
When I talk to downtown business owners, one of the consistent concerns I hear is a need for more foot traffic to be able to support their business. To some extent, business follows rooftops so I’d like to look for some opportunities to create more housing in downtown and around the downtown area. I think that would help create some foot traffic and help with hiring and retaining employees which is also an issue that I hear some businesses are struggling with. There are also some city development processes that need to be addressed.

International
I have five or so years of experience in local government and I can’t think of any instance when Louisville has weighed in on something international. There are so many horrible things in the world, how do we choose which ones to engage with? Saying that, I initially got involved here because of climate action and of course that’s certainly a global issue so we do try to do things like reduce our greenhouse gas emissions here in Louisville. We certainly are influenced by global or larger issues but there are things that I think we can’t necessarily do locally.

Denise Montagu 

Affordable Housing 
Louisville is a great little town but affordable housing, attainable housing, is a really big problem. We need to be able to accommodate the people who work in our community so that they can live here. We should look at things like providing down payment assistance. Or consider if there are other places in town that you could add ADUs (accessory dwelling units.) I’m not suggesting we put up a skyscraper downtown to accommodate housing needs, but there’s a solution someplace in between.

Homelessness
When I go around town, I don’t see a lot of signs of homelessness. I know that right now there is a project, I believe it’s a government subsidized housing project that would house people who are at risk of being homeless or who are currently homeless. I believe that it is being done by Boulder County in Lafayette, just across the border from us. Louisville doesn’t have a lot of space left to build, so I suspect that’s why Lafayette was selected.

Safety
The biggest safety concerns are the interaction between pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles. A lot of our roads are two lanes, they’re not designed to handle the volume of traffic that they’re handling. So you see some car, bike, and pedestrian interactions that concern me.

Business Support
For such a small town, there’s a lot going on, but we do have a lot of empty storefronts. I’ve been making a concerted effort to get with the folks at the Chamber of Commerce and then just going to local businesses and asking them, what’s it like to do business here? Without fail, I hear that this city has some antiquated policies and procedures that make it hard for a business to open or make any changes to their current business. I know that rewriting codes and changing processes can be daunting and it’s a big deal but just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.

International
Personally, I don’t believe there is a role for local governments in world affairs. I think it’s a distraction from the work at hand, which is leading our community. I think that we elect leaders up in higher levels of public office and that’s their job. I don’t want leaders in those roles to come and tell me how we have to run our community and I don’t want to get into their business. 

Ward 2

Judi Kern – Incumbent, UNCONTESTED

Affordable Housing
We need to have better diversity in housing and housing prices. To achieve that, since we’re not that big of a city, we have to look for creative solutions. That could be infill solutions, utilizing spaces that have been traditionally zoned only for commercial development, or by helping developers move more efficiently through city processes with their projects. We need to address this with thought but it also needs to be effective and quick.

Homelessness
We do have people living here who have run into hard times so we partner with places in Boulder and Lafayette who are providing facilities and services. There’s already a good base of resources there so it makes sense to help support and expand that. In town we’ve got to use our police department, library, and other organizations as places to have information about how residents who need those resources know where they are and how to access them.

Safety
We hired a new police chief a couple of years ago and he has really increased the community ceiling of safety. One of the biggest areas of concern I hear about now is disaster preparedness. With the Marshall Fire we saw a number of public safety areas that needed to be improved and I believe that will be a focus for us.

Business Support
We need to make it easier for businesses to do business. That means things like approving permits faster and offering different business incentives like the PACE program or our sustainability program which can help a business convert to more efficient utility systems. I think we can also work to facilitate more activity to get people into the shopping districts. Doing that is a great way to get people into the shops and bring the community together.

International
Our responsibility on the city council is to put good policies together that keep this community a place where people want to live and raise their children. I think our primary goal is to make sure the day to day lives of our residents are elevated. We need to base all of our decisions on what our residents are looking for.

Ward 3

Dietrich Hoefner – Incumbent, UNCONTESTED

Affordable Housing
The city is finalizing a comprehensive plan that will help increase housing in undeveloped areas and in areas that have the potential for infill development. The plan does also hold the possibility of rezoning certain locations to increase the amount of residential or mixed-use residential properties. Additionally I think there may be opportunities to develop partnerships with the state and county for land banking and affordable housing developments. At the end of the day it’s going to take what I would call an all-of-the-above strategy.

Homelessness
This is really a regional problem so we should be partnering with our neighboring communities as well as the county to connect people with the resources and assistance they may need. We need to recognize we’re part of a larger community and need to contribute to those efforts to help those who are struggling with housing.

Safety
Regionally, we’ve seen a troubling increase in property crime with things like catalytic converter theft. We want to make sure those trends don’t come to Louisville. That said, everyone has a lot of confidence in the Louisville Police Department and their efforts. That includes the work they do in crime prevention and addressing crimes when they do happen.

Business Support
Getting new permits approved can take far, far too long for many small businesses. One of the things I want to do is look at our development code and some of the difficulties that we hear from the business community about working through the development review process. We hear that it can be pretty lengthy and involve a significant number of public hearings that have to be scheduled on a certain timeline and cadence. I think we can speed up and simplify that process.

International
There are certainly many issues, of tremendous importance, happening nationally and internationally, that are worthy of lots of attention and certainly lots of work.  But I think the Louisville City Council is at its best when we focus on issues that directly impact Louisville. Our time together is best spent keeping the water running and the streets paved and the library running and the recreation center open and so on. I think that’s what the voters have elected us to do.

Longmont Election 2025

Mayor 

Sarah Levison

Housing
We need to grow at a slower pace to fully assess the impacts of Longmont’s growth and course-correct from the early 2000s building boom. We need more community input on what affordable housing truly means, because labeling something “affordable” doesn’t guarantee it’s attainable for low-income families. We must consider regional impacts, cost of living, and whether current subsidies and requirements—like the 12% rule, fee-in-lieu, or land donations—actually help families access housing.

Homelessness
I do think we need a shelter, but we need to rethink how it’s done. We need spaces that are safe for families and people willing to put in the effort, supported by wraparound services. We also need to find ways to offset other costs associated with living and raising a family, like childcare, transportation and food. We can’t do it alone and will need to rely on state and regional programs however, we need access to those programs within the city limits of Longmont, so it’s not creating extra barriers to access those programs.   

Wildfire Mitigation
We need to follow what the state and engineers recommend and pay attention to pockets of susceptible areas. We need to remain vigilant and proactive and continue to make the efforts we are already making as a city.  

ICE
Our police do not work with ICE. We do need some border controls, but we also need to consider helping those on a track to naturalization with the process. And we need to keep our police force separate from ICE because we need to continue building that trust between them and our community. 

Transportation
Big picture, we need to readjust expectations. Leave the house 5 minutes earlier and be courteous to one another on the roads. Also, consider looking at light cycles, alternative routes, and pay mind to how we’re building roads in new developments. The Vision Zero program has also been great for the city. We need to continue to push the use of public transportation and find potential for busing to schools that work with the implications of open enrollment. We also need to streamline how public transportation works for our residents. 

Business Support
We need to streamline the process around permits and licensing. We also need to put economic development monies into small business instead of awarding primarily to large businesses. The Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Chamber are great resources for small businesses as well. I would like us to gather more feedback from the community on what our up-and-coming businesses need in the form of support from the city. 

Susie Hidalgo-Fahring – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Housing
We need a balanced strategy that includes public and private partnerships, streamlining permitting processes for developers and making sure we create more attainable housing options in the process. It’s important to note the need for both the aging population and the demand for more affordable living spaces for new families. I would be in support of an increase in the city’s affordable housing requirement to help working class families access affordable, and attainable, housing. 

Homelessness
I support expanding services for the unhoused, including a shelter that meets residents’ needs. Parents, children, and women often feel unsafe in shelters—what alternatives can address this? Unhoused individuals deserve support, including mental health care. I’ve lobbied for funding to expand resources and train first responders alongside mental health professionals. As a CORE/LEAD Steering Committee member, I help strengthen crisis outreach, diversion, and rehabilitation services through county and nonprofit partnerships providing wrap-around support.

Fire Mitigation
It’s important we continue our efforts of maintaining our existing practices for fire prevention and community education while ensuring the city hires and retains quality staff to address these issues. I want to highlight Longmont’s status as a UN resilience hub, while being the first location to be awarded this honor in the US. It was through the proactive flood and fire mitigation efforts that we were provided this recognition and I’d want those efforts to be continued. 

Safety
Through my son’s struggles with drug use and mental health, I’ve been driven to address gang and drug-related issues. We must build trust between the community and public safety through art workshops and engagement events. The main barrier to safety is the lack of trust and connection between residents and city departments, which limits crime reporting. Residents also need greater vigilance against crimes of opportunity, such as unlocked vehicles and open garages.

ICE
No. We should remain diligent with criminal activity but we should not participate in discriminatory practices and need to uphold due process for those working towards naturalization. I have a background as a trained DACA clinician and my commitments to supporting immigrants rights while they work through the complexities and delays of the immigration process is important to me.

Transportation
I support Vision Zero, which has reduced traffic deaths and improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists. I helped implement flashing light crosswalks and encourage using affordable microtransit options like “Ride Longmont.” I’ve worked with RTD representative Karen Benker to improve routes, and while the Front Range Passenger Rail project is coming in 2029, Longmont deserves better from RTD. I’m committed to ensuring Longmont sees a real return on its 20-year investment through experienced leadership.

Business Support
We need better communication and representation of local businesses, particularly small and BIPOC-owned ones. I propose exploring ways to reduce their tax and fee burdens and want to focus on understanding the barriers that prevent businesses from opening and thriving. I also want to foster a closer relationship between the Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Chamber to address these issues as a united front.

Diane Crist 

Housing
I want to see the right affordable housing projects built in the right places. My background in accounting and business development prepares me to address these challenges as mayor. While the fee-in-lieu option can fund projects, it often concentrates low-income housing instead of integrating it. We should aim for balanced, community-wide inclusion—around 12% affordable units across neighborhoods—so families of all incomes can live together and feel part of one cohesive, supportive community.

Homelessness
We must make the homeless community feel included and valued. The placement of affordable and transitional housing matters—people need opportunities to grow beyond their struggles. When individuals feel seen as contributing members of the community, they gain confidence to move forward. Longmont leads in addressing homelessness and mental health through programs like The OUR Center and the Veterans Community Project, which help people build skills, stability, and independence toward long-term self-sufficiency.

Wildfire Mitigation
We have some ecological staff in Longmont that works on keeping us safe and informing city members and residents on things we can do to mitigate potential fire risks. We also work with farmers in the area that live near city and county boundaries that have been instrumental in alerting those teams if they see risks. 

Safety
We must make the homeless community feel included and valued. The placement of affordable and transitional housing matters—people need opportunities to grow beyond their struggles. When individuals feel seen as contributing members of the community, they gain confidence to move forward. Longmont leads in addressing homelessness and mental health through programs like The OUR Center and the Veterans Community Project, which help people build skills, stability, and independence toward long-term self-sufficiency.

ICE
Coming from a family of immigrants, I think what’s most important is helping those who have immigrated here to receive the help they need in order to become citizens because I feel we’ve failed with that as a society. I’ve added to my website the four ways to become a citizen because we care about our people and they need to know their rights. 

Transportation
Traffic has long been centralized, so we need a four-corners approach, using major roads like Hover, Airport, Pace, and County Line to ease congestion. We’ve partnered with RTD and expanded microtransit options like Ride Longmont, a $2 service connecting residents to key destinations and the Bustang HUB in Firestone. Beyond current systems, Longmont should continue its innovative spirit by exploring advanced, technology-driven transportation solutions—like Hyperloop—that could shape the future of regional travel.

Business Support
I’ve added 44 things to my website that are over-burdensome to small businesses at the state level. One of the main things we need to address is property tax for businesses. We need to look into why empty commercial buildings are just sitting unoccupied. Local businesses, the jobs they create and the revenue they bring to the city is so important in the broad landscape of things. If we’re going to be able to continue to grow and improve our community, it takes sales tax to do those things.

Shakeel Dalal

Housing
I advocate allowing incremental growth in every neighborhood in the city, rather than concentrating our growth in just a few neighborhoods, as we’re doing right now. Currently, only 65% of our neighborhoods allow for townhomes, which forces people to buy big single-family homes they may not be able to afford.

Homelessness
Longmont does a pretty good job of providing temporary housing or shelter, but we need a long-term solution. As a city, we have a moral obligation to help people in need. We have a moral obligation to the city to solve this problem structurally, beyond short-term housing. Overall, more affordable housing and smaller dwellings may be more beneficial than a shelter. Our minimum wage is not enough for people to be able to  survive on in the city of Longmont. I support raising the minimum wage to $16.50 by 2027.

Wildfire Mitigation 
Wildfire management is one of the biggest safety risks to Longmont. I would like to see the Wildfire Partners Project, started by Boulder County, extend up further into Longmont. Additionally, I would like to see less water being used on non-native grasses and wildflowers- they help spread wildflowers and are not efficient with the water they use. There is also a staffing shortage in the Longmont fire department, requiring 50% overtime. That does not help response time.

International
I have strong personal feelings about what’s happening internationally, but I don’t think that it is the role of local government to get involved in international affairs.

Safety
A big threat to safety is when there are public spaces where there is an absence of people, and so as a result antisocial behavior can occur.I would like to see Longmont promote walking and biking throughout. When people walk and bike, they pay more attention to the space that they are traveling through than they do when they’re in a car, and that just makes it much more socially unacceptable to engage in destructive vandalism-type behavior or public drug use, which contributes to disorder and a feeling that the city is not as safe

Longmont City Council

Ward 1

John Lembke

Housing
I would like to legalize the building of more types of housing such as courtyard cottages, duplexes, and single staircase apartments so growth doesn’t feel so overwhelming. I don’t know that increasing affordable housing is a true solution. While I want to support those who need it, I think we will struggle to make an impact until the ability to build various housing types is resolved. 

Homelessness
I want to put our resources towards what will make the most significant impact in the shortest amount of time. The main way to help the unhoused is to lower rent costs. If there was good evidence that providing another shelter would improve crime and homelessness in Longmont, I’d be in favor of it. I don’t want to rely on federal, state or county programs for our unhoused challenges and want to be able to be big and bold in addressing homelessness in Longmont.    

Wildfire Mitigation
We need to restrict new developments from planting high-fire-risk plants and legalize xeriscaping. Boulder County has programs to help homeowners remove non-native plants that aren’t resistant to fire. I would love to see Longmont stand up a wildfire risk assessment program for residents to assess their potential fire danger and help with the cost of mitigation efforts for those plants and structures that are not recommended. 

Safety
I think we need to address our pedestrian crosswalks and where they’re placed, especially in school zones. In general, I think our children need more safe places to be able to play and need to feel they’re supported by our local police enforcement. I also think putting some common-sense gun control on the demographic most responsible for school shootings is essential. 

ICE
No, ICE lost their credibility in my mind when people are being restrained and deported without due process. It ruins community trust, especially when American citizens commit most crimes. We need to be mindful of us not utilizing our local resources for a federal initiative.

Transportation
Cities are complex, and if we want to address traffic we should have traffic circles in intersections, narrower roads to reduce speeding and redo zoning so businesses are closer to where we live. I like to use the term “stroads,” which is a combination of “street” and “roads”. Roads are meant for larger flows of traffic and high speeds, while streets are meant for local driving. We have Stroads, like Hover, where it doesn’t function well as either a byway or a pedestrian-friendly street. We’re also not densely populated enough yet for public transit to gain its focus, which leaves us driving our cars. I also think we need to provide more protection for bicyclists if we’re going to get more residents to bicycle.  

Small Business
I would love to change our property tax code for businesses to a land value tax. Currently, enterprises get taxed when they install new equipment or make improvements, forcing businesses to look at renting equipment vs buying or not making improvements at all. We also need to reduce the time it takes to obtain licenses and permits for our small businesses. Another idea is to partner with CU Boulder and its startup business program to help some of those businesses land here in Longmont.

Alex Kalkhofer

Housing
I would collaborate with developers to lower costs and incentivize construction of affordable homes to address concerns about density and community impact. I would be in favor of increased affordable housing requirements for new developments, to help more residents achieve the American dream.

Homelessness and Poverty
I would prioritize providing temporary shelter to unhoused families and those who are willing to take steps to improve their situation. We would work with non-profits for wrap-around services that will ensure self-sufficiency. 

Wildfire Mitigation
I would continue the efforts the team in Longmont has already made to create defensible space. There is also a continued need to educate and offset costs associated with fire mitigation to protect those homes we already have.

Safety
Public safety is a top priority for me. I see transportation, crime and homelessness as the key to address. We have already made progress with the Vision Zero Action Plan. Our law enforcement, and their relationship with the community, will continue to improve crime rates. 

ICE
Police work should be independent of ICE and unless there is a crime that would warrant cooperation. My background is diverse, half Cuban and half Austrian, so I would suggest a balanced approach of supporting legal immigration while ensuring that undocumented immigrants have a path to naturalization and are allowed due process.

Transportation
I would address traffic congestion and accidents by utilizing smart traffic technologies and collaborating with CDOT infrastructure improvement. As a member of the Transportation Advisory Board, my goal is to ensure that Longmont’s transportation system meets the needs of all residents, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or using public transit. 

Business Support
I grew up in a working class family who owned and ran a small business. I could effectively advocate for small business initiatives like streamlining city permits, pushing for a permit liaison, and by considering utilizing AI to help eliminate the need for follow-up from the applicants to the city. 

Crystal Prieto – ENDORSED

Housing
One of my top priorities is smart, balanced growth. We’re not paying enough attention to programs, infrastructure, and resources that should grow alongside development. Can schools, roads, and childcare support planned growth? I want a holistic approach. Growth is inevitable and healthy, but we should move more strategically. Constituents want more for-sale workforce housing. Affordable housing must work for developers, the city, and available land—how do we build it now instead of relying on fee-in-lieu models?

Homelessness
I work with the Emergency Family Assistance Association, but the process can be lengthy. My hope is for better collaboration between the city and nonprofits to streamline resources into one place—showers, food, resume building, and housing. Can we create a hub for those in need and truly empower them to move forward? It’s easier to find a job and apply for assistance when you’re not worrying about shelter and food first.

Wildfire Mitigation 
We should make sure to continue funding the agencies that are already addressing these issues, partnering with other cities so we’re prepared and being conscious of how weather is changing and that private property owners have the knowledge of mitigation best practices. 

Safety
I do think drugs are becoming a safety threat, specifically with our children. I’m concerned we haven’t put enough attention on this issue and we need to bring more awareness to the general public and children about this subject. Traffic is also another area that needs improvement. Vision Zero has aided in this initiative but this could be expanded upon. 

ICE
I want to make sure our community is protected. I think the police department’s collaboration should be kept to a minimum unless it’s a case of true criminal activity. 

Transportation
We need more bus routes and to hold RTD accountable for the investments Longmont has made. Alternative routes can help reduce congestion on major roads. We also need to consider future development and incorporate mixed-use neighborhoods, allowing people access to what they need without traveling far, which helps prevent additional traffic congestion.

Business Support
I had a conversation with the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and asked, if I had a magic wand, what could we do to help small businesses? The answer was “shop at them.” How can the city encourage people to shop and do business locally? I’d like creative ways to drive local transactions, support new start-ups, and offer resources to help new business owners build the skills they need.

Jake Marsing

Housing
I don’t want to see us grow in a way that seems haphazard. My approach is analyzing “how do we build housing that meets community needs.” Having served on the housing and human services board, I know which tools work. I want to invest in for-sale workforce housing and continue incentivizing growth that protects the community. I’d increase affordable housing to 15% and ensure fee-in-lieu incentives support for-sale housing, not large apartments.

Homelessness and Poverty
I’ve worked on this as an advocate for housing-focused shelter—get people into shelter, wraparound services, then permanent housing. That’s the approach that works best. We need to recognize the problem’s complexity, improve shelter processes, and ensure nonprofits can provide wraparound services. Preventing homelessness also needs attention. The city leans heavily on nonprofits, and we need a city-led liaison to lead coalitions with these organizations.

Wildfire Mitigation 
What I want to see us do is keep the issue front of mind as the potential for fire events potentially increases. I want to continue to work with the experts already addressing these issues and make sure that residents are aware of what they can do in order to mitigate risks around fire proactively. 

Safety
The drug use epidemic with fentanyl and usage in public spaces comes to mind. We need to continue to lean on local law enforcement for assistance and make sure that they have the resources they need. However, cops should be able to do their jobs but shouldn’t be asked to be mental health providers. To address the root of the problem we need wraparound services to address these issues within the community.  

ICE
No. Period, stop. City of Longmont has a policy that’s over a decade old that we don’t cooperate in any of the activities of ICE. I would like to see the city provide more help around our residents rights, what they can and can’t do, to empower them when encountering ICE agents. 

Transportation
Longmont used to be a place where you could get across town in 10 minutes, and that’s not the case today. Vision Zero work is important as we evaluate intersections for safety and infrastructure. That work must continue. Mixed-use development will be essential to reduce car use, and we need reliable public transportation and more commitment from RTD. I want to expand Ride Longmont and ride-share programs, including airport transportation.

Business Support
I want Longmont to be the easiest city on the Front Range to open and operate a business in. We’re not currently working collaboratively, and to small businesses, it can feel like the city works against them. It shouldn’t take four months to get a permit reviewed. We need a public liaison in planning to hand-hold the process and reduce red tape and

Riegan Sage

Housing
I think we should be building smaller and addressing the housing needs of people already living here. We lack starter homes and options for older families to downsize without only having large apartments. We should repurpose unused retail zoning. As a city representative, my job is to listen to constituents and consider increasing affordable housing percentages. Fee-in-lieu can further segregate communities, and we must recognize the different layers and needs within affordable housing.

Homelessness
I need to understand the details of our homeless community better before I make any true recommendations on this topic. But it will be a top priority to understand the needs before I make any determination on how the city can assist. I do think we need to lean on the non-profit organizations that aid in this area already and collaborate with these groups. Then we can determine where the holes are in support for the homeless and focus on supporting those areas through the city.  

Wildfire Mitigation 
I think we’re doing a pretty good job educating our residents on fire mitigation. We need to be conscious of balancing vegetation versus fire resistant hardscaping because those alternatives come with its own risks around flooding and further heating. We also need to continue funding our fire mitigation teams and fire departments.   

Safety
I would like to see us communicate better with the community on how our law enforcement agents are advocates for our residents. I want our police department to build community so we can have more honest conversations about the real issues that are impacting our constituents the most.

ICE
No. I don’t feel that ICE is working under the guidelines of our constitution. 25% of our population is hispanic and while we need to follow federal law when crime is involved, we don’t have to put our residents doing the right things in a vulnerable position. 

Transportation
I would like to see RTD step up more. We need to make it easier to break the “car habit.” It’s beautiful most days, so how do we entice people to bike and walk? Flex Ride could help with school traffic congestion. We should incentivize families to use public transportation, creating familiarity for future generations. We also need better communication about current options like Flex Ride and a multi-pronged approach to reach residents, especially during large events.

What things would you change or implement in order to support current local business growth?
We need to re-examine our permitting and licensing process for business owners to fast track approvals. I want to look at our tax and fee structures that we’re imposing on businesses as well. We need to bolster our small businesses because they are what makes Longmont different and unique. With that uniqueness we can drive more consumers here from other surrounding cities.

Steve Altschuler

Housing
Most residents I speak with are frustrated by the constant construction of high-density apartments and the resulting traffic. Developments like the one at 3rd and Martin—over 300 units with limited access—will create major congestion. Recent parking ordinance changes, reducing required spaces by about a third, add to the problem by pushing overflow parking onto neighborhood streets. People feel city council isn’t listening to their concerns about growth, traffic, and the overall impact on our community.

Homelessness
The first thing we have to do is get real help for homeless people. Providing meals and clothes doesn’t help anyone get out of homelessness. We need to help those who need and want help, but stop enabling those comfortable staying that way. Businesses and families deserve safe spaces without tents blocking entrances. My goal is simple: help people who truly want change, but don’t allow homelessness to overtake our community.

Wildfire Mitigation 
It is an ongoing concern to mitigate underbrush and excessive growth, so the fires have less fuel, should a fire start.

Safety
Police need to crack down on crime, and part of that responsibility lies with the government. If someone’s driving 55 in a school zone, they should be ticketed, and if unlicensed, arrested. A few years ago, Governor Polis changed the law so theft under $995 a day is a misdemeanor. Since then, shoplifting has increased, and criminals feel emboldened because they’re not being punished. We need to start enforcing laws already on the books.

ICE
ICE is only following the law. If you don’t like the law, change it. But if people entered our country illegally, they need to leave. They’re taking jobs, increasing traffic, and in some cases, crime. They’re also raising rents through higher housing demand. I’m not against legal immigration — our country admits 1.5 million vetted people each year. But we must follow federal law, and local police should support ICE in doing so.

Transportation
The talks of developing the old Sugar Mill into housing would only make traffic more obscene. Years ago, most people worked in Longmont, but now over half commute elsewhere. We need more successful small businesses and a few large employers offering higher-paying jobs so residents can work closer to home, reducing traffic. I plan to join the Chamber of Commerce, meet regularly with business owners, and listen to their needs to help them succeed and grow within our community.

Business Support
I’ve already promised to join the Long Chamber of Commerce. On day one of announcing my run, someone asked how I’d help small businesses. I said that’s not up to me—I’d go to the Chamber, talk to business people, and let them tell me what they need. Some may need fewer restrictions, better signage, or a stop sign. I’ll make myself available and help connect them to the right resources. Many also say businesses suffer from people loitering, and needles are sometimes found nearby.

Ward 2

Matthew Popkin – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Housing
Housing is one of my top priorities. We should focus on urban renewal areas, places that already have access to transportation, businesses, and parks like the Sugar Mill. I support expanding affordable housing but believe it must be done thoughtfully. 

Homelessness and Poverty  
Addressing homelessness means enhancing existing shelters while exploring creative transitional housing options. I’ve worked with Habitat for Humanity and the Veterans Community Project to better understand these challenges. Coordinated efforts between public safety, mental health, and nonprofit services are essential for long-term stability.

Wildfire Mitigation 
We need to prioritize infill development. Strengthening aging electrical and broadband infrastructure is key, along with promoting drought-resistant, native landscaping. A smarter approach to land use and natural resource management will make our community safer and more resilient.

Safety
Public safety means more than enforcement, it also includes mental health. Pairing officers with paramedics and mental health professionals gives us flexibility and compassion in handling crises. Continuing to invest in that approach will improve outcomes for both residents and first responders.

ICE
Police should assist when criminal issues are involved, but not in civil immigration matters. Civil warrants are the federal government’s responsibility, not the city’s. Our focus should remain on local safety and community trust.

Transportation
We need proactive planning to ensure that as the city expands, it does so with safe roads, bike lanes, and transit routes already in place. Growth management and transportation planning must work hand in hand to create a connected, efficient city.

Business Support
We should plan around areas with strong foot traffic and transit access, and coordinate with businesses ahead of major events like the Sundance Film Festival. I’d also like to review the city’s permitting process to reduce costs and streamline approvals for small businesses. Making it easier to operate locally will strengthen our economy and build a more vibrant downtown.

Teresa Simpkins

Housing
Residents aren’t opposed to growth, they just don’t want large apartment complexes that change the neighborhood’s character. We need housing options for seniors, veterans, and families at a range of income levels while keeping development consistent with existing neighborhoods. I support fee-in-lieu options for developers, which allow the city to build affordable housing where it’s most needed most.

Homelessness and Poverty
Longmont’s Coordinated Entry system connects unhoused residents to services like job training and mental health support. I believe in strengthening that approach. Above all, we must treat every resident with compassion and dignity.

Safety
Fentanyl and other deadly drugs are serious threats to our community. We need to confront the drug crisis while also protecting our immigrant neighbors and maintaining trust between law enforcement and the community.

ICE
I don’t support police cooperation with ICE,and neither does our department. Local officers should focus on community safety, not immigration enforcement. I’m committed to protecting residents who are working toward naturalization and ensuring that process is respected. We must defend the people who contribute to Longmont’s strength and diversity.

Transportation
We need long-term, creative solutions that reflect current realities. Many accidents come from commuter traffic and red-light violations. I agree with residents that we need a clear action plan to manage growth and traffic safely as our city evolves.

Small Businesses
Small businesses give Longmont its identity. The LDDA and Chamber of Commerce already do great work attracting and supporting small businesses. I want to build on that foundation. Longmont’s charm draws visitors from surrounding towns and our job is to keep that spirit thriving to make it easier for small businesses to succeed.

Thornton Election (North of 104th) 2025

Ward 2 

Eric Montoya – ENDORSED

Housing and Development
I have been on the housing authority for Adams County for 10 years and worked on projects to bring affordable housing options to Thornton. The community has long-standing traffic and parking concerns that will likely persist. We need to provide working-class families with affordable homes, despite those concerns about traffic and parking. 

Homelessness and Poverty
The key is regionalism. The biggest reason for homelessness is the lack of affordable housing options. We need to help lower the cost of homes. By providing families with more options and approving more developments. We need to provide subsidies for the resources the city provides, such as water, trash pickup service, and sewage, to help people with lower incomes. 

Open Space
It is about balance. We need to continue maintaining open spaces and increase the difficulty of development in open space areas. We should incentivize developers to build in areas that will not impede open spaces. The key is equitability when it comes to developing projects and preserving open space.

Safety
Thornton should allocate more resources where we see an increase in crime, such as car break-ins. Thornton has a large Hispanic community, and many of them are afraid to come out to be contributing members of society due to the threat of being detained by ICE. We should strive to create a safe environment where all members of our communities can feel safe in Thornton. 

ICE
Our local police department should not work with ICE. We should work with our federal-level Congress and Senate to require ICE and its agents to be more transparent. 

Transportation
We will continue to advocate for increased funding to extend and improve the accessibility of train station tracks beyond their current capabilities. Regionally, we need to make sure that we are unified and organized in the North Metro area to rival the connectivity in the South Metro area.?

Business Support
We need to ensure our businesses are thriving because when they succeed, the city does too. Sales tax is a great source of income for Thornton. Providing grants to local businesses is an important way to offer resources and support that help them offset some of their costs. 

Mayor Jan Kulmann
The accusations against Mayor Jan Kulmann are warranted. The city council should hold the mayor accountable. We need to elect the right people to the city council to advocate for the residents of Thornton.  

John Alge – STRONGLY CONSIDERED

Housing and Development 
Effective communication is crucial for developing affordable housing in strategic locations throughout the city. We need to have a balance between addressing the needs of residents and meeting the city’s housing needs. Thornton needs more affordable housing, especially in the affluent North area of Thornton. 

Homelessness and Poverty 
We will continue to support and expand the Thornton Homeless Outreach team within the parameters of our budget. We need to have programs in place for people who are on the verge of poverty and Section Eight to provide support on issues such as food insecurity. 

Open Space
I am a proponent of open space. We want to expand on park systems and trails in Thornton. We plan to collaborate with developers and city staff to ensure that open space and development are properly balanced, aiming to increase the number of open spaces beyond our current levels.

Safety
We will collaborate with the Thornton Police Department to enhance patrol presence, aiming to help mitigate the current rise in property crime. Creating more community policing and neighborhood watch programs in additional communities around the city is also a key factor in helping the police gain valuable information on rising safety concerns.

ICE
We will not support the police department working with ICE. Maintaining an open line of communication with law enforcement would be a top priority to ensure a clear agreement and continued mutual understanding. 

Transportation
We need to evaluate where to prioritize paving roads and building speed bumps to ensure growth with up-to-date infrastructure. We want to see the RTD bus service expanded and provide more public transportation for the residents. We aim to reduce the time it takes for transportation routes to be approved, developed, and ready for public use.

Business Support
I am an ally of the Thornton area Chamber of Commerce, bringing a background in business and labor. We will continue to support and expand on the outreach of the city of Thornton’s economic development team and the Thornton Chamber of Commerce. 

Mayor Jan Kulmann
We have seen leaps and bounds in the last two years. We will work with anyone, including Mayor Kullmann, if elected, but we will also push back if necessary, if there is any type of bullying or abuse taking place. We will show up for the community and commit to listening and working together. 

Rebecca Berner 

Housing and Development 
Thornton needs various types of housing, including affordable housing for low-income individuals. It is essential to employ creative zoning solutions to disperse housing throughout the community, rather than concentrating it in a single area. We believe it is essential for elected officials to be accessible to their constituents, particularly when it comes to housing and development projects. 

Homelessness and Poverty 
The city council should connect the unhoused community with services available in Thornton that can help them achieve a better quality of life. We need to effectively manage our budget and collaborate with other agencies to address homelessness. It is our responsibility as a city to ensure the safety and well-being of unhoused individuals, especially during the winter months. 

Open Space
We recognize the importance of maintaining the open spaces in Thornton. I am for using a comprehensive plan to evaluate and update zoning and development policies. We need a variety of open spaces, including both passive and active parks, to accommodate the diverse needs of our residents.

Safety
Car break-ins are significant issues and suggests implementing enforcement, traffic engineering solutions, and targeted police efforts to address them. 

ICE
We support the police working with other agencies within the laws that we have in place. 

Transportation
We need to improve our arterial corridors and regional roadways to reduce traffic congestion in the city. Interstate 25 and other major roadways should not be so essential to get around the city, as they are now. We have work to do to incorporate pedestrian and bike accessibility in transportation projects.

Business Support
We should help small businesses advertise their business, educate them, and provide them with resources to succeed. We should establish small business development centers and provide community support to encourage growth, ultimately leading to economic development through increased job opportunities in the city. 

Mayor Jan Kulmann
I have not read the articles regarding Mayor Kulmann’s accusations of alleged abuse of power and lack of communication. It is impoprtnat to have open communication with citizens and her commitment to being accessible and responsive to residents’ concerns.

Ward 3

Mark Gormley

Housing and Development 
We aim to construct more multi-story housing, including apartments and townhomes, rather than spreading out construction projects across the city. The taxes on housing in metropolitan districts are significantly higher than in non-metropolitan districts. To create more affordable housing, the metro district’s concerns need to be taken into consideration. We would hold meetings to gather residents’ input on future developments before proceeding. 

Homelessness and Poverty
We need to be more proactive in addressing homelessness. The City of Thornton’s Homeless Outreach Team should have more resources to tackle its responsibilities and prevent some of the ensuing higher costs, such as cleaning up unhoused encampments.

Open Space
Thornton generally does a great job at preserving open space. In an extreme case, the city added an unnecessarily large park in a townhouse complex, leading to higher metro district fees for homeowners. There was already a park 1,000 feet north of the construction site. We need to avoid developing excessive green space to the detriment of residential areas. 

Safety
The city needs to strike a balance between programs that promote residents’ safety, such as education and after-school activities, and funding for the police department. The city should maintain a well-funded police program to continue serving its residents effectively. 

ICE
We do not support the police department working with or supporting ICE. If there are specific matters and valid warrants, then ICE should handle its concerns independently.

Transportation
We should explore expanding public transportation options, such as a cable car system, to limit the number of vehicles. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in traffic. As a solution, we should educate the public about transit and encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation.

Business Support
It is important to review tax policies to prevent excessive taxation on small business owners. I support small businesses and are committed to collaborating with various departments to develop effective policies that help them thrive in our community. 

Mayor Jan Kulmann
I am unaware of the accusations levied against the mayor, citing the difficulty of communication with residents and the alleged abuse of power. He would need to gather more information before forming an opinion on the situation. 

Devin Byrd: Did not reply 

Sam Nizam – ENDORSED 

Housing
We must balance the needs of citizens with the density issue to achieve affordable housing in the city. We cannot be a nation of renters. Sam wants to deliver attainable housing to residents by listening to their needs and major concerns and collaborating with them in the early stages of construction. 

Homelessness
I will support more programs that help families struggling with poverty. Providing more resources to the less fortunate people will ultimately save us money in the long run. We will avoid more costly consequences, such as those affecting safety and security, which would require an increased police presence and fire department deployment. 

Open Space
I am an advocate for protecting our open spaces to preserve the natural beauty and openness of our city. When it comes to zoning the city for open spaces, development, or mixed-purpose land, we will listen to what the citizens need and take the city’s best interests into account. 

Safety
I will aim maintain and expand our police force and first responder capabilities within the fire department by providing them with the necessary training and resources to combat crime. It is a delicate balance that is tied to our city’s budget. Speeding and petty theft are significant concerns for the city, and we want to equip the police force to reduce these crimes. 

ICE
We need to listen to the council for guidance and to understand where our rights as a home rule city end and what is legally allowed. I need more information to give a definitive answer on whether the police department should collaborate with ICE. 

Transportation
I support improving Interstate 25 to ensure it is safe for all residents. We also support bike accessibility and the expansion of routes to Highway 7 that will ultimately help increase traffic to businesses along the highway. If elected, we aim to partner with the state and the Regional Transportation District to have the N line, the commuter rail line connecting Denver to Thornton, end at Highway 7. 

Business Support
We understand the specific challenges that small businesses face in Throrton. We want to expand the grant program, streamline the process, and increase funding for small businesses. For new businesses, we want to offer incentives and funding to help them get started. 

Mayor Jan Kulmann
The council should not be an “us versus them” environment. We are employees of the citizens of Thornton, and our accessibility should be available at all times. I prefer not to pick a side, and if elected, he would work on getting things done for the city.

Ward 4 

Jason Anaya-Ledeboer – ENDORSED

Housing and Development
We need affordable housing. We have to advocate for diverse housing options. I want individuals to be able to afford living and working in our community. We need to have conversations upfront, between the city, community, and developers, about what is best for the city when it comes to development. We should be looking long-term for decisions on how to best develop the city. 

Homelessness and Poverty
We must ensure that Thornton is taking care of the people who are unhoused in our community, beyond county or regional programs. 

Open Space
I will work to develop with a strategic plan to ensure the development can meet our infrastructure and public safety needs.

Safety
The police should have the necessary resources, staffing, and training to protect our community. As someone endorsed by professionals from Public Safety, Adams County Sheriff, Adams County District Attorney, and Thornton Firefighters, Jason is adamant about his commitment to balancing the safety that the Thornton community needs. 

ICE
I support the police department and its stance on remaining neutral when it comes to ICE. I am in favor of the recent update by the city council and law enforcement to refrain from involvement in activities related to ICE operations in Thornton. 

Transportation
We are reimagining our infrastructure to maximize safe transit across various modes of transportation, including driving, biking, and walking. We need to continue working with our partners, such as the Regional Transportation District (RTD), our county, and our state, to offer people various options so they can find what works best for them. 

Business Support
We need to provide resources and tools to support our small businesses. As a commercial banker for a local credit union, I plan to leverage that experience to help existing businesses grow and open doors for new businesses to be created. Expanding the grant program for businesses would be a great start. 

Mayor Jan Kulmann
Any elected official needs to represent their community, be accessible, and listen. Our best days are ahead when we value different perspectives and work together; we can accomplish great feats and build a strong community. 

Amanda Pedrianes: DID NOT RESPOND

Drew Morris: Did not reply 

Westminster Election 2025

Mayor

Bruce Baker

Housing
Westminster used to be an affordable, owner-occupied city, but neighborhoods have become investment vehicles for corporations, pension funds, and the wealthy. That’s not what neighborhoods are for. City staff ignores it, instead pushing high-density housing that keeps people as renters. A third of our homes are rentals now, which means fewer homeowners and fewer people in charge of their own destiny.

Homelessness
Homelessness isn’t the city’s responsibility. That falls to Adams and Jefferson counties, which run social services.

Open Space
Roughly a third of Westminster is preserved as open space thanks to a sales tax voters approved in 1985. We’ve exceeded our goals, and it’s been effective. I’m not worried about losing open space—what matters now is how it’s used, and that’s a different discussion.

Business
We need the same rules for everyone. Incentives are just a nice word for bribes that benefit big corporations while hurting small businesses. These major brands know how to play cities against each other, and we shouldn’t be rewarding them.

Transportation
Westminster was built for cars, but the city keeps making traffic worse. We even paid over a million dollars to study removing a lane from Federal Boulevard—a road that’s already a nightmare. We’ve been going down the wrong path for years because city staff and council keep buying into bad ideas.

Public Safety
We’re an extraordinarily safe city because our residents care for their neighborhoods and look out for one another. That’s where safety really comes from.

ICE
Federal law is the law of the land. Immigration enforcement is a federal job. Westminster welcomes everyone who is lawfully here, and we’re proud of that.

International Issues
It’s fine for residents to bring forward resolutions on international issues. I’d support that, even if the resolutions conflict. We have multiple viewpoints in this city, and I don’t want to stifle anyone’s voice. Everyone deserves access to that platform through the city council.

Claire Carmelia – Endorsed

Housing
We’ve been discussing a whole variety of things we as a city can do to make homeownership more possible for folks. We could look into creating a housing fund. We would need to take a look at what monies went into that pool and see who would qualify. The reason for doing that, separate from the state, is that we could create our own guidelines to fill in the gaps for folks who have state and federal housing funds set. We have a housing shortage, and that can be an uncomfortable subject because folks don’t like change — building and construction is not fun to live around for any of us, but making housing available for homebuyers is a necessity. I support more multifamily housing in Westminster, and we’ve made considerable strides in the last couple of years to support multifamily housing.

Homelessness

we can address homelessness on a needs basis. We do that by hiring homeless navigators. We’ve expanded our homeless navigator program over the past year, and we’ve doubled it from two to four. Those navigators work with people to understand what they need, if they recently lost their home or employment, helping them fill out applications or their resume, and get them back in the job field. If there is somebody who has suffered from substance abuse or has mental health needs, that needs to be addressed first, then we should look at that. Ultimately, everyone needs a house before they can do anything.

Open Space

First, we have to consider if we are meeting the needs of our residents, and do we have the necessary housing. Second, when it comes to our open space, if it is dedicated as open space within our city ordinances, then it means that it stays open space period. When it comes to additional land, I think we have to look carefully at our budget. Personally, I’m a preservationist. I have an environmental science background and I would like to see all land kept as open land for its own intrinsic value. Ultimately, we need to keep a look at our budget and the needs of the community.

Business
The goal is really to encourage our economic development department which has been doing a great job of looking for ways to attract our neighbors in nearby cities like Arvada, Thornton, and even North Denver to come and shop up here. I believe in our small businesses and always try to shop local between my grocery shopping and dining out. I always try to support mom and pop shops. I think it’s a great way to boost our local economy, it also helps our immigrant neighbors get the jobs they need as they often end up in food and dining industries.

Transportation
I’ve been pushing very hard for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which will be coming soon. That should offer folks a way to get from our city to Denver. It’s going to be an accessible and affordable solution because we’ve had such difficulty getting a train in our city. This will be a bus that operates like a train; it’ll stop every 15 minutes up and down Federal, and I think that’s precisely what we need. We really need to be thoughtful about where we can find dollars to work on more community and regional transportation options because funds are coming up short across the board. I think we can look into supporting more micro transit options. Let’s make it easier for bikers to get off the road. I support more pedestrian access, safer bike lanes, and the ability for our city to be more connected.

Public Safety
We’re fortunate that we were one of the first cities on the Front Range to fully staff and resource our police department after the COVID-19 pandemic. We have the resources we need. Along with other cities across the Front Range, we’ve seen a decline in violent crime, which I want folks to know is the case. We should be celebrating that. What is somewhat on the rise is retail theft, especially as economic uncertainty grows. From what I hear from our residents, the biggest threat to our city’s safety is speeding, which is a real problem with the number of accidents we see on the roads.

ICE and Immigration
We can do a better job of serving our immigrant communities by making our city services accessible in more languages. Historically, we haven’t done a great job with that. We’ve only recently started expanding our languages offered, and even now, we only really provide services in two languages. Westminster has dozens of languages spoken here; we have one of the largest Hmong populations in the US. South Westminster is majority Spanish-speaking, so everything we do in our town halls and city events should not only have translation services, but also printed materials in several languages so that people know what is even going on in our city. I believe we can be doing better outreach, involving leaders in these communities because otherwise they may end up not involved in the civic process.

International Issues
At a regulatory level, we have nothing to do with internal politics, period. We’re here to support and protect the city and its infrastructure at a local level. However, we do have a job to do when it comes to protecting freedom of speech and people’s civil right to gather and voice their opposition in whatever regard. If we know there is going to be a protest or event, then we want to make sure that we have first responders circulate that neighborhood to make sure people are safe.

David DeMott 

Housing
With less than 4% of developable land left, we must balance housing needs with resources—especially water. We’ve approved new “missing-middle” and attainable housing, and another housing study will guide what comes next. I believe Westminster has the right mix of multifamily housing for now. On homelessness, I favor a “jobs-first” approach that helps people regain stability, while supporting our navigators who connect residents to services and keeping public safety a priority.

Transportation
We’re updating Westminster’s traffic-signal system using AI to improve light timing and reduce congestion. Right-sizing roads for multimodal use—cars, bikes, and pedestrians—is also key. I’d like to strengthen trail connectivity through better mapping, signage, and planning that links new development to existing paths. Smarter technology and design will help us manage growth while improving daily commutes and walkability.

Open Space
Our open-space ordinance ensures new developments dedicate land for parks, but maintaining those spaces is just as important as acquiring them. While we’ve met our preservation goals, we need to prioritize upkeep and ensure we have the funding to develop and care for what we already own. Residents have repeatedly supported taxes for parks and open space, showing how deeply our community values these areas.

Business
Westminster’s economic-development team, led by Lindsay Kimball, has done a strong job engaging local businesses. We partner with schools and the Chamber of Commerce to align workforce training with business needs. By supporting small, medium, and large employers alike, we’re helping Westminster’s economy stay balanced, innovative, and resilient.

Public Safety
Strong leadership and community partnership keep Westminster safe. Our police department emphasizes outreach, transparency, and preparedness—from protests to school-safety coordination. It’s vital to protect everyone’s rights while ensuring justice is applied fairly. Supporting our officers while holding them accountable builds trust, and that balance is what earned me the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police.

ICE
Immigration enforcement is primarily a federal responsibility. I want local and federal agencies to stay in their respective lanes while ensuring all laws are followed. Our police should focus on community safety and enforcing local and state law, not federal immigration duties.

International Issues
Global conflicts aren’t within the local government’s scope, but we have a duty to uphold First Amendment rights. I fully support residents’ right to protest, on any issue, as long as demonstrations are lawful and don’t infringe on others’ rights. Protecting free expression is part of the oath I took to uphold our Constitution.

City Council

Kara Hucke: Did not reply

Jack Johnson: Did not reply

Phillip Romero

Housing
Westminster has done well supporting first-time homebuyers, but we need more options for the middle class. We can’t control interest rates, but we can ensure new developments are accessible and affordable. I support more multi-family housing like Denver’s Central Park model—mixed communities of condos, apartments, and townhomes that let people stay rooted in their neighborhoods. Smart growth means keeping Westminster livable for families and working residents.

Homelessness
Having worked for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, I know effective solutions require city-county partnership. People shouldn’t be pushed from one community to another. We need infrastructure—rehabilitation clinics, job navigation, and transitional housing—to help people rebuild stability. Supporting shelters and nonprofits that provide food, showers, and medical care gives residents the foundation to recover, work, and rejoin society.

Open Space
I value preserving Westminster’s open space for environmental and community reasons. Property owners have the right to develop their land, but the city must weigh each proposal carefully. I’m open to hearing new ideas, yet I don’t support unchecked vertical development or sacrificing open land unnecessarily. Preservation should remain a priority whenever possible.

Public Safety
Public-safety responses depend on the situation. A person panhandling and someone overdosing require very different approaches. I want our officers to respond based on their training and the context of each call. Compassion, awareness, and proper judgment are key to keeping both residents and officers safe.

ICE
Colorado law limits cooperation between local police and ICE. As a city council member, I would follow that law. Local law enforcement should focus on protecting residents and enforcing city and state laws, not federal immigration operations.

Business
Large businesses like Trader Joe’s or the Old Spaghetti Factory bring visitors and tax revenue, but incentives must be fair across the board. I’m committed to supporting local shops that form the backbone of our community. As a Colorado native, I’ve seen too many small businesses close—I’d like to explore local tax incentives to help them stay open and thrive.

Transportation 
Colorado’s rapid growth has increased congestion across the region. We can’t stop it, but we can plan smarter. I support investing in better public transit, protected bike lanes, and safe walking paths to reduce short car trips. We need affordable, cleaner transportation options and a realistic, proactive strategy to manage regional traffic.

International Issues
I strongly support free speech—especially having lived in countries where it’s not protected. But city council should stay focused on local issues like roads, safety, and city services. Residents are free to discuss national or international matters privately or outside meetings, but council time should be devoted to Westminster’s immediate needs.

Sarah Nurmela – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Housing
While we can’t control market forces, the city can incentivize developers to build more affordable housing through funding partnerships and flexible fee structures. As an urban planner, I know land and construction costs drive prices most. We’ve already zoned for multifamily housing—it’s the market that hasn’t caught up yet. Our role is to create conditions that make building attainable housing possible through collaboration and smart policy.

Homelessness
We’re expanding partnerships with counties to connect residents to housing and services, including hotel stays and temporary shelter options. Our navigators work daily in parks and across the city to link people to resources. These partnerships—especially with Jefferson County—allow us to extend our reach and better serve those experiencing homelessness. Collaboration and compassion are key to helping people move toward stability.

Open Space
Westminster has already surpassed its goal of preserving 30% of land as open space, supported by a voter-approved tax. Our current focus is on connecting existing spaces with continuous trails and improving accessibility. With less than 4% of land left to develop, it’s important to balance preservation with thoughtful, connected planning.

Public Safety
Crime is down in Westminster, and our police department has reduced turnover and strengthened internal support. Co-responders now assist officers on mental health calls—a program officers say has been transformative. We’re also working with businesses to address safety in commercial areas and parking lots. Collaboration and proactive engagement keep Westminster safe and responsive.

Business
Our economic development team partners closely with local entrepreneurs to help unique businesses and restaurants thrive. We’re also working with cultural and neighborhood organizations to diversify events and support Westminster’s vibrant, multicultural identity. A strong mix of creative business and cultural collaboration keeps our community dynamic and welcoming.

Transportation
As we grow, Westminster is prioritizing pedestrian-friendly, gridded neighborhoods like downtown and the Orchard area. We’re expanding bike corridors through our Bicycle Master Plan and working with RTD on rapid bus transit along Federal, with hopes to extend service to Sheridan and Wadsworth. Regional cooperation remains key as we address congestion, speeding, and traffic safety through shared solutions like speed mitigation and better transit access.

Immigration
Westminster’s strength lies in its diversity. Rising housing costs threaten that, so we’re partnering with cultural organizations to ensure every community feels welcome and supported. Projects like the new Hmong community center and memorial reflect that commitment. We strive to be a buffer against national tensions—a city where everyone feels safe and valued.

International Issues
Local government’s role is to meet local needs and ensure residents feel safe and heard. When global conflicts heighten tensions, we respond locally—like increasing police presence at religious institutions facing threats. Residents are welcome to share their perspectives with council, and it’s our responsibility to listen while clarifying what actions fall within our scope. Our focus is safety, dialogue, and connection.

Obi Ezeadi – Incumbent, ENDORSED

Housing
Colorado faces a housing crisis, and cities must make building easier and more affordable. During my time on council, we’ve preserved existing affordable housing and planned new multifamily options to meet the needs of seniors, working families, and students. With only 1.7% of developable land left, smart, higher-density projects are the most efficient way to expand access while balancing open space, parks, and resources like water.

Homelessness
Helping unhoused residents has been a top priority. We expanded our navigator program, which connects people with housing, addiction treatment, and mental-health care—and it now has a 60% success rate in placing residents within six months. Last year, Westminster invested nearly $1 million in homelessness response, the most among suburban Denver cities. It’s still not enough, but it’s making a measurable difference. We must keep investing in what works.

Open Space
Westminster has some of the best open space in the state, and it’s essential to protect it. But we can also repurpose vacant commercial properties for housing instead of building over parks. Redevelopment keeps our green spaces intact and supports sustainability goals by reducing climate impacts. The key is balance—building in the right places while maintaining the city’s natural beauty.

Transportation
We recently made the largest road-investment in city history, though supply limits have slowed progress. Beyond fixing roads, we’re expanding multimodal options—adding trails, paths, and micro-mobility networks so residents without cars can move safely around the city. A balanced approach that includes bikes, transit, and smart-road technology will create a more connected and accessible Westminster.

Business
Small businesses are the backbone of Westminster. We’ve expanded grants, training, and retention programs to help them stay resilient. Keeping local dollars circulating strengthens the community far more than large corporate chains do. My priority is making sure entrepreneurs have the support, resources, and partnerships they need to grow and thrive here.

Public Safety
When I joined council in 2021, our police department had a 13% vacancy rate; today, it’s 1%. We improved pay, support, and recruitment while launching a co-responder program pairing officers with mental-health professionals. That initiative has reduced recidivism and improved community outcomes. Expanding it further will help first responders address emerging public-safety challenges with care and effectiveness.

ICE
As an immigrant and first-generation American, I believe local police should focus on Westminster—not federal ICE operations. Most undocumented residents are hardworking people caught in a broken system, and they deserve dignity. We’re expanding translation services, starting with Spanish and soon more languages, to make city meetings and programs accessible for all. Westminster should remain a city where immigrants feel welcome, respected, and safe.

International Issues
The city’s role is to listen and show empathy, even on global issues. Westminster is home to both Jewish and Palestinian residents, and I’ve met with many from both communities. While we don’t have jurisdiction over international conflicts, our words matter. I’ve called for a two-state solution and believe acknowledging residents’ concerns builds trust and unity. Local leadership means listening with compassion, even when the issue reaches beyond our borders.

Jeremy Nuanes

Housing
City council’s role is to partner with staff and developers to find realistic housing solutions. I support requiring developers to include affordable units in new projects rather than putting that burden on taxpayers. We can explore denser, smaller housing options and collaborate with the county on affordability. But I don’t support raising taxes to do it—we need to prioritize existing funds and ensure every dollar is spent transparently and responsibly.

Open Space
Open space is already protected in Westminster’s charter, but I’d like to see the city pursue more where possible. Parks and green spaces make communities livable and are essential as density increases. We need to make sure new developments—especially multifamily ones—still include places for people to walk their dogs, get outside, and breathe fresh air.

Homelessness
I believe both housing-first and jobs-first strategies have value. People need stable housing to get back on their feet, but they also need opportunities to work and support themselves. Solving homelessness requires coordination between the city and counties, since Westminster spans both Jefferson and Adams. Real progress depends on strong city-county partnerships that combine housing, job training, and social services.

Business
I’m an engineer, so I like to see the numbers. Property taxes don’t bring in nearly as much as sales tax, so attracting businesses—especially small, local ones—strengthens our economy. We should make permitting easier and, when it makes sense, offer incentives or subsidies to help businesses improve their sites. I’d rather see local shops and restaurants than a city full of big-box chains.

Public Safety
Homeless encampments can be unsafe, and addressing them requires close coordination with law enforcement. As a council member, I’d rely on the police to tell us what resources they need—whether that’s more patrols or better training—and make decisions based on clear data. Public safety depends on partnership and accountability, not assumptions.

ICE
City law prevents council members from assisting ICE operations, and I respect that. However, anyone committing violent or serious crimes should face the same legal consequences regardless of their immigration status. Law enforcement should focus on criminal behavior, not immigration enforcement.

International Issues
Local government should stay focused on local issues, not national debates. City politics shouldn’t be about party lines or polarizing topics—we’re here to fix roads, manage budgets, and serve residents. Respectful dialogue matters, but national controversies have no place in city chambers.

Additional Note
I strongly oppose the amount of debt Westminster has taken on for projects like the new water treatment plant and courthouse. Taxpayers deserve transparency on how their money is spent, and I don’t support borrowing beyond our means to fund infrastructure. We need fiscal responsibility, not new debt.

Kathy Stroud

Housing
I would like to see more home ownership. Going back to when there were tracked homes, 900-1000 square feet and closer together to make it more affordable.?We want young people to have a piece of the pie to get their foot in the door for ownership.

Homelessness 
First, we have to find out why these people are unhoused, so can attack it from that angle first. Because I don’t think it’s going to be a one-size-fits-all all approach to everybody out there. ?And once we find out why, then we can go to the next step. Do they just need a job? Do they need treatment? And go from there.

Open Space
In the past, Westminster would purchase tracks of land, specifically for open space, and the citizens, that’s what we wanted. We like our open space in Westminster. ?And we were different from a lot of other cities around here because we actually had that in our plan, to maintain a certain amount of open space. I understand there’s growth, but I think we have to stick to the plan. And if we don’t have enough for housing, well, we have several cities nearby that do. 

Karen Kalavity: Did not reply

Ballot Issues 2025

Boulder County Ballot Measures:

Boulder County voters will be able to vote on two ballot measures from Boulder County in the November 2025 election: Issue 1A pertaining to open space sales and use tax, and Issue 1B, which introduces a sales and use tax in support of mental and behavioral health.

Boulder County Ballot Issue 1A,  YES

Explanation: The Open Space Sales and Use Tax Extension offers a resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Boulder County approving and to extend in perpetuity the existing 0.15% countywide Open Space Sales and Use Tax. This resolution is for the purpose of acquiring, improving, managing, and maintaining open space lands and other open space property interests, including agricultural open space.

For: County issue 1A would add a .1% sales tax, adding up to roughly $11 million in additional funding, which would help Boulder County prepare for the next fire. Colorado sees a prolonged fire-risk season, so this sales tax would help homeowners make properties more “resilient”. The .1% tax would further fund the Wildfire Partners program to defend against wildfires, like the Marshall Fire.

Against: This tax would be in addition to other property taxes Boulder County home- and land-owners are already taxed on. Due to open space over-reach due to fast-paced expansion in the last 15-30 years, this ballot measure may not be viewed as a solution, especially in combating future fires.

We vote yes on this issue because it will better prepare our communities in the event of another wildfire.

Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B, YES

Explanation: This measure introduces a sales and use tax in support of mental and behavioral health to impose for three years, an additional sales and use tax of 0.15% for the purposes of addressing unmet needs of youth, adults, families, unhoused individuals, and older adults in Boulder County. This includes, but is not limited to: suicide crisis prevention and intervention; substance treatment, recovery services, and use prevention; resources for unhoused individuals; and grants to community providers.

For: Approves a 0.15% countywide sales and use tax for three years, generating about $13.8 million annually for mental health and addiction services, and provides community-funded support in an area some community members have noted has a gap in resources.

Against: Those opposed have claimed this ballot measure is too broad and might potentially further disenfranchise the very people it seeks to support and protect because of risks in backfilling existing programs, rather than building new capacity for the long-term. However, it is likely this measure will pass, given Boulder County’s need for mental health services.

We vote yes on this issue because it better serves our community as a whole. Mental health is human health.

City of Boulder Ballot Measures:

Ordinance 8710: Permanent Extension of the Community, Culture, Safety and Resilience Tax (CCRS), YES

Explanation: Permanent Extension of the Community, Culture, Safety and Resilience Tax (CCRS). Voters will decide whether or not to make the city’s existing 0.3% CCRS sales and use tax permanent. If approved, the extension is expected to generate about $15 million annually for projects including, but not limited to: road and bike lane improvements; recreational area renovations; snow and ice removal response; and fire and police renovations. 

For: Permanently extend the CCRS tax, authorizing up to $262 million in new debt for capital projects to fund public improvement, including community non-profits that serve the Boulder community. Otherwise, the city may lose up to roughly $15 million in annual funding for capital projects.

Against: There’s skepticism about city spending and concerns about already high property taxes, which currently fall heavily on lower-income tax payers. The 0.3% CCRS tax will expire in 2036 unless extended. 

Ordinance 8711: Increasing Debt Capacity, YES

Explanation: The above measure, Ordinance 8710, which voters will decide on the Permanent Extension of the Community, Culture, Safety and Resilience Tax (CCRS), could also authorize Ordinance 8711, which would allow the city to increase its debt capacity for capital projects up to $262 million. 

For: As mentioned in the “For” section for Ordinance 8710, Ordinance 8711 would authorize up to $262 million in new debt for capital projects to fund public improvements. The combined funding could help to address a $380 million backlog in maintenance and repair needs faced currently by the City of Boulder, like trail and bike lane maintenance, recreational area renovations, snow and ice removal response, and fire and police renovations.

Against: A city survey showed strong support with more than 60% of respondents favoring the sales tax extension. However, the same survey found that only 38% of voters supported the “public realm tax,” which adds to community skepticism about city spending and concerns about already high property taxes.

Broomfield Ballot Measures:

Overall, these ordinances concern updating the Broomfield Charter to ensure that it reflects current governance needs while maintaining transparency and ethical standards. The following explanations were provided from Citizen Portal’s notes of the July 9th, 2025, Broomfield County Council meeting.

1A: Ordinance 2276 – General Updating and Clean Up,  YES

Explanation: Make general overall changes to the Charter, first adopted in 1974, that update language references without altering the substance, including:

• Change “City” to “City and County”
• Remove “municipal” or change “municipal” to “City and County” or “Broomfield” unless the context requires the use of “municipal”; 
• Change “municipal” election to “coordinated” election 
• Remove outdated language from the original submission of the Charter to the voters. 
• Reference Broomfield’s voter-approved state constitutional amendment, Article XX, Section 10; 
• Add language that acknowledges Council’s ability, as a governing body of a city and county, to create boards to perform county functions. 

This ordinance will aim to revise the charter so it reflects Broomfield’s status as a city and county in 2025, updating outdated language to ensure clarity.

1B: Ordinance 2277 – Council Qualifications – No Duel Office,  YES

Explanation: This amendment would change Section 4.6 to add a provision that an elected official cannot concurrently hold any other publicly elected office. This ordinance would prohibit elected officials from holding another publicly elected office to ensure that conflicts of interest are minimized.

1C – Ordinance 2278 –  Vacancies

Explanation: This amendment would change Section 4.7 of the Charter regarding vacancies to:

• Expand the time frame for Council to elect a person to fill a councilmember vacancy would be 60 days, not 30 days. 
• Make it that a person appointed to fill a vacancy in a councilmember seat will only serve until the next general or coordinated election (Currently, the person completes the entirety of the original term).
• Requires that a vacancy in the office of the mayor shall be filled by the current mayor pro tem, who shall serve until the next general or coordinated election (Currently, mayoral vacancy is filled in a special election unless vacancy occurs 4 months or less before the next election)

This ordinance also introduces an attendance requirement, stating that a council member who fails to attend 50% of meetings within a rolling 12-month period would create a vacancy. It also extends the time frame for filling vacancies from 30 to 60 days. In July 2025, public comments were invited, with one resident raising a concern about the attendance requirement and its implications for temporary medical incapacity. 

1D – Ordinance 2279: Requirement that Council establish a code of ethics,  YES

Explanation: This amendment would require Council to adopt a code of ethics. Broomfield currently has a code of ethics in Chapter 2-70 of the Broomfield Municipal Code, approved in 2001. However, there is no requirement in the Charter that such a code of ethics be adopted or remain in the code. This amendment would formalize the requirement for a code of ethics in the charter, ensuring that ethical standards are maintained for elected officials.

1E – Ordinance 2280: Emergency ordinance effective immediately, not in 8 days,  YES

Explanation: The proposed change would allow emergency ordinances to take effect immediately upon passage, rather than after an eight-day waiting period, facilitating quicker responses to urgent situations.

1F – Ordinance 2281: IGA approved by majority vote, not 2/3 vote,  YES

Explanation: This ordinance seeks to allow Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) to be approved by a simple majority vote instead of the current two-thirds requirement. It would formalize the ability of the council to delegate signature authority for these agreements and change Section 16.2 to permit IGAs to be approved by a majority vote of Council present, to formalize the ability of Council to delegate signature authority for IGAs, and to recommend that IGAs be published on the Broomfield website when practical and feasible. You 

We vote yes on all of these amendments. Today, they will make little difference, but they will make it easier for the town/ county to streamline changes in the future.

Firestone Ballot Questions:

Resolution 25-74, YES

During the July 9, 2025, meeting, the Board of Trustees approved Resolution 25-74, which officially approves the ballot question language needed to submit a question to the voters to change the Town’s regular Municipal Election date from April to the November Coordinated Election. This change aligns with the Board’s goal to increase voter turnout, cut administrative costs, and enhance election efficiency.

This measure asks Firestone voters whether to move the town’s regular municipal election from April to the November coordinated election held in even-numbered years.

Currently, Firestone holds municipal elections on the first Tuesday in April every two years. During those elections, the mayor, who serves a two-year term, is always on the ballot, and half of the six Board of Trustees members are up for election to four-year terms. If approved, this measure would alter the election schedule so that town elections coincide with the statewide November election, when federal, state, and county races are also held.

The goal of this change is to increase voter participation, reduce administrative costs, and make elections more efficient by consolidating them with other coordinated elections managed by Weld County.

A “Yes” vote means Firestone’s regular municipal elections would move to November of even-numbered years, aligning them with state and national elections. This could lead to higher voter turnout and lower election costs for the town.

A “No” vote means municipal elections would continue to be held in April of even-numbered years, keeping Firestone’s local elections separate from county, state, and federal ballots.

We vote yes on this matter, as it would help the town be able to cast their votes.

Dacono Ballot Questions:

Shall the City of Dacono Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that a special meeting of the City Council may be called upon the written request of the City Manager?, YES

This ballot measure asks voters whether to amend the City of Dacono’s Home Rule Charter to allow the city manager to formally request a special meeting of the city council.

Under the current charter, only the mayor or two city council members can call a special meeting. The proposed change would add the city manager, the city’s appointed administrative officer, to that list. Special meetings are held between regular sessions when urgent or time-sensitive issues arise that require council action.

The amendment would also clarify the procedures for these meetings. It specifies that at least 48 hours’ written notice must be given to each council member, either personally or via city email, unless all members agree to meet sooner. Public notice would be posted at City Hall and on the city’s website.

A “Yes” vote would allow the city manager to request special meetings in writing, giving city leadership greater flexibility to address immediate issues.

A “No” vote would keep current rules in place, meaning only the mayor or two council members could call a special meeting of the city council.

We vote yes in order to bring some speed to city voting.

Shall the City of Dacono Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that, upon conviction of the Mayor or a Councilmember of a disqualifying crime, the office shall be declared vacant effective on the date of such conviction?, YES

This measure would amend the City of Dacono’s Home Rule Charter to state that if the mayor or a city councilmember is convicted of a disqualifying crime, their office would automatically become vacant on the date of conviction.

Currently, while the charter disqualifies individuals with certain criminal convictions, such as felonies or crimes involving moral misconduct (such as bribery, fraud, embezzlement, perjury, or other acts showing moral turpitude), it does not clearly define when a seat must be vacated if the conviction happens after the person has taken office. This amendment would close that gap by making the vacancy effective immediately upon conviction, allowing the city to begin the process of filling the seat without delay.

A “Yes” vote means the charter would be updated so that if the mayor or a councilmember is convicted of a disqualifying crime, they would lose their position immediately on the date of conviction. This is intended to promote accountability and uphold public trust in city leadership.

A “No” vote means the current charter language would remain in place. The timing of when an office becomes vacant after a conviction could continue to be unclear, potentially allowing an elected official to remain in office during or after criminal proceedings.

Shall the City of Dacono Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that elected official compensation shall be established by ordinance of the City Council, provided such compensation shall not be increased or decreased during the term for which the mayor or councilmember has been elected?, YES

This measure would amend the City of Dacono’s Home Rule Charter to allow the city council to set the compensation of elected officials by ordinance, while keeping restrictions on when those changes can take effect.

Currently, any increase in pay for the mayor or city council members must first be approved by voters at a regular election. The proposed amendment would remove that requirement and instead authorize the city council to set or adjust pay levels through the normal ordinance process. However, the charter would continue to prohibit any change in compensation, either an increase or a decrease, from taking effect during an official’s current term.

This means that any adjustment made by the council would only apply to future officeholders, not to those already serving. The measure is designed to simplify the process of making compensation decisions while maintaining safeguards against officials voting to raise their own pay.

A “Yes” vote allows the city council to establish compensation for elected officials by ordinance, effective only for future terms.

A “No” vote keeps the current system, meaning any increase in pay for the mayor or council members would still require voter approval at a regular election. ?? 

Shall the City of Dacono Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the offices of mayor and councilmember shall be considered separate offices for the purpose of term limits and to clarify that terms are considered consecutive unless they are at least four years apart, as set forth in the Colorado Constitution?, YES

This measure would amend the City of Dacono’s Home Rule Charter to clarify how term limits apply to the mayor and city council members.

Under current rules, no elected official may serve more than three consecutive three-year terms; however, the charter does not clearly state whether service as a council member and as mayor counts toward the same limit. This amendment would specify that the two roles are separate offices for the purpose of term limits. For example, someone who has served as a councilmember for three terms could still run for mayor and serve up to three additional terms in that office.

The measure would also clarify how consecutive terms are counted. Terms would be considered consecutive unless they are separated by at least four years, which aligns with the definition in the Colorado Constitution. This provides consistency with state standards and ensures that local term limits are applied uniformly.

A “Yes” vote clarifies that term limits apply separately to the offices of mayor and councilmember and defines consecutive terms as those less than four years apart.

A “No” vote keeps the current charter language, which does not clearly distinguish between the two offices or define what constitutes a consecutive term.

City of Lafayette Ballot Measures:

City of Lafayette Ballot Issue 2C – Funding Recreation Center Improvements, a New Civic Center, and Service Center Improvements, YES

Shall City of Lafayette debt be increased $74 million, with a repayment cost not to exceed $120 million (principal and interest), for the following purposes:

• Renovating and expanding the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, including enhanced and expanded aquatics amenities, expanded space for fitness and older adult services, and programming for community members of all ages;
• Constructing a new Civic Center to replace the existing City Hall, to provide more accessible public services, municipal court, community spaces, and space to support City services;
• Renovating and repairing the existing Parks/Public Works Service Center to improve the efficiency, delivery, and sustainability of key City services, including snow plowing, utility repairs, and maintenance of parks, streets, and open spaces. You 
  

And shall City property taxes be increased not more than $6 million annually to pay such debt, and shall the mill levy be imposed in any year without limitation as to rate but only in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, premium (if any), and interest on such taxes and any investment income earned from such proceeds and revenues be collected and spent without limitation or condition as a voter-approved revenue change and an exception to the limits that would otherwise apply under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution or any other law?

• This measure asks Lafayette voters to approve the issuance of $74 million in city debt, with total repayment cost of up to $120 million, to fund several major public facility projects. The funding would come through general obligation bonds, repaid by property taxes that could increase by no more than $6 million annually.

The bond would pay for three main projects: renovating and expanding the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center with improved aquatics facilities and fitness areas, constructing a new Civic Center to replace City Hall and provide space for municipal services, the municipal court, and community use, and renovating the Parks and Public Works Service Center to modernize city maintenance and operations.

Supporters believe the improvements would expand recreational options, make city services more accessible, and strengthen infrastructure for essential services, including snow removal, utility work, and park maintenance.

A “Yes” vote authorizes the city to issue up to $74 million in bonds and increase property taxes as needed, up to $6 million per year, to repay the debt, allowing the proposed projects to move forward.

A “No” vote means the city would not issue the bonds or raise taxes, and the proposed facility upgrades and construction projects would not proceed at this time.

We vote yes for the betterment and safety of a public space.

City of Louisville Ballot Measures:

Ballot Issue 300, NO

Shall the City of Louisville adopt an initiated ordinance amending chapter 17.16 of the Louisville Municipal Code to prohibit residential rezoning of the following properties: Centennial Valley (consisting of the property within the 2015 Centennial Valley General Development Plan); Redtail Ridge (consisting of the property within the 2010 ConocoPhillips General development plan); and Avista Adventist Hospital (consisting of the property within the 2002 Avista Adventist Hospital General Development Plan); and to create an exception to such prohibition for the development of housing that includes 30% on-site deed-restricted affordable housing limited to households at or below eighty percent (80%) of the area median income (AMI)? You 

• This measure asks voters whether to prohibit residential rezoning within three areas of Louisville: Centennial Valley, Redtail Ridge (the former ConocoPhillips site), and Avista Adventist Hospital. The change would prevent new housing in these areas unless at least 30% of the units are on-site, deed-restricted affordable housing for households earning up to 80% of the area median income (approximately $115,000 for a family).

The rule would apply to all housing types, including single-family homes, apartments, and mixed-use projects that include residences. It would also apply to vacant and developed land currently used for commercial, medical, or office purposes.

Supporters believe the measure protects commercial land that supports city services through sales tax revenue, maintains Louisville’s community character, and still allows affordable housing under specific conditions.

Opponents argue that the restriction could exacerbate the housing shortage, limit flexibility for landowners, and deter investment. They also argue that it could conflict with state law, which prohibits anti-growth measures, and lead to costly litigation.

A “Yes” vote prohibits residential rezoning in the listed areas except for projects meeting the 30% affordable housing requirement.

A “No” vote keeps current rules, allowing the city to consider residential rezoning through its existing review process.

We vote no; if passed, this bill could limit housing, both affordable and new builds. Limiting growth in Louisville could drive out the middle and lower classes.

Ballot issue 301, NO

Shall the City of Louisville adopt an initiated ordinance amending Chapter 3.18 of the Louisville Municipal Code to increase the categories of capital facilities for which impact fees are imposed in connection with new development (specifically including library, transportation, parks and trails, open space, recreation, emergency services, municipal buildings, water, wastewater, sewer, flood control, and affordable housing); require a new impact fee study by June 1, 2026 and updated studies every five (5) years thereafter by outside consultants; and require the formation of an Impact Fee Liaison Committee to advise City staff and consultants?

This measure asks Louisville voters whether to expand the types of impact fees the city collects from new development and add new oversight requirements for how those fees are studied and updated.

Currently, impact fees are charged to offset the costs of new development on city facilities such as libraries, parks, and transportation infrastructure. The measure would broaden the list of facilities funded by these fees to include transportation, parks and trails, open space, recreation, emergency services, municipal buildings, water, wastewater, sewer, flood control, and affordable housing.

The proposal would require the city to hire outside consultants to complete a new impact fee study by June 1, 2026, and update it every five years. It would also establish an Impact Fee Liaison Committee, comprised of representatives from city boards and commissions, to advise on the studies and promote public transparency.

Supporters believe the measure ensures new development pays its fair share for infrastructure, maintains service levels, and improves transparency. Opponents argue that additional fees could discourage growth, overlap with existing programs, and add unnecessary administrative costs.

A “Yes” vote expands the types of impact fees, mandates regular independent studies, and creates a liaison committee.

A “No” vote maintains the current impact fee structure and study process.

We vote no; this could limit the affordability of work or bids in the area.

Colorado Measures

Proposition LL, YES

Should the State of Colorado be allowed to keep $12.4 million in excess revenue already collected from high-income taxpayers and use it to continue funding free school meals for all students, instead of refunding the money to those taxpayers?

Proposition LL concerns the state’s school meals program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to all Colorado students, regardless of family income. The program is funded by limiting tax deductions for residents earning over $300,000 per year.

In the last fiscal year, the program collected $12.4 million more than allowed under the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), which normally requires excess revenue to be refunded to taxpayers. Proposition LL would allow the state to retain that money and use it for the school meals program rather than issuing refunds.

A “Yes” vote allows the state to retain and expend the $12.4 million allocated for the school meals program, thereby maintaining free meals for all students.

A “No” vote would require the state to refund $12.4 million to households earning over $300,000 per year, with refunds averaging approximately $62 per qualifying taxpayer.

We vote yes; this helps redistribute funds which TABOR prevents

Proposition MM, YES

Should Colorado raise an additional $95 million each year for the Healthy School Meals for All program by further limiting state income tax deductions for people earning over $300,000 annually?

Proposition MM would provide permanent funding for Colorado’s free school meals program, which currently faces a $50 million budget shortfall. The measure would increase revenue by tightening tax deductions for households earning more than $300,000 per year, resulting in an average annual tax increase of approximately $486 for those taxpayers.

The added funding would cover the program’s full costs and allow the state to move forward with delayed components, including grants for schools to buy locally grown food and higher wages for cafeteria workers. Any additional revenue could be used to support other efforts aimed at reducing food insecurity across Colorado.

A “Yes” vote increases taxes on households earning more than $300,000 annually to raise $95 million each year, fully funding the school meals program and related food security initiatives.

A “No” vote would maintain the current tax limits and funding structure, leaving the program’s $50 million budget gap unresolved and delaying additional food-related programs for schools and communities.

We vote yes; this helps redistribute funds which TABOR prevents

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This compilation took ten writers, two managers, three artists, and one publisher — nearly 400 hours of real human work. It would be cheaper, faster, and easier to send out email surveys or let AI write the answers. But that’s not how Yellow Scene works. It’s real journalism, or we don’t do it.

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Boulder County

-Louisville lays out plans for a redesigned Main Street. This project would be in three phases, each costing $9 million, $7 million, and $13-18 million progressively between 2026 and 2032.

-With the county threatening to sell the Iris Ballfields in North Boulder, the neighborhood HOAs and Little League teams have banded together to submit a proposal to keep the fields, while adding senior housing and a cafe in an unused section of the park.

-The Erie town council is considering a $40 million expansion for its police department. This plan would be bundled with the expansion of the Erie town center. From a recent survey, only 40% of respondents agreed with this proposal. 

–Xcel agreed to a $640 million settlement with the Marshall Fire lawsuits. 

State

-Earlier this year, the Lee Fire roared through the western half of the state, 178 inmates were evacuated. In the wake of this, the State Wildland Inmate Fire Team has brought to light the impact that heat exposure, smoke inhalation, and inconsistent weather patterns related to climate change have on the incarcerated population.

-After Jose de Jesus Aguilera-Bautista, of Alamosa, appeared in court for a DUI hearing, ICE agents smashed the windows of his car and detained him. His 1-month-old baby and partner, Maya England, were in the car. England was able to capture the detainment on video, bringing into question the level of force agents are using.

-The Department of Energy has cancelled more than $608 million in clean energy projects in Colorado.

National News

-On October 1, the US Government shut down after a disagreement around planned funding for the 2026 fiscal year. This resulted in the unpaid layoff of nearly 40% of federal employees.

–A federal judge has blocked National Guard troops from being deployed to Oregon after an order that some from California move up the coast to take over Portland.

-The FDA approved a new generic version of mifepristone. A pregnancy termination pill, which, thanks to legislation put in place in 2021, can be mail-ordered.

-Permitted by the Supreme Court, Trump and his administration have stripped away protective orders for over 300,000 Venezuelan immigrants 

International News

-Hamas, Israel, and the United States are set to begin cease-fire talks on October 6th.

-Displacement has increased to 48% in Dafur’s capital city, el Fasher, as parliamentary troops, the Rapid Support Forces, intensify attacks.

-French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned only a few weeks after taking office, after facing criticism for his cabinet choices. This continues the polarizing politics taking place in the country.

Quotes

“My plan is to be a Nugget forever.”

-Nikola Jokic; after signing a $212 million four-year contract.

“And if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”

-Slated Super Bowl halftime musician, Bad Bunny, after delivering half of his SNL monologue in Spanish.

“And someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”

Pope Leo VIX, weighing in on US politics

“The future of this country depends on me, on you, on all of us,”

-Unnamed protestor in Madagascar, where the citizens have been rising up against the government.

“I was raised on Reading Rainbow; LeVar Burton is my hero. I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere.”

-Librarian Mychal Threets, the new host of the reboot to the Reading Rainbow.

By the Numbers

19+

The number of GOP candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring for the Colorado gubernatorial race in 2026.

1,544

Number of reported confirmed Measles cases in the United States as of September 30, 2025.

54

The number of students confirmed as deceased after a school collapse in Indonesia. 

25

The number of small hot air balloons that shut down a Lithuanian airport on October 4th. The balloons seemed to be smuggling items, such a cigarettes.

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We all know that the pandemic sparked the remote work renaissance. No longer able or willing to work in crowded spaces, many people made the switch to a hybrid or fully remote position, clinking away on a keyboard from the warmth of their homes. The cultural shift changed the national workforce as we knew it. Today, one in five people works from home. Estimates suggest that more than 32 million Americans will work remotely by the end of next year. Yet, some companies are pushing for a return to the office in the name of productivity and culture. Many people are referring to this shift as “The Great Return,” indicating that the pandemic bubble finally popped, and it’s time to get back to cubicles. Still, in Colorado, many remote workers expect to be operating from their living rooms for the foreseeable future if not forever. Here’s what else we know about remote work across the state.

Colorado’s remote workforce is strong

This year’s data is showing a decline in remote work in just about every state, with Massachusetts seeing a 35% decline. Oddly, Colorado appears to be an exception to this downward trend. In 2022, Colorado had the highest remote work rate in the entire country, with more than 20% of the state’s residents working from home. And more than 37% of people in Colorado work from home at least one day per week.

HRMS, a Boulder-based company that provides a suite of software applications to manage human resources and related processes, has never had a traditional office, and the company doesn’t expect to change that ethos any time soon. Sandi Mundy, the company’s marketing vice president told The Denver Post, “Since our inception in 2003 HRMS has had a 100% remote workforce.” She added, “We have never had a brick-and-mortar presence, and we see no reason or plans to change this business model and strategy going forward.”

Boulder in particular has recently held the crown for “most remote workers per capita,” with 32% of the region’s workforce working from home, although places like Cary, North Carolina have since dethroned Boulder. The millennial generation works from home the most. The state’s strong remote force could be partially due to the high concentration of millennials. In fact, 24% of the state’s population falls into the millennial generation.

Another reason for the state’s seismic shift towards at-home work could include lower overhead costs from office space rentals as well as a reduced carbon footprint from commuting. Prior to the pandemic, Denver’s office space cost about $26 per square foot. Despite lower demand, the city’s office space runs between $17 and $36 per square foot today. During the pandemic, many companies realized they could substantially cut their overhead costs by reducing or eliminating office space, which meant permitting employees to work from home.

Empty office buildings in Denver

Since many national companies are encouraging a return to the office, it’d be easy to assume that Denver’s workforce will follow suit. Yet the city’s growing office space vacancies could be an indicator that remote work isn’t going away. In fact, Denver’s office vacancies are currently at their highest rate in decades, likely due to the pandemic. Across the city, the vacancy rate rose to 33.8% in the second quarter of this year. And the total vacancy rate in the region was 24.8%. T.J. Jaroszewski, the director of Mountain Region Research at JLL, reported that this is the highest vacancy rate ever recorded since data collection began in 1999.

Contributors to this downward trend include fewer out-of-state companies. Even companies that maintain offices in the Denver area are cutting the amount of office space they rent. While some Denver officials have encouraged businesses to bring workers back to the city to support local small businesses, little movement to return downtown has actually occurred. However, Mayor Mike Johnston announced a plan in May that could help raise $500 million to turn former office buildings into apartments, marking a new development for the region.

The national push for in-office work

While Colorado’s remote population appears to be stable, national trends indicate that most businesses are pushing for a return to the office. A survey from Resume Builder showed that 90% of the nation’s companies will be returning to offices by the end of the year. While, in most cases, there is no single reason for the company push to return to the office, 72% of surveyed companies point to higher revenue from in-person operations as a reason for the mandate. Additional reasons included boosting the company’s culture and enhancing worker productivity. As a result, they are prepared to fire employees that don’t come back to the office. Out of the companies that were surveyed, only 2% expect to remain fully remote, with the majority of the remaining companies requiring in-person work or expecting to return to the office by the end of 2025.

Among the big company names that are pushing for a return to in-office operations is Google, which recently implemented a policy that tracks the location of employee badges. This enabled the company to determine whether or not their employees are physically in the office. Companies like Amazon and Tesla also began mandating a return to the office in 2022 due to “lack of engagement.”

Working in an office can enhance business operations, but it can also detract from the quality of the employee in some cases since experienced employees have a tendency to gravitate towards remote work. In fact, the skill gap can widen by eliminating hybrid or remote work. While many companies blame the skill gap on the employees, citing poor critical thinking and leadership skills, trends actually indicate that those same companies are prioritizing junior level staff members — or employees with less experience — largely because they come with a smaller price tag. Remote work, however, has benefited some companies by providing labor at a lower cost and enhancing the level of skill that’s available to an institution. It also widens the hiring pool, making it much more plausible for companies to find capable and efficient employees.

The future of remote work in Denver

Despite shifting trends and seemingly unpredictable work patterns nationwide, Colorado ranks as the second best state to work remotely in the country according to one study, with both Boulder and Denver topping the charts in the category. Although some companies are still encouraging employees to come back into the office, many of the workforce’s most skilled employees are determined to work from home more than ever, continuing a push towards a more flexible future.

The culture of remote work in Colorado

Colorado’s remote workforce remains stable for a variety of reasons. Among them is the general prioritization of health and well being — a priority for many people who are attracted to the state. Laura Ebersberger, 38, a Littleton-based closed captioner and transcriber, said she’s been working remotely for 15 years, and she can’t imagine a world where she’d return to the office. “I like that I can make my own hours, and I don’t have the office drama and politics and all that. It’s better for my mental health,” she said.

While she has worked in a studio before, the environment provided a range of challenges. “I just feel like working at a big studio, you have drama all the time — especially when people are getting laid off. It got really toxic. I just like working on my own and not having to deal with different personalities. I can go at my own pace. I don’t have someone looking over my shoulder,” she recalled.

The perks of working from her home are many, including added comfort. Yet there are few things she misses about being in an office. At times, she admits that she misses her former in-office co-workers, but the environment often became overwhelming: “You had a lot of very strong personalities. Back then I was super shy. I couldn’t really stand up for myself like I can now.” Working from home eliminated much of the stress that came from navigating a team of staff members. From the comfort of her home, she occasionally hits pause on work and heads outside for a quick walk, which was less accessible while she was in the office.

Working from home isn’t always perfect though. “I struggle to self motivate sometimes because my schedule is all over the place. It can be very hard for me to find structure, right? I try to wake up during the busy season. When it’s super early, I wake up super early. So, I still try to find that balance for sure.” As the demands of Ebersberger’s job shift, she also shifts her working hours. A few times a year, a lot of transcription services are needed which means she gets up early and works late. But when the rush is over, she finds herself with more flexible hours and time for herself.

She explained that being able to do her job from anywhere is a huge bonus, but artificial intelligence is currently threatening the industry. “There are fewer jobs. You have to have a lot of experience to get in,” she said. Pivoting and diversifying her skillset is one way she’s learned to adapt to the market’s new demands: “There’s still a need for AI editing, so I still have that going for me.”

Amidst the AI threat, Ebersberger has considered a career change that would lend more security, but she’d still want a remote position, like many people across the state. While she wouldn’t say no to the right hybrid position, she’d have to be in dire straits to consider a full return to the office.

Colorado local, Sean Ritz, began working a hybrid schedule in 2018 but shifted to a fully remote position as a marketing automation specialist during the pandemic. “As it currently stands, I don’t want to imagine going back to an office ever. Working from home has afforded me many more comforts than would be available in the office, and I do enjoy it better this way,” said Ritz.

The list of benefits is long for Ritz. He points to flexibility in his schedule that is in part due to not having a long commute. He also has better access to healthy food at home. He is  disabled, which makes having a comfortable environment and attire extremely important.

“That’s not to say there are no drawbacks about working from home,” said Ritz. On the negative side of the coin, he finds that finding work-life balance is harder from home since personal boundaries can become muddied. Isolation can be a challenge. He also finds that he tends to be less active than he was while working out of an office. Yet, “ultimately, for me as a disabled person, the benefits of working from home far outweigh the drawbacks, and if I always have a choice, I would choose to work from home.”

Coworking spaces in Colorado

Reflecting this reality, Denver’s coworking spaces landed the city in the 9th spot nationwide for their 3.79 million square feet — a number that’s steadily growing to accommodate new demand. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Chicago still have a leg up on the Denver region, but Denver’s growth is rapid, adding eight new spaces in a single quarter. Nationally, coworking demand increased by 7% or added 444 coworking spaces in the second quarter of this year alone.

Ritz reflected on his own coworking experience: “I occasionally go to cafés to work, but it’s few and far between. I find myself at the coffee shop to combat loneliness encountered while working from home. Working from home also means sometimes working in your pajamas, which is nice at times and other times not so nice. It does feel good to dress up nicely and go to a café for a day of work. However, I try to avoid it just to refrain from spending frivolous money.”

Unlike some remote employees, Ebersberger cannot use coworking spaces because she requires complete silence while working. But many remote workers frequent coworking spaces and coffee shops.

Ironically, although many remote workers left office jobs during the pandemic and reveled in the change, some workers are now seeking out community and culture in coworking places. Unlike many offices, coworking spaces also often provide amenities to those who use them like fitness centers, bars, and art.

Some coworking spaces also provide “passports” or the flexibility to work in other cities, which also enables some workers to travel at their leisure — a big attraction for the millennial generation. In fact, some data shows that millennials travel more than older generations, spending 35 days out of town on average — or about a week more than baby boomers. This could be another factor driving remote jobs across the nation.

Kayley DiCicco, director of enterprise sales at Expansive, told Forbes, “Coworking spaces will continue to evolve into environments that emphasize hospitality, enhancing their offerings to support this trend. Key focus areas will include revamped designs featuring inviting lounge areas with local flair, dynamic pricing models, gourmet catering and cafes, exclusive member events, global access and partnerships, enhanced security measures, sustainability initiatives, premium meeting and event spaces, as well as integration of VR and AR technologies,” indicating further emphasis on comfortable work spaces that offer flexible hours.

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Early in former President Trump’s term, he had a big idea to prevent undocumented immigrants from crossing the southern border, and it was not a wall.

“I want a big, deep moat!” He exclaimed to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson. According to Miles Taylor, Nielson’s Chief of Staff, Trump explained that he wanted this moat filled with snakes and alligators to, as Taylor put it, “eat people alive if they fell into it.”

This bizarre exchange was described by Taylor in his book Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump, a book I have read and highly recommend. But be warned– it is horrifying.

The snake and alligator-infested moat would be one of Trump’s many “bad idea bonfires,” and Taylor and his colleagues would find themselves repeatedly trying to extinguish them using various tactics of distraction, delay, or compromise.

In another disturbing example, according to Taylor, Trump frequently expressed confusion over why he could not simply order federal law enforcement officers to use violence against migrants or Black Lives Matter protesters. This account has been corroborated by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who quoted Trump as saying, “can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something.”

Distracting Trump from doing horrible things to people was exhausting work that would ultimately lead to Trump’s Chief of Staff, John Kelly, describing Trump in this way:

John Kelly during his time in the white house. Photo credit: Boston Globe

“He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” – former Trump Administration Chief of Staff John Kelly

Like his colleagues, Miles Taylor joined the Trump Administration as a believer—a Trump supporter willing to go to political war for this unconventional firebrand. Trump was shaking up the American political landscape in ways that engendered a fanatical following among a large swath of the conservative American electorate, and Taylor was eager to be a part of the movement.

But, like many of his colleagues, Taylor experienced on the inside a funhouse mirrored terror mansion of chaos led by an aspiring strongman with no regard for democratic principles, governing standards, or basic human decency. As a result of this experience, Taylor did something extraordinarily bold.

Photo Credit: New York Times

In 2018 he wrote an anonymous New York Times op-ed titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.” The subtitle of this shocking article read: “I work for the president, but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.”

The op-ed sent President Trump into a rage as he vowed to root out the mole in his midst. The hunt was unsuccessful. Taylor revealed himself as “Anonymous” when he resigned his position in the Trump Administration more than two years later, in October 2020. For months afterward, Taylor endured relentless death threats and harassment.

One may read into Taylor’s action an act of treason. A White House insider actively working against the will of the President and Commander in Chief? And therein lies the heart of exactly why a demagogue like Donald Trump is so incredibly dangerous for the future of American democracy. It reveals that the strength of our democracy lies purely in the hearts and minds of the men and women whom we entrust to lead our nation as elected representatives.

We may have a constitution, but the reality is that it isn’t worth anything unless our elected representatives carry out their democratic duties in good faith and in alignment with constitutional principles.  Our democracy rests on a foundation, not of a document, but of a set of unwritten principles and traditions voluntarily adhered to by those who we, the people, entrust with enormous power and responsibility.

George Washington, our first president, set the standard for one of those principles—respect for the peaceful transfer of power. It is a sacred obligation that, after almost two and a half centuries, was shattered by Donald Trump’s failure to concede a lost election and his systematic attempts to unconstitutionally overturn its results to keep himself in power, including the incitement of a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

This historical context brings us to the reason why Project 2025 presents a profound danger to the future of America. While the media has mainly focused on the many draconian policy ideas within the document, they are largely failing to articulate that the greater danger is that Project 2025 is a playbook for removing the guardrails from a second Trump presidency—one that he has already stated will be driven by retribution in a second term of vengeance and political targeting.

The first three words in the 930-page Project 2025 document are “We want you!!”

Published in early 2023 voluntarily by the Heritage Foundation, a long-standing conservative political think tank, Project 2025 is a call to arms. It is a recruitment tool to create a standing army-in-waiting of MAGA loyalists who will be ready, eager, and specifically trained to fill the ranks of the civil service (what Trump calls the “deep state”) to carry out the orders of the next Trump presidency without question or hesitation. These institutions harbor great powers within them that, if used against the American people at the behest of a vengeful president, can destroy our republic and our democracy as we know it from within.

The primary objective of Project 2025, therefore, is not about draconian policy ideas like abolishing the Department of Education. It is about turning the management of the traditionally non-partisan civil service into a cabal of MAGA loyalists who will act on political rather than professional directives.

The Project 2025 document explicitly states that the “next conservative president” must be willing to grab extraordinary executive powers so that he can then “hand the power back to the people” once the federal government has been overhauled to match the vision of MAGA.

This is an egregiously dangerous perspective when their favored candidate already tried once to overthrow the American government after losing an election. Do they really think that, once power is grabbed through their playbook, Trump would behave like Washington and not like Orban or Mussolini?

The authors of Project 2025 must know that Trump is no Washington, which is why the document is so sinister in nature. The logical conclusion is that the Project 2025 authors want an authoritarian Trump who will steamroll over our democracy to achieve their objectives of “making America great again” by their definition only.

After all, the current Heritage Foundation President, Kevin Roberts, recently stated on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast that “we are in the process of the second American revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it.”

The main mechanism of this so-called “revolution” is the planned overhauling of the administrative state, replacing career civil servants with political loyalists. This goal is explicitly stated on pages 20 and 21 of Project 2025:

“…the new administration must fill its ranks with political appointees.”

“When it comes to ensuring that freedom can flourish, nothing is more important than deconstructing the centralized administrative state. Political appointees who are answerable to the President and have decision-making authority in the executive branch are key to this essential task. The next Administration must not cede such authority to non-partisan “experts.”

This recruitment drive for loyalists is so core to the Project 2025 agenda that it is represented as one of its four main pillars, specifically stated in the document as “a personnel database.”

Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, has claimed “We are building a pipeline of conservative talent that is ready to step into key roles and implement our vision for America.”

Former head of Project 2025 Paul Dans claimed “We have a database with over 10,000 people from all walks of life entering into this, aspiring to serve. We want people who’ve been canceled, who’ve figuratively given blood for the movement. These are mums who’ve challenged school boards. These are people who’ve stood up in their companies and said, ‘Enough with [diversity, equity, and inclusion] and the whole woke agenda.’”

Many of these recruits are people who have filled out the vetting questionnaire on Project2025.org — political loyalists rather than the non-partisan experts who have traditionally filled the ranks of the civil service since the late 1800s.

The century-and-a-half long tradition of filling federal government positions with non-partisan experts is one of those unwritten foundational principles that has kept our democracy intact. Past presidents going back at least to Grover Cleveland have understood and largely adhered to the necessity of keeping political influence out of the day-to-day responsibilities of civil servants ranging from EPA environmental scientists to FBI investigators.

Project 2025’s brazen call to reverse this tradition and suggest that these career positions be qualified, not by experience and training in their field, but by a loyalty test to the MAGA movement, is dangerous. It becomes profoundly alarming if the occupant of the oval office has already stated and demonstrated anti-democratic and authoritarian tendencies, and has already tried once before to overturn the will of the people.

Overhauling the civil service (i.e., “deep state”) with political loyalists would require firing and replacing tens of thousands of federal government employees. Most of these jobs typically carry over from one administration to the next. So how would the next Trump carry out this hostile takeover?

There is a plan for that, and it was already enacted once by Trump at the end of his last term. In October 2020, anticipating re-election the next month, Trump signed an executive order instituting “Schedule F,” which created a new employment category for federal employees that gives the president the authority to directly hire and fire vastly larger numbers of federal employees to the tune of many tens of thousands.

This order was immediately rescinded by President Biden upon his taking office in 2021, like putting a risen demon back into the earth. But there is no question that Trump would re-institute this order probably on day one of his presidency—one of the many “dictator-for-a-day” orders he may sign on January 21, 2025.

Trump would likely use the power of the executive order to push through an agenda that would have no chance in the legislative chambers. This possible landslide of executive orders would need to be implemented by the thousands of civil servants in the various federal agencies involved. Schedule F creates the mechanism for the next MAGA president to stuff the executive branch with loyalists who, rather than preventing the president from doing horrible things, would likely carry out his vengeful orders.

And this is where the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity comes in, supercharging this danger to alarming levels. Prior to this decision, Project 2025’s playbook for MAGA authoritarianism was still a road full of rocks and potholes. The conservative super-majority Supreme Court just paved that road over with a red carpeted conveyor belt for the first American dictator to ride into unchecked power.

Photo credit: Adam Szuscik via Unsplash

For almost two hundred and fifty years, the American people lived under the belief that no American, even the president, was above the law. The U.S. Supreme Court in Trump vs. The United States changed that overnight in what many legal scholars have called one of the most misguided and dangerous rulings in its entire history. Their ruling largely grants the U.S. president broad immunity from prosecution for anything arbitrarily deemed an “official act.”

While this ruling caused a prosecutorial delay in the January 6th-related cases against Trump (Federal and State of Georgia), it may not insulate him from conviction in those cases as federal prosecutors argue that his actions were undertaken as a candidate for office, not as president, and therefore cannot be considered “official acts” of the president. The merits of that argument, however, are untested under the new presidential immunity powers granted by the Supreme Court.

The danger, however, lies in a future President Trump who may seek to legally insulate his directives by declaring them official presidential acts. Furthermore, the Supreme Court explicitly protected the president from prosecution over any interaction between the president and the Department of Justice, opening the door wide open for targeted prosecution of political opponents or extrajudicial crackdowns on U.S. Citizens under easily fabricated emergency powers such as the Insurrection Act

The Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity arguably throws a wet blanket on any future Trump Administration insiders who may still be left trying to hold up the now rickety guardrails against his criminality if for no other reason than to protect their own skin.

Combine that with a president’s broad power of the pardon, including the preemptive pardon, and you have a wide-open path for the next (and even current) president to do almost whatever he or she wants with little fear or threat of future prosecution.

When Trump distances himself from Project 2025, he is playing a game the media is buying into by focusing on the policy proposals in the document. Trump does not care about those policy ideas. He can refute and disown them for political cover. What Trump is interested in from Project 2025 is the playbook for a power grab and its pre-vetted loyalist political army-in-waiting so that he can punish his political enemies and carry out his often horrible and immoral ideas without obstruction (i.e., “just shoot them in the legs or something.”)

Make no mistake; if Trump is re-elected, he absolutely has a clear path to dictatorship, cut wide open by the playbook that is Project 2025 and the legal cover that this conservative Supreme Court just unleashed.

Many frustrated Americans may relish the idea of a Trump dictatorship to relieve their problems and perceived grievances. For almost a decade the MAGA movement has stoked and reinforced the fear and anger of their followers. They are angry because they are told they should be. They are fearful because they are told they need to be. They are hateful because they are told it’s okay to be.

But modern history is fraught with examples of this foolishness. When democracy is undermined by a vengeful demagogue who plays on the people’s fear, anger, and hatred, it ends badly for everyone. Only a few decades ago authoritarian regimes, whether fascist or communist, in Europe and elsewhere promised grand authoritarian solutions (and retribution for trumped up grievances), but ended in the horrific destruction of whole societies, genocides, and wars of annihilation.

It would be hyperbolic to conclude with certainty that a second Trump Administration will lead us into such horrific turmoil. But it would be equally naive to assume that we can take another giant step onto that slippery slide of fascism and assume we will be able to arrest our accelerating descent towards its terrifying destinations.

Project 2025 is a playbook that gives extraordinary powers to the presidency in the foolish expectation that the president who benefits from that power would then voluntarily dilute it again. That is the dangerous plan.

The reality is that a vengeful and aging President Trump will likely use those powers, newly unhindered through the installation of an army of pre-vetted political loyalists operating under the cover of a preemptive pardon and the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision, to potentially unleash an American presidential fury that could send the nation into a dark vault of political chaos and even violence.

Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor was not speaking in hyperbolic terms in her rebuttal to the catastrophic presidential immunity decision when she wrote, “with fear for our democracy, I dissent.”

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The post Project 2025: Red Carpet to American Autocracy appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Updated 10/27 to include links for Colorado Supreme Court judges. 

Yellow Scene Magazine (YS) has earned a reputation for producing one of the most exhaustive election guides in our area. We recently won first place at the Colorado Press Association Annual Better News Awards for our 2023 election coverage. Compiling all the information in one place is no easy feat—the spreadsheet alone takes weeks to flesh out. No single source in our region (Boulder County and the North Metro) has compiled all the information YS has gathered below. We are also the only source we know of that requires live interviews—no email interviews, ever, as a matter of policy. With much reluctance and only under a blue moon, we have allowed email interviews, and we believe it has happened fewer than five times in 24 years.

This election guide covers everything from presidential to local races and, of course, the ballot issues. We hope our interviews help you make the best decision for yourself and your community. Our Editorial Board offers their final consensus on who they, as a group, endorse. The board and staff of writers include Ray Manzari, Hope Munoz, Owen Swallow, Lexi Miller, Mohammed Ahmed, Charlotte Piper, Chris Aguilar, Annie Stefanko, and Ryan Sullivan. YS’s Editorial Board conducted live, recorded interviews with all participating candidates and then met to finalize the endorsements.

The interview with Jill Stein happened last minute, and Julie River stepped into conduct it, but did not serve on the Editorial Board.

This year, we noticed a decline in Republican candidates making themselves available for interviews compared to previous years. (The response rate also depends on the year and the type of election.) Off-year elections generally have a higher candidate response rate then the General Election. However, we are still determining the feasibility of municipalities’ local participation in General Election years—though there are two this year. General elections typically see lower candidate response rates due to the sheer number of races. We’ve even attempted to secure interviews with presidential candidates, but it seems we may need to start streaming to make that happen. Over the past decade, we’ve observed a shift in the number of conservative candidates responding. YS had an 85-90% response rate during the George Bush era, averaging around 80-85% during the Obama administration. During the Trump administration, we saw a drop in Republican candidate interviews, coinciding with Colorado becoming a Democrat supermajority state. Between 2016 and 2022, YS labeled some candidates “Too Extreme.” In 2024, only one candidate earned that label.

(If you’re wondering what warrants a “Too Extreme” label, the most common reason was the idea of sending the unhoused and those with substance abuse disorders to “special places”—in other words, internment camps. Thankfully, we didn’t hear that kind of language this year—just mass deportation, so there is that.)

Regardless of Lauren Boebert’s notoriety, Colorado is currently a Democrat supermajority. With abortion rights on the ballot—Amendment 79 (which we support with a YES vote)—Coloradoans will be viewing this year’s election through multiple lenses.

It’s a bit strange when candidates are on the ballot but don’t show up for interviews with recognized local outlets—especially in a Democrat supermajority state. A closer look reveals that those who skipped our interviews avoided other local media. Yet, some who bypassed local outlets found time to interview with media outside the community. It begs the question: why would a candidate in Erie prioritize talking to Boulder over engaging with the people they’re hoping to represent here?

For more on the Erie races, check the Publisher’s Note. For transparency, our Editorial Board is not participating in endorsements for Erie’s election. Since our publisher lives there and is actively involved in local elections, the best we can offer for Erie is the Q&A interview and her personal preferences listed.

There are a few tricky amendments to watch out for,  Proposition 130 (vote NO) and Proposition 131. Don’t let the language fool you—this initiative uses deceptive wording and hides the fact that it allows more money to influence political races. A NO vote on 131.

We also had our friends over at MoodFuel News send us a great Mental Health Election Guide.

Now, onto the ballot itself.

D = Democrat, R = Republican, L = Libertarian, U = Unaffiliated, Unity Party

E = Endorsed* (requires interview), S = Support, Q = Qualified, SQG = Maintain status quo in Gaza

STATE AND US CONGRESS QUESTIONS

The questions our team asked were determined through consensus and were the same for all candidates. Each candidate was asked identical questions.

IMMIGRATION (two-part question)

• There has been a high degree of misinformation and disinformation regarding immigration policy and statistics. What role should federal and state governments have in setting the record straight on the issue of immigration?
• What is your stance on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that was unable to pass earlier this year?

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

• Housing is rapidly becoming unaffordable for many families across Colorado, especially in fast-growing areas. What policies do you support that ensure both low- and middle-income families can afford to live here? How do you think governments, local, regional, and statewide, work together to help resolve homelessness?

WAR (two-part question)

• Do you support the military aid the U.S. provides in major conflicts like those in Gaza and Ukraine? If your support differs between these conflicts, what are the reasons for your stance?

GAZA (two-part question)

• It’s been almost one year since the genocide began in Gaza. According to a Lancet study, the Gaza death toll may be between 180,000 – 280,000 Palestinians killed by Israel. Roughly 60% are children. What is your stance on calling for a ceasefire in the region? Or an end to supplying weapons to Israel, and are there any? Are there any actions taken by the Israeli state that you have found objectionable in how they have handled the conflict with Hamas?
• Or an end to supplying weapons to Israel and are there are there any actions taken by the Israeli state that you have found objectionable in how they have handled the conflict with Hamas?

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

• Our schools are under several assaults from Colorado, being one of the lowest for education funding to active shooter drills. What would you do to both help fund our schools and keep guns out of them?

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE
(two-part question)

• Fires in Boulder County destroy the delicate ecosystems of microorganisms in the streams where they occur. Do you have any solutions to prevent fires from starting and spreading?
• In addition, Colorado has one of the largest oil and gas exports in the United States. What part does that play in accelerating climate change and fires?

CRIME

• According to Colorado Crime statistics, violent crime is trending downwards after a small spike in 2022, following national trends that are also declining. However, voting polls suggest that controlling crime is high on the list of priorities for most voters. What crime in your district are you most concerned with, how serious of a problem is it, and what approaches do you think are best to solve them?
• There have been several high-profile reports of citizens who have been brutalized or even killed by law enforcement officers in Colorado. How do you intend to hold law enforcement officers who abuse their power accountable, or how should we hold law enforcement accountable?

ECONOMY

• Inflation has hit many American families hard, and while there is evidence that inflation is now beginning to fall, many still feel the financial impact. What do you believe the government’s role (either federal, state, or local, depending on the candidate) should be in stabilizing the economic situation Americans are facing?

ABORTION

• The 2022 US Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overruled the precedents outlined in Roe v. Wade. How do you view Colorado’s proposed ballot measure to allow the use of public funds for abortions and mandate coverage under health insurance plans?  Furthermore, do you advocate for any federal legislation that would either protect or ban abortion on a national level?

PRESIDENT

Kamala Harris (D) – SUPPORT, (SQG)

Did Not Interview

Donald Trump (R) – TOO EXTREME, (SQG)

Did Not Interview

Cornel West (Unity) – STRONGLY CONSIDERED

IMMIGRATION

Immigration reform would have to be part of a larger diplomatic process of the leaders in the region so we could create a context in which people want to stay home. For those willing to come, we’d have a fair process, but it would not in any way violate their rights or their dignity, and we would have a welcoming spirit.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

You look at housing simply as an object to buy and sell and make a profit on rather than for it to be what a home you would hope is. You say that home is where the heart is, and if you’re looking at a piece of property solely as a commodity and not a place where it creates a context for human beings to flower and flourish, then you end up with gentrification on steroids,

WAR

We should be a dignified nation. We don’t need 800 military bases around the world. We don’t need 130 special operations in over 100 countries; therefore, when it comes to the matter of the outright genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid-like conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, just on moral grounds, we ought to pull the plug financially.

There has to be an end to the (Palestinian) occupation, and we’ve got to come up with a way in which precious Palestinians and precious Jews can live together in such a way that both groups have safety, equality, dignity, and security. 

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

I do believe in gun control, but as long as you have the hearts and minds of people tied to wanting to destroy others, they’re going to come up with ways of doing that. We have to be able to speak to people’s mental health because there is a slice of our fellow citizens who are suffering from deep mental health programs that are too readily able to gain access to guns. 

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

You have to have the courage to say that fossil fuel companies tied to short-term profit have to be rendered accountable, and we have to think of the long run and not just the short-term profits.

CRIME

Crime is a very complicated phenomenon. I’ve seen so many schools and poor and working-class neighborhoods, black, white, Indigenous people or whatever, and there are more police in the schools than there were nurses or counselors. That’s a sign of the militarization of the schools. If we reinforce that sense that the only way to deal with crime is more punitive, more punishing orientations, it just creates a cycle. And the cycle of crime has become a perennial one. If we can create different venues for people who have proclivities toward committing crimes that would decrease crime.. 

ECONOMY

Low unemployment rates can exist because people work two jobs and live in poverty. That’s nothing to celebrate at all. Inflation is just one way in, and inflation is partly tied to corporate greed. 

ABORTION

I very much support that bill at the state level. it’s very important that women have reproductive freedoms and have control over their bodies. 

Jill Stein (Green Party) – CONSIDERED

Editors Note: Dr Stein’s interview looks slightly different from the others, as we ran out of time to pare it down. Due to a scheduling error by YS, we were not able to interview Dr. Stein until October 19th, 2024.  Julie River stepped in and spoke with Dr. Stein on Saturday. However, when we announced we secured the interview with her, no other candidate got the kind of commentary she did. It is for these two reasons we are publishing the interview in full. 

First a physician, then an activist, and eventually a politician, Dr. Jill Stein has become one of the most prominent figures of the far-left and one of the most controversial figures in modern politics. Having run as the Green Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2012, 2016, and now the 2024 election, she’s often accused of being a “spoiler” candidate and “siphoning” votes from the Democratic candidate and, thereby, helping Republican candidates win elections.

Regardless of whether or not that’s true, Stein continues to push for more progressive solutions to America’s problems. If you put aside the “spoiler” accusations, she has a lot of positions that those on the left, including many who vote for Democrats, would certainly agree on. But the “spoiler” label continues to dog her, causing many who otherwise agree with her positions to view her as a menace to the modern political landscape.

One thing that struck me as I sat down with her to discuss her political positions for our election guide was that, for all the talk of Stein being a political outsider, she’s as polished and as careful of a speaker as any politician from the two major parties, and certainly far more articulate than some candidates that have won the office of President. Far from being an unhinged radical, Stein is careful and measured in her responses, much like any other professional politician. While the likelihood of her ever finding her way into the Oval Office still seems slim—in spite of her assertions about what she plans to do on “day one” in office—her positions on a lot of the issues are truly fascinating.

IMMIGRATION

Julie River: So there has been a high degree of disinformation regarding immigration policy and statistics in this country. What role do you think federal and state governments have in setting the record straight on the issue of immigration?

Jill Stein: So obviously, at the level of president, there’s a critical role in correcting the record. And the record has been seriously distorted. At the level of the president, we need to both set the record straight and make the urgently needed changes in public policy and immigration policy.

 First, on the record, migrants are not the source of crime in this country. In fact, their rates of crime are far lower. Specifically, they make the country safer. They are not bringing drugs into this country. Drugs are brought in by red-blooded Americans, which are not coming in over the remote areas of the border. They’re coming through portals of entry. The wall does no good whatsoever for keeping drugs out. And migrants, when they are allowed to work, are the source of prosperity for our communities’ expansion of our economies and greater employment. This is exactly the opposite of what both major parties and their candidates are currently saying, so that’s setting the record straight.

In terms of policy, the most important and effective thing we can do to fix the immigration crisis is to stop causing it in the first place through regime change operations, endless wars, overturning other democratically elected governments, economic neo-colonialism, and addressing climate change, which puts millions of farmers out of business, and also the drug wars, which the United States largely finances. This war on drugs, which, by making drugs illegal,  make the drug cartels very rich and powerful. There are important steps we can take to address that. But I first want just to name the drivers, the key drivers of migration, and I would also add economic sanctions on countries like Cuba and Venezuela in particular, where the sanctions devastate the economies and create poverty that leads many people to flee.

 Again, the most important thing we can do, and the most effective thing we can do, is reverse those policies. Stop interfering with other governments. Put an end to the economic sanctions in Cuba and Venezuela, for example. Deal with the climate crisis. Stop increasing the flood of fossil fuels and begin to rapidly phase them out, as well as provide climate justice and climate reparations support to other countries so that they can deal with their climate crisis and not watch millions of farmers go out of business and have to flee their homes.

 Finally, on the drug wars, by treating drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue, we can pull the rug right out from under the violent drug cartels. And we can also deal with the problem of drug addiction and so on. But by legalizing cannabis, for starters, and taking it off the list of scheduled drugs, we can massively reduce the power of the drug cartels and the violence.

 That’s one piece of our migration policy, and the other, just to summarize,  instead of throwing billions of dollars into a wall that kills people, it also kills wildlife and ecosystems instead of draining our resources in that dead-end corporate profit boondoggle for construction companies, instead we should be putting those dollars into actual civil service infrastructure, asylum attorneys and so on so that we can properly and promptly do background checks at the border and give people their papers who pass their background checks and are here in good faith and (are) not violent criminals fleeing law enforcement from south of the border. We can provide people with their papers, they can go to work, and then they are an economic resource for our communities.

 They’re not just self-supporting. They are community building and economic building. So that’s the way forward based on the actual realities of the migration situation, not this immigrant bashing that’s being espoused by both the Kamala Harris campaign and the Democrats and the Republicans and Donald Trump.

 JR: What is your stance on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that was unable to pass earlier this year?

 JS: It takes the worst aspects of the Republican approach to immigration, and basically, the Democrats adopt it, and it makes it even worse. It’s a very punitive, inhumane, and ineffective policy.

 HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

JR: The next section is on housing, which is a big concern for families in Colorado. Housing is becoming very unaffordable, especially in fast-growing areas. What policies do you support to ensure that low- and middle-income families can afford their homes, and how do you think the governments local, regional, statewide, and national can work together to resolve homelessness.

JS: Yeah, and we are having a really severe crisis. Homelessness is at record highs. 50% of American families and Americans in general who rent their homes, their apartments, are severely economically stressed right now by the rising cost of rent and the failure of wages to keep up. People are paying 30 to 50% of their monthly income just to keep a roof over their heads, which doesn’t leave the money that you need for healthcare, to pay your student loans, car insurance, etc. So this is a real crisis.

And rents, of course, are skyrocketing. Neighborhoods are gentrifying. People are getting thrown out. There are some solutions that are beginning to improve the crisis right now, and then there are longer-term solutions. Some of these can be implemented at the local, state, and federal levels, though I’m speaking predominantly about the responsibilities at the federal level.

So we advocate for adopting a nationwide federal rent control program to stabilize rents right now so that your landlord can’t throw you out because they want to raise the rent or because they want to remodel and then raise the rent. So that’s one piece: rent control to stop the rising rent rates. In addition, we call for ending the buy-up of available housing, which includes both rental units and homes. Currently, those are being scooped up in huge numbers by the private equity industry, which has a lot of cash. They buy this stuff up, they take it off the market, and then the shortage of housing drives up the price, so it’s very convenient for them. And a lot of this housing is just sitting vacant. So we would both prohibit this practice by private equity to steal the available housing and sit on it. We would implement a vacancy tax, making it impossible for the private equity holding onto this housing now. They would then be paying a very steep added tax on vacant housing, effectively forcing that housing back onto the market. That’s a second step.

A third step is we need a tenant bill of rights that ensures you cannot be thrown out on a whim or simply because your landlord wants to remodel and raise the rent and gentrify the neighborhood. As part of that tenant Bill of Rights, we ensure that there are proper legal services when people are being challenged by their landlords.

Then, most importantly, we call for building 15 million new units of affordable housing, so-called social housing, which we used to call public housing. That all came to a screeching halt back in the 1990s under Bill Clinton, when this bill called The Faircloth Amendment was enacted that forbade any more money going into public housing, which provides housing for those who are most in need. And so that public housing stock has been degraded, it hasn’t been expanded, and the need has absolutely skyrocketed.

So, building out 15 million units of environmentally sound, energy-conserving housing which is concentrated so it doesn’t contribute to sprawl and traffic problems, and which is built in conjunction with public transportation so people don’t have to get cars, and, in addition, which is built to preserve open space, so that the residents have access to green space, is critical for the health of our communities and the health of people. People are just much healthier if they have green space that they can go and walk in and be in the woods or in nature or whatever we want to be. Protecting green space is really critical for protecting the environment and biodiversity, cleaning the air, and all that.

It’s one way that we address the housing crisis while addressing multiple other crises at the same time. Those are some of the basics that we would oversee from the federal government level.

WAR

JR: Getting into more international issues: Do you support the military aid the US provides in major conflicts like those in Gaza and Ukraine, and if your support differs between those two, what are the differences?

JS: We are currently in several very dangerous wars. I mean, these are the two biggest dangers right now: the war on the border of Ukraine and Russia and the genocidal war that Israel is conducting with the full support, military equipment, funding, diplomatic cover, intelligence, etc. (of) the US, (which) is a full partner in this war. It’s not really a war because it’s a massacre and a genocide on Gaza that is expanding now, which Israel has been attempting to do from the very start, to expand this war and to drag the US into a larger war involving the West Bank and Lebanon and several other countries that are under attack. And we know that Israel will soon be attacking Iran as well, which could make this whole thing go absolutely ballistic. So this is like a pre-World War I-type of situation involving all kinds of countries. This could turn into—I mean, it’s already becoming a regional conflict—but it could very quickly become a global and nuclear conflict.

 There’s no justification for this whatsoever, except as Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Defense expressed back in the 1980s, Israel is the “unsinkable battleship” for the US in the Middle East. Those were basically his words. Essentially, Israel allows the US to have a strong ally and a sturdy outpost from which to control the flow of oil in the Middle East and control who gets that oil. So, this is an extremely dangerous war.

 It can be stopped in the blink of an eye, in the same way that Ronald Reagan stopped Israel’s war that had gone into Lebanon at that time, and thousands of innocent civilians were being massacred. Now, in the current war on Gaza, it’s somewhere around 200,000, but that count has not been updated in a long time. And these are mostly women and children. This is an absolute all-out massacre. People are being displaced by gunfire. Housing has been destroyed. People are living on the street and there’s a massive embargo on food and water, which is not getting into the country. People are dying. There are currently half a million people undergoing starvation in Gaza right now. I mean, this is the worst genocide in modern times being live-streamed onto our phones.

 Most Americans are aware of what’s happening and vehemently oppose it. Going way back to November, just after it started, 68% of Americans were on record as wanting an immediate diplomatic solution, and more recently, in the last several months, over 60% of Americans have come to support an immediate weapons embargo to make this stop.

 Joe Biden could simply pick up the phone and instruct Bibi Netanyahu, as Ronald Reagan did back in 1982, that it’s over because the US is in control because we have control of the funding, the weapons, the diplomatic cover, etc. The war will be over, which would be a good thing because we are right now sitting on the verge of possibly World War III, which could happen, really, any day now.

 This is a disaster for the whole world, not to mention that our incredibly bloated, endless war budget has huge consequences here at home. The war machine budget occupies half of our congressional spending, and what do we have to show for it? Lots of catastrophic wars, failed states, and mass refugee migrations. These wars are not solving anything, but the US keeps getting into them over and over again because we’ve had a very misguided foreign policy based on economic and military domination rather than coming into the modern era as part of a multipolar world, working in conjunction with other countries based on international law, human rights, and diplomacy.

 That’s the direction we need to go, and that applies to both the crisis of Israel’s genocide ongoing right now as well as the crisis in Ukraine. And, in terms of how we fix this, the International Court of Justice has already clarified exactly what international law calls for, which is an end to the genocide, an end to the ethnic cleansing and the occupation and the practice of apartheid by the Israeli government. So, in a nutshell, that’s our position and our immediate solution that could be enacted in the blink of an eye in terms of the Israeli-US war on Gaza.

 In Ukraine, likewise, this is a devastating war that has been long in the making, going all the way back to the 1990s, roughly, with the breakup of the Soviet Union, when the US promised Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union at that time, that NATO would not move one inch to the east if Russia would be okay with East and West Germany reuniting. That deal was made, Germany reunited and joined NATO, and the Soviet Union broke up. Russia understood that NATO was not going to be coming to its doorstep and that Germany would not be invading again.

 In a nutshell, what’s happening now is like the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Russia put nuclear missiles on our border in Cuba, which was actually in response to our putting nuclear missiles on Russia’s border in Turkey. But just to keep it simple for now, let’s focus on the Cuban Missile Crisis, where we went nuts, and we had nuclear bombs in airplanes—which is how they were sent back in those days—in the air, and we were ready to go to nuclear war right then and there in order to defend our border. That’s the position that Russia is in right now.

 It’s not all that hard to understand. Russia doesn’t want nuclear missiles on its border, just a five- or 10-minute missile flight from Moscow. All Russia wanted was neutrality for Ukraine. That was very clear, and that could have easily happened had the US been willing to support neutrality for Ukraine. There were many opportunities to avoid this war. But, unfortunately, NATO kept on marching, and Russia responded as it said it would, and, regrettably, began this all-out invasion.

 I must say, the invasion was part of a longer ongoing war that had begun in 2014 as well. There were a lot of provocations here. The war in Ukraine didn’t start suddenly. In 2022, there was a long run up to it, where the US played a major role in establishing a very hostile government in Ukraine, on Russia’s border, contributing to the chaos and the civil war going on in Ukraine and then refusing to make a very simple peace deal to avoid provoking Russia into this horrific invasion, which has been absolutely deadly for the people of Ukraine.

 The Secretary of Defense for the US stated very clearly that the war in Ukraine is essentially an effort by the US to bleed Russia, to use Russia’s resources, and to weaken Russia, and that’s being done at the expense of the Ukrainian people. This is Russia’s border, so they have an enormous vested interest in ensuring that it’s safe. For us to be provoking war and providing the arms with which Ukraine goes to war, and more and more Ukrainians are being slaughtered, (is) basically a Mission Impossible. The US and NATO are not going to get control of Russia’s border with Ukraine without provoking nuclear war here.

 We are escalating our way up to nuclear war on this front, as well as in Israel and its war on Gaza. Ee need to step back. We need to stop throwing fuel on the fire here, which is absolutely devastating to the people of Ukraine and endangers all of us with escalation toward nuclear war. We need to sit down and support a real peace deal.

 Russia showed that it would do that in good faith, and it did, including making real compromises. It did that just after the war began. Under the auspices of Turkey, there was a peace deal that was negotiated, but the US and the UK then came in at the 11th hour and said, No, you have to keep fighting Ukraine; we’re not going to let you make peace. And here we are.

 We don’t have the money that we need right now for critical things here in this country. We just gave another 8-9 billion to Israel to expand its war in the Middle East, and we are about 9 billion short for FEMA to assist American communities that are in dire straits with the ongoing climate crisis. In a nutshell, that’s what’s wrong with this picture where we are consuming and squandering our precious tax dollars on wars that are not making us safer, that are just killing a lot of people and making the whole world less safe, and especially several regions in the world. We should not be squandering those tax dollars, endangering us, and at the same time impoverishing us so that we don’t have the dollars we need for the urgent and dire health, housing, education, and climate needs that we have in this country right now. This covers our position on those two conflicts around the world.

 SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

JR: In Colorado, one of the issues we’re dealing with is our schools are under several assaults, being one of the lowest for education funding to active shooter drills. What would you do to both help fund schools and also keep guns out of them?

JS: As a kid, your education should not depend on your zip code. Right now, schools are funded largely by property tax in communities, reflecting whether you have low-income or luxury housing. If you have luxury housing, you’ll have a big school budget and very well-educated kids. If you’ve got low-income housing, the most vulnerable kids, who most need education support, are not going to have a budget for it. That’s what we need. We need to rectify that so we have the resources. If we weren’t so busy creating war, violence, and chaos all around the world, we would have the dollars that we need to put into our urgent needs and real security here at home.

 We propose not only taxing the rich who are not paying their fair share right now but also cutting this wasteful, bloated, endangering military budget and putting those dollars into essential needs here at home. That includes providing baseline support for communities, especially for low-income communities, to help bring up their resource base so they have quality schools from the get-go.

 In terms of school safety, that’s inseparable from gun safety, so we need to implement common sense solutions that the American people already support, and that includes things like an assault weapons ban on further sales and a buyback. That’s a voluntary buyback; we won’t get them all, but we’ll get a lot of them, a buyback of assault weapons so that you don’t have these very dangerous weapons just out there in the community. We need to end the gun show loopholes and ensure that there are background checks so that you can’t just have anybody who’s very unstable, threatening suicide, etc, or extremely troubled youth, you can’t have them walking in and buying guns off the street. We need to have background checks.

We also need to have safe storage laws, and these are supported by gun owners as well, who, on the whole, support of gun safety. It’s just the gun lobby that does not. These are common-sense solutions that the American people endorse. We need safe storage for guns, and for that to be a requirement. We also need liability laws so that parents know they’ve got to keep their guns stored safely so that kids can’t just take them. That’s one thing we can do to support gun safety in our schools is to get those guns under control so they’re not just out there for anybody to use.

In addition, we need to support the mental health needs of our students, and that means having social workers and mental health workers available right now. Those supports are in such desperate supply. But we also need youth programs, sports programs, and after-school programs so that we are providing things to help support the mental health of students in our schools as well because when people are neglected and they are at their wit’s end, and they’re feeling hopeless, which is exactly when you get into trouble with weapons that are available. Basically you have students that are committing suicide while they’re committing murder as well.

We know how to fix these problems, and we need to be investing in them, again, not squandering our tax dollars on tax breaks for the wealthiest corporations who are not paying their fair share, and not squandering our resources on the military, which is not making us safer.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRES

JR: One issue we’ve been dealing with here in Boulder County is wildfires, which destroy the ecosystems of microorganisms in the streams where they occur. Do you have any solutions to prevent fires from starting and spreading?

JS: We need to address drought, which is a huge problem, and heat waves, which means we need to come to terms with the climate crisis. And for that, we call for an emergency Green New Deal, which will create jobs by declaring a climate emergency on the first day in office. If we are so lucky as to be in that position, we will declare the climate emergency on day one, which then unleashes over $600 billion every year to create jobs in critical industries that transition us from dirty energy to clean renewables, efficiency, and conservation that also go with public transportation, and healthy and sustainable agriculture system and sustainable, environmentally sound housing as well.

 Those are some of the pillars of a Green New Deal that would ramp down fossil fuel production. That’s not going to turn wildfires around overnight, so there are other things that we need to do as well, and one is not be building out in very vulnerable areas where people are likely to get trapped and into a lot of trouble from the wildfires and the forest fires. We need to ensure that we are funding our forest service so that proper conservation practices are put into effect.

 We need proper water conservation. You’re probably aware that the Colorado River is about a year away from drying up. And, while that doesn’t affect Colorado so much, it’s more downstream in California, where the Colorado River shutdown is going to be devastating. It puts us into a real drought situation in the area, basically, the California agriculture system, where most of the fruits and vegetables, about half of the entire nation, are produced. So we’re going to see food prices skyrocket.

 The drought, in general, impacts Colorado and many other areas of the country. So we need to seriously conserve water in our agricultural practices, lawns, etc. We really cannot afford to have green grass lawns, which are extremely water-consuming. We need proper plans and implementation to conserve water so that we have that water when we need it, and we’re properly protecting our forests so that we’re not running into forest fires, and we’re able to protect communities and homes when those fires do break out.

 CRIME

JR: According to Colorado crime statistics, violent crime is trending downwards after a small spike in 2022, which follows national trends. Our voting polls still suggest that controlling crime is high on the list of priorities for most voters. How serious of a problem do you think this is, and what approaches do you think are best to solve it?

 JS: We need our elected officials to be telling the truth about this. We see a lot of demagoguing on violence, a lot of real hyping of the problem because there’s a big divide-and-conquer push, and a lot of fear-mongering in our elections. We need to be able to tell the truth and be believable to the American people.

 There’s a huge lack of trust and outright cynicism towards the government. A lot of that has to do with the money in politics. The fact that our political system is bought and paid for by industries and businesses that are not helpful to the American people, like big pharma, the fossil fuel industry, the real estate development industry, health insurance, all the things that people are struggling with are the ones who bought and paid for our government and policies that are not serving the American people. We’re in crisis, basically, in every division of our lives.

 One of the generic things that we’ll be doing is moving to a public financing system so that you can’t have politicians serving their big donors rather than serving their voters. Another thing we intend to do is to revive town hall meetings where elected officials used to have to meet with their constituents. They need to feel that heat again so that they’re again meeting with their constituents so they can be instructed in how their constituents would like their representatives to represent them instead. Elected officials are too busy meeting with their donors, raising big money, and then turning around and serving those industries.

 If you want to combat disinformation about violence, with a problem actually being far smaller than it is (depicted), we need to basically reinstate trust again and demand that our elected officials be accountable to us, meet with us, represent us, and not take the big money from corporations and powerful industries.

 JR: There have been several high-profile reports of citizens who have been brutalized or even killed by law enforcement officers in Colorado. How do you intend to hold law enforcement officers who abuse their power accountable?

JS: Very good question. And I think this also relates to your prior question. If we want to address violence, we have to address violence from law enforcement. The numbers are significant, the numbers of people, especially people of color, who are killed under horrific circumstances. This is just far too common. And there are good, common-sense solutions here.

 One is that we need police review boards that are controlled by the community, not by, say, the mayor or the City Council, and often tend to be in buddy-buddy relationships with the police department. We actually need to be able to watchdog the police department. We need elected representatives of the community, who then have the power to hire, the power to fire, the power to do inquiry, to issue subpoenas, and so on, to stop these tragedies before they happen because so often violence from police forces is coming from bad actors who’ve already been abusing people and have been violent to people even before they then murder them. And then you also have the issue of white supremacists on police forces, and there needs to be a zero-tolerance level for that.

 You need the community to be able to be a watchdog on its police so that the police and community operate hand in hand. At the end of the day, the community needs to be in control of its police, not the police controlling the community.

 In addition, there are very good programs now which are being used around the country. I think one is in Toledo, Ohio, and another one is in New Mexico somewhere. These really great model programs that create additional providers who are not police; they’re not armed, but they’re really good at dealing with the stuff that police are not good at dealing with. Many of these tragedies happen to people who are having a mental health crisis. What is more heart-wrenching than a family calling for help from the police because their son is having a mental health crisis, and then the police come, and they shoot and kill the person who’s having a crisis? We hear about this all the time.

 We need to have mental health workers who can go out sometimes they’re called police diversion programs, and what they do is, when they take the 911 calls, they reassign calls that do not require the skills of police. They assign them to teams of social workers and mental health workers, or sometimes, the police go out in conjunction with them. This both saves communities money, and it saves communities a lot of heartache and violence, and it enables us to use police for what we need them for, not to have them in situations that they’re not good at dealing with where they tend to escalate violence, where violence is not needed. There are good programs now that can really help us invest in community safety in a broader way that doesn’t just rely on a police force.

ECONOMY

JR: Inflation is another issue we want to talk about. It hits a lot of American families hard, and while there’s evidence that it’s now beginning to fall, many still feel the financial impact. What do you believe the federal government’s role should be in stabilizing the economic situation Americans are facing?

JS: We need to remedy the situation we have right now, which allows the rich to get richer and everybody else just to be pushed further into struggle and poverty. We’ve seen poverty rates in children triple in the last three years or so while billionaires doubled their wealth. When we talk about inflation, we’re talking about rising prices, but that’s part of this bigger picture whereby resources go to the richest and not to low-income people.

We’ve also become a financialized economy that is driven by debt, consumer debt,  medical debt, health care debt, and, again, college debt, which is just going through the roof. So we need to be sure that we have an economy that’s working for working people and that people are not strapped as they are right now by their expenses. For one thing, we can massively reduce health care costs, which bankrupt a lot of people right now, and prices health care out of reach for so many people, like 18 million people from the most recent year where statistics are available, I think it was 2022, somewhere around 18 million people could not afford their pharmaceuticals. It is outrageous when pharmaceutical companies are making huge profits hand over fist.

We need to adopt a Medicare for All system. That’s what we will be pushing very much from day one, moving to Medicare for all, which cuts our healthcare costs massively at the same time that it expands healthcare to cover everybody comprehensively, including mental health, dental health, reproductive health, hearing aids, eyeglasses, etc, chronic care. You need your parents to have chronic support. You can keep them at home and have home health care under this kind of system. It’s a great system. In spite of expanding care, the total price is reduced by about 30%, and we would save half a trillion dollars a year. That’s one thing we will do as a solution that is owed to the American people.

Another is to bring down the cost of housing. It’s outrageous how people are being raked over the coals right now with their cost of housing. We talked about some of that before, such as rent control, stopping the private equity buyout, forcing that housing back onto the market, and building out real affordable housing on an emergency basis so that we have quality housing for people. That should be a human right.

Another big one is to end student debt. Public higher education should be free. It is an enormous productive investment in our economy and in our youth. We know that for every dollar we put into higher education, we get returned to the general economy $7 in worth. And it’s time, basically, to make public higher education free, as well as bail out the students, so we just cancel student debt, as we should also do to medical debt. By doing that, we give consumers such a financial boost that we can tip the scale so that people are not struggling over these prices, which have risen steeply over the last several years. They’re not rising very much right now, but they are too high because they rose so much in recent years.

We need to really bring down the costs, as I mentioned, where people are really strapped and are just paying to the teeth. We can fix that and bring down those costs right now. In addition, we can use antitrust laws to break up large corporations that use monopoly power to drive up prices. That’s one way that we can prevent prices from rising, as well as the other policies I mentioned earlier, which essentially offload major pieces of the economic burden that families and communities are carrying right now,

ABORTION

JR: The 2022 US Supreme Court decision Dobbs v Jackson overruled the precedent outlined in Roe v Wade. In Colorado, there’s a proposed ballot measure to allow the use of public funds for abortion and mandate coverage under health insurance plans. Do you support actions like that? And is there any federal legislation you would advocate for or implement that you think would either protect or ban abortion?

JS: Our view is that healthcare is a human right, and it should be available to everyone at the point of service and then paid for through a very progressive tax base, which reduces the burden on low-income and middle-income people and raises the burden at the level of the multimillionaires and the billionaires. That is a just system, and providing reproductive health care is part of that.

 As a medical doctor, I believe healthcare decisions should be made between individuals, men, women, and their healthcare providers. I don’t think the government has business dictating healthcare policies to people, except in extremely unusual circumstances. Women have a right to full reproductive care, including the choice of an abortion. If a woman and her health care provider think that that is an appropriate option, that decision should be on them.

 Providing public funding for abortion is appropriate—I would support that if we don’t have the health care system that we should have. Let me say also, that Roe v Wade should have been codified so that the Supreme Court would not have overridden it. And the Democrats promised over and over that they would do that. Both Barack Obama and Joe Biden came into elected office saying it would be the first thing they would do, but they never got around to it. Obama had the supermajority in the Senate that could block a filibuster, which could have ensured that that happened. Biden had a majority whereby he could have changed the filibuster rules to ensure that reproductive health and rights would be protected.

 The Democrats could solve this problem right now by using military bases or other federal land to build reproductive health care clinics, abortion clinics, or even health care clinics. The federal government could ensure that women have a right to an abortion and that this epidemic of rising mortality and very serious problems in the perinatal period, both before pregnancy and after delivery, (is addressed). There have been just horrific problems with lack of access to abortion, especially among African-American women, whose death rates have skyrocketed now related to pregnancy. This is a healthcare emergency, and it should be fixed, and it could be fixed. The Biden-Harris administration has the power to do it. If they care as much as they say, they could do something about it.

BONUS QUESTION

JR: That covered all the standard questions we ask everyone. I’m running out of time, so I don’t want to get into too many other things, but there’s at least one question I wanted to ask specifically for you. I know you get a lot of the accusations of being the “spoiler” candidate and that you allegedly siphon votes from the Democratic candidate. I understand the importance of a third party and want to see us move beyond a two-party system. I’m absolutely on board. At the same time, as a queer person, I have a lot of anxiety that a new Trump administration is going to roll back my rights. I think a lot of queer people are afraid of that. A lot of women are afraid of what’s going to happen to their abortion rights. Migrants are afraid of what’s going to happen under a Trump presidency. With people afraid of losing freedoms in this election, what would you say about why voting for you is in their best interest?

JS: At the end of the day, we need a strong democracy if we’re going to protect our rights to abortion, the right to be who you are, and to love who you love, and to have your gender identity, whatever it is. Those rights are critical, and they go hand in hand with our rights of free speech, our rights of protest, our right to demand redress of grievances, our right to health care. We need to stand up and protect many rights together because it’s together that we can be a real force to contend with. If we’re not together, it’s forever a game of divide and conquer.

Let me just mention some other rights that are under very serious threat right now, not only our rights to free speech, our right to be free from surveillance,  our right not to be stopped at the border. In Texas, within 100 miles of the border, you can be stopped simply because you look like a Latino, and then excuses can be found for you to be searched. We have a right to freedom from surveillance and freedom from search as well. Right now, the draft has been reimplemented, so names are now being reported to the draft board, and people are being registered across the board between the ages of 18 and 25. If you are a man, or considered a man by the government, then you are on that list.

We are heading right now into a potential World War III, as our extremely reckless warmongering government in both parties is conducting a genocide in Gaza, which is expanding, and Israel is on the verge of attacking Iran. Iran is in a military alliance with Russia. Russia has nuclear weapons, and Israel has nuclear weapons. This could become very complicated very quickly, and if you’re between the ages of 18 and 25 and the government considers you to be a male, they know where you are, and they will come and get you. And all that has to happen is for the President to say, Hey, we are in a wartime emergency, and we are reactivating the draft.

They’re already in the process of sending boots on the ground right now into Gaza to assist Israel with conducting this genocide. We need a government that protects all of our civil liberties and protects us from needless war and warmongering. Right now, half of our congressional budget is being spent on the endless war machine. It’s, on average, $12,000 per household just for this last year. According to Jeffrey Sachs, the economist, those are figures as to what the warmongering tendencies of the Democratic and Republican parties are delivering for us. This has consequences for everybody.

Our rights to justice, to peace, to a secure future are very broad and are very much under threat, the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and the rights of immigrants. And remember what happened there? You had immigrants who Republican demagogues have bashed for quite some time, and now the Democrats have adopted that policy because it sells and because they think they can manipulate people around that. Well, LGBTQ people could be next for who the Democrats are going to manipulate. They may be slightly supportive now, but they may not be tomorrow.

These are political parties that are bought and paid for by corporate America, the war machine, Wall Street, by health insurance, and big pharma. Their interests are not our interests. Our campaign represents a politics that is people-powered. We do not accept the big money that runs the big parties. You can write a million-dollar check to a Democrat, to Kamala Harris, or to Donald Trump—or to RFK, for that matter—or to the Libertarian candidate. They use these loopholes for legalized corruption. We do not do that.

What the Green Party and my campaign represent is what we, the people, actually need. We are accountable to no one except everyday people and young people, especially the queer community, (are) very much a part of who we are and who our campaign is. That is who we represent. To my mind, that’s where real security for all of us lies in being a coalition that is of, by, and for the people that is incorruptible, that’s not taking marching orders from Wall Street or AIPAC or the health insurance industry, those who are looking basically for predatory profits off of our backs. We need community-based development economies, a healthcare system that’s working for all of us, and real guarantees for our rights across the board, our civil liberties, our civil rights, our rights to expression, who we are, our various identities, we have a right to be who we are and to be respected, to have full access to the benefits of society, regardless of who we are, our gender preference, our race, our religion, etc, our sexuality. We all have an equal right that needs to be equally protected, and that is what our campaign stands for, and that is where our real security for a future we can survive in lies. 

The threats are on all fronts right now, including these cop cities, which are supported by democratic municipal governments across the country, most notably in Atlanta, where there’s a big fight over these cop cities. Who’s training the cops there? It’s the Israeli Defense Forces who are training the cops in these very violent, fascistic techniques of crowd control, and they’re building some 80 of these cop cities all around the country.

We all have very good reason to be concerned about our security about our democratic and constitutional rights, and we all very much need to stand together on behalf of all of those rights so that we’re all protecting each other. If we’re just protecting our community and not the broader community at risk here—by that, I mean people of color, low-income, working people—we’re all very much at risk. We need to be protecting each other here in a society that’s going to work for all of us, or we’re going to have a very, very rocky road ahead because it’s already pretty rocky and getting rockier, so we need to work this out together and be a strong coalition for an America and a world that works for all of us.

Chase Oliver (L)

Did not schedule interview in time

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

2ND DISTRICT

Joe Neguse (D), Incumbent – SUPPORT

Did not schedule interview in time

Marshall Dawson (R) – REFUSED INTERVIEW

Cynthia Munhos de Aquino Sirianni (Unity Party) – CONSIDERED

IMMIGRATION

I oppose the demonization of immigrants. Reason Magazine reported that Donald Trump’s proposal to arrest and deport 13 million undocumented immigrants would cost nearly one trillion dollars over ten years. It would devastate the economy due to the loss of workers in industries such as construction that are struggling to find enough labor.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

I support a universal basic income as a safety net to eliminate poverty in the United States. Livable wage laws should allow local communities to secure livable wages so that workers don’t need to spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Higher-density housing should enable workers to live in the communities where they work. We must protect elderly homeowners from high property taxes.

Homelessness is an increasing problem. We have to study each case individually to determine their needs, whether it’s mental health help, job placement, help to transition to living indoors again, or even if they want to live outdoors. I met some people in that state of mind. There should be areas where they can securely camp.

WAR

I oppose foreign military aid and foreign military intervention. We must end the US government’s involvement in endless wars and cut the destructive waste of the world’s largest military budget. The United States must stop providing military aid and political support to governments behaving like Israel. I support South Africa’s legal case in the International Court of Justice, charging Israel with genocide against the people of Gaza. I join Susan Hall, Ron Tupa, and Adam Withrow as Unity Party candidates calling for peace with justice and respect for human rights in Palestine and Israel. I support the call for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. I support an international arms embargo against Israel. I support self-determination for all people, but a two-state solution is not practical. I support a one-state representative democracy for the people of Israel and Palestine.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

I don’t agree with taking guns from people. They can carry guns anywhere they want to. This is the law of the United States. 

I support publicly funded education from early childhood, education through college, and homeschooling support. I support the forgiveness of federal student loans. There should be a strict separation between church and state. Religious education should be given at religious centers, not in publicly funded schools. I support conflict resolution training, empathy training, and anti-bullying programs in public schools. Mental health should be an important component of education, along with physical education, civic participation, arts, and creativity.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRE

We should declare a climate emergency. I support carbon taxes, including the cost of environmental impacts in prices, and policies to shift away from petrochemical agriculture and factory farming to sustainable and natural food production methods. On the issue of fire, Canada uses controlled burns for its fire management. We must find natural ways to prevent fires.

CRIME

I support federal legalization of cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms. Incarceration should be for people who commit crimes that violate the rights of others. The use of excessive force against unarmed civilians by any person under public employment should be subject to immediate review by civilian grand juries. I oppose three-strikes laws and mandatory minimum sentencing. I support evidence-based restorative justice and alternative sentencing options.

I support funding for shelters where survivors of domestic abuse can live with their children if they need to flee their homes. Law enforcement has to be held accountable. There should be empathy training for police; they should discover if they have any untreated mental issues. Police officers cannot act in a certain way towards another human being, especially because they’re being paid to protect us.

ECONOMY

I believe we should have a livable wage. I support a transition to an environmentally sustainable economy with pollution taxes to account for the cost of environmental impacts. A guaranteed minimum income should balance this to secure basic human needs. Local governments should establish livable wage laws to account for the cost of living. People should be able to afford housing in the communities where they work.

ABORTION

I support a single-payer Medicare for All national healthcare program that provides birth control and abortion services. I support a constitutional amendment to guarantee the natural right of women to reproductive freedom, including the right to get an abortion when they choose to do so.

Gaylon Kent (L) – REFUSED INTERVIEW

8TH DISTRICT

Dr. Yadira Caraveo

Yadira Caraveo (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED, (SQG)

IMMIGRATION 

I would have voted for that bipartisan immigration package, except for the Republican’s blocking it.

We need to address border security and immigration responsibly, without dividing people. It’s essential to create a legal framework for immigration while respecting and acknowledging the contributions of immigrants, including my own family.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

I introduced bills to reduce excessive late fees for renters, which drive up housing costs. Federally, we need to invest more in affordable housing and streamline construction. We also need to address housing discrimination in lending, renting, and home-buying to ensure a fair process for all.

At the federal level, it’s about providing the financial resources for states and local communities to address homelessness and housing. We need innovative practices to increase affordable housing supply, allowing states and localities to tailor solutions to their specific needs.

WAR

It’s the United States’ responsibility as a major force in the world to continue to uphold democracies wherever they may be. So whether it’s terrorist attacks like the one that Hamas perpetrated against Israel just over a year ago or whether it’s the continuing conflict in Ukraine, we need to make sure to stand up for our allies and ensure that democracy persists. 

Israel has a right to exist and a right to defend itself, but we also need to take into mind the humanitarian toll that we have seen. As a pediatrician, it is heartbreaking for me to think of children who are starving and that there are polio outbreaks in the area. I can’t even imagine how doctors are taking care of patients with little to no resources. We really need both sides to come together and negotiate the release of hostages so that the conflict can end. I would like them to come to a solution that eventually leads to two states and brings an end to the conflict, with the release of hostages.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING 

We have a long history of responsible gun reform and gun ownership, the institution of background checks, red flag laws, and regulating large-capacity magazines. The biggest issue around school shootings is access to guns, and living in a world where five-year-old’s has to go through active shooter drills is absurd to me. We need laws at the federal level. A lot of safety issues come with instituting common sense gun reform.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

As part of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I’ve supported several bills on bio-wildfire preparedness, including one of my own to improve NOAA and the National Weather Service’s fire weather prediction. We’re investing in mitigation efforts and new, science-based tactics to address the challenges of year-long fire seasons.

The Eighth District is one of the richest areas for oil and gas production, providing many jobs that support local families and the economy. At the same time, we can invest in the next generation of energy—like solar, wind, and future innovations—to ensure Colorado’s continued role in energy production.

CRIME

I’ve supported common-sense policies that ensure that law enforcement continues to be well-funded and can disrupt organized crime. I carried a bill with Representative Buck that looks at that in particular and protects Colorado families and businesses. I’ve also made sure to invest in programs that look at high-traffic crime areas and ensure that we’re investing in local police forces. Just last week or a week or two ago, I helped Greeley win a grant that increases the number of officers they will have on the force.

That is the balance that we have been seeking, in particular at the state level, and making sure that we have rules for the road to make sure that a few bad apples in the law enforcement community don’t ruin things for the whole bunch. When, for example, we voted to provide body cameras, making sure that there’s funding for that at the state and federal level so that we can make sure to get these out in our communities and have people feel safe in all aspects of law enforcement.

ECONOMY

I’ve introduced bills to ensure we’re not burdening them with excessive paperwork. I’ve brought the administrator of the Small Business Administration here to talk to Latinos about entrepreneurship and how to start their businesses. We also have to make sure that when we’re looking at tax policy, for example, next year, a lot of the tax breaks that Trump put in place are going to expire; a lot of those benefit people who make over $400,000 a year or about benefit wealthy corporations — making sure that we’re cutting taxes for the middle class, that we’re having the rich in corporations pay their fair share, and that we’re doing things like extending the Child Tax Credit, which puts up to $1,800 a month in families’ pockets to make sure that they can take care of their kids.

ABORTION

On the federal level, we need to restore Roe v. Wade and make sure that people have the freedom to have an abortion, to use birth control, and to use IVF to start a family. As a doctor, I’ve been in rooms having those conversations around high-risk pregnancies or around whether somebody wants to have a kid or not. I never thought that the government would be coming into the exam room and trying to make that decision for me or for the women that I was taking care of. We need to codify Roe v.Wade and leave the decisions around reproductive care and abortion care to women and doctors.

Gabe Evans (R) – REFUSED INTERVIEW

Susan Hall (Unity Party)

IMMIGRATION

We should be a compassionate country. After the war with Mexico, we agreed to honor the people, their language, and culture. Many Native Americans moved across these lands, and some immigrants may even be their descendants. Climate change is going to force more people to move as they lose their homes. Instead of sending $95 billion abroad to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, we could have used that money to help immigrants here or in their own countries. Another big issue is water in Colorado, especially since seven states and 25 Native American tribes rely on the Colorado River, which also flows into Mexico.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

I wish we had focused first on the issue of providing weapons worldwide, especially to Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine. That $95 billion could have been better used here. It would have been great for the government to allocate it to different states, and then we could have figured out the best ways to use it locally.

WAR

I don’t think we should be sending weapons to Taiwan. Ukraine is a bit more complex, but we did promise Russia not to expand NATO there, and then discussions started when Zelenskyy took office. Thousands have died at the border. The most troubling issue is Israel—why are we bombing civilians in schools, hospitals, and homes? It’s been labeled a genocide, and many, including U.S. citizens and 140 journalists, have been killed. Our presidential candidate, Dr. Cornel West, is firmly against supplying Israel with weapons, and neither of us would ever accept money to change our stance.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

I support no-nonsense gun legislation. I’ve heard teachers say they’d quit if forced to keep a gun in their classroom, and I don’t blame them. We’ve also talked about supplying weapons to other countries, but the more we do that, the more likely they’ll end up back here. It exposes our kids to the wrong ideas, when we should be teaching them negotiation and leading by example. We should also have healthcare for all, including mental health.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

The Forest Service certainly would be a place where we could have more jobs and more people working to keep it cleared out.

We need better public transportation, especially buses. Gas prices should be higher, and bus fares should be lower. South American countries are investing in trains, and Europe is doing the same. Electric cars are a good idea, but from what I’ve heard, there’s not enough lithium to supply everyone.

CRIME

Drugs are a major concern linked to mental health, so we should offer counseling, job training, and vocational support. Public education should cover at least the first two years of junior college, as times have changed since my parents’ generation.

Law enforcement needs to be held more accountable. If officers are reported for abuse—even before a shooting—they should face serious penalties, possibly even termination.

ECONOMY

We should be spending less than $95 billion on weapons. That money could provide support in many ways—healthcare for all, mental health services, job creation, housing, and shelters for those living on the streets.

ABORTION

Every woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body, in consultation with her doctor. This should be covered by insurance like any other healthcare need, and if we have universal healthcare, it should be included.

COLORADO STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES

District-29 Broomfield

Shannon Bird (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED, (SQG)

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS 

I’ve sponsored legislation to fund affordable rental housing and help first-time homebuyers through down payment assistance grants. In the upcoming session, I plan to introduce a bill to incentivize more condominium construction. Addressing homelessness will require collaboration across all levels of government to solve this crisis.

WAR

Israel is our ally and the only democracy in the Middle East. I support U.S. efforts to help Israel defend itself against terrorist attacks and to seek lasting peace in the region. I also support military aid to Ukraine, as Russia’s invasion violates international law and threatens U.S. allies in Europe.

CRIME

I sponsored legislation to make it harder to resell stolen catalytic converters and to increase penalties for car theft in our state.

ECONOMY

There are certain things that the state government can do to ensure that families can afford to pay their bills. A major expense facing every family in Colorado is our energy costs. All people must be able to afford heating and cooling their homes and we must be able to afford the energy needed to live our daily lives.

ABORTION

I support protecting a woman’s right to abortion in our state constitution. I have cosponsored legislation to protect abortion rights in our state and, to secure this right, I believe it should be included in our constitution. Reproductive health care is healthcare, so allowing abortion to be a covered service under health insurance plans is the right thing to do. A woman’s right to choose should also be protected by federal law. 

Evan Hunt (R) – REFUSED INTERVIEW

District-33 Broomfield/Brighton

William Lindstedt (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED (SQG)

IMMIGRATION

We’re in this situation because Congress hasn’t fixed the issue. We need stronger border security and a faster process for people to gain legal status, not one that takes seven years. The federal government can solve this by working together to pass a reform bill that everyone supports.

I had hoped the immigration bill would pass. We should reward bipartisan efforts when people come together to solve tough issues that both sides care about. It’s too bad that politics in DC tore it apart.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

The affordable housing tax credit for lower-income earners, the new middle-income housing tax credit, and efforts to ensure communities build housing near transit all aim to lower housing costs. It’s a huge issue, and I’m proud of my record of passing various housing bills over the past two years.

We have to work together. This is an issue where we’re all contributing as different communities. We all need to come together to solve it, build more low-income units, and make sure that people have access to services when they need it. 

WAR

I’m running for re-election to the State House, so we don’t really vote on any, international relations, and otherwise, very rarely. But I do support the United States’ continued role in aiding our allies in those situations. That’s the limited capacity I have in the state legislature. 

I’m running for re-election to the State House, where we rarely vote on international relations. However, I support the U.S.’s continued role in aiding our allies in those situations, though my capacity to influence that is limited at the state level.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

In the last legislative session, we fully funded schools for the first time since the Great Recession by ending the budget stabilization factor. I also have a 100% record on gun violence prevention. As Colorado is the birthplace of the modern mass shooting, I proudly support gun violence prevention legislation in the state house.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRE

Climate change is the challenge of our generation. I support policies to help Colorado meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals. There’s no time left to waste. I sponsored the Clean Power Plans legislation to ensure electric providers have plans to meet those goals, and I’m proud of Colorado’s aggressive stance on the issue.

Transportation and oil and gas are the two biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in our state. Last year, I’m proud we passed a several hundred million dollar fee on oil and gas to fund mass transit, cleaner transportation, and help address some of these emissions. 

CRIME

While Colorado’s crime rate is trending downward, we need to address the issue comprehensively. This means providing access to necessary services, increasing enforcement when appropriate, and ensuring law enforcement has the tools and flexibility to protect public safety.

Colorado has made significant progress. On city council, I helped fund a co-responder program, and we were the first county to require body cams. There’s still more to do to ensure everyone feels safe with law enforcement.

ECONOMY

Most voters mention inflation. As a state lawmaker, it can be difficult to address national issues, but we can lower housing costs and make living here more affordable by ensuring industries and jobs stay and keep pace with inflation. I’m glad to see inflation starting to curb down.

ABORTION

I endorse the ballot measure for constitutional protections for abortion access. Everyone should have access to the healthcare they need, including abortion services. I’m proudly the pro-choice candidate. 

Michael Martinez (R) – DID NOT RESPOND

Mark Bromley (U) – (SQG)

IMMIGRATION

Our government must be responsible for the fact that they left an open border. They allowed a lot of refugees to come across seeking asylum. When they cross the border, they say their home country should probably be more Americanized. Let’s get more involved in global politics so we can bring American democracy to their home countries. 

If it didn’t pass the House or the Senate, there had to be some really big issues with it. It’s a dead bill. We’re going to have to redraft a new bill that will address the people who did come here seeking asylum and want to contribute to the United States. 

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

We need to ensure people have incomes that cover rent and still leave room for disposable income. If necessary, the government may need to impose limits on the housing market to bring it under control.

At all levels—local, state, and national—we should create programs to help the homeless start businesses, find jobs, and contribute to the economy. I want to work with state legislators to end homelessness.

WAR

We have to support those who can be our allies. If Ukraine can truly join the NATO alliance and the allied sphere of things, we should help them as much as possible. As for Israel, they are moving up in the ranks and handling foreign policy in the region.

It’s just terrible that a terrorist organization is so cowardly that it has hidden itself behind human shields. I don’t think the Israelis have treated it correctly because they decided to go through the civilians to get to their objective. I think the United States has to enforce some security protocol to make sure that Israel isn’t killing innocents because innocents become enemy soldiers in the future.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

If you teach the students what they’re supposed to learn and the parents are more involved with their students, they don’t need guns. I went through high school here. Nobody had guns in the schools. When you make it a political and personal issue, this is where you get your violence. So, if we roll back the political aspects of our schools, it’s one way we can decrease violence because it just infuriates students.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRE

The Marshall Fire was bad legislation, bad policies, and bad elected officials. They changed fire protection codes for their cities, not realizing the true danger there. 

We have to have energy independence. Right now, solar and wind energy have large footprints and require large investments. These are detrimental to the environment because they take up a large footprint and require heavy maintenance. 

CRIME

Our crime is questionable at best. People have a right to have a portable stop sign with them if they’re going to run into criminals. Crime statistics are just a number that can be manipulated depending on the political party that’s in power. I would never say there’s a decrease in that kind of activity, but I would suspect politicians would lie to the public. 

It comes down to making sure that the police have better training and a better understanding of how to be strong, sensitive, and caring enough, but also effective and creating the intimidating presence that they need. A lot of people don’t realize that you don’t have to sit there and be violent or mean; you just have to be imposing as a law enforcement person and have to be effective. 

ECONOMY

To stabilize the economic situation, we need to start understanding who was elected, how we’re electing them, why they’re down there, and what they’re legislating. Recovering is simple; it’s ensuring that our banking and financial systems can create new businesses, stabilize new businesses, stabilize the employment sector, and return a large portion of our society to positive growth by encouraging disposable income and ensuring fair prices. 

ABORTION

I go for a whole new policy. I call it miscarriage laws. Miscarriage laws allow us to specifically tailor legislation and identify what we’re talking about and when we’re trying to terminate a child. I think everybody should understand that human life starts at conception. Giving alternative methods to provide for the life of the child is the most positive thing that we should be doing. 

Alex Winkler (Colorado State Party) – DID NOT RESPOND

District-19 Tri-Town/Erie

Jillaire McMillan(D) – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

I believe that media literacy, misinformation, and disinformation are top issues we should care about. Everyone has the right to free speech. We need comprehensive immigration reform in this country. We know that we need to secure our border, and we know that there are people who want to come here. 

HOUSING/ HOMELESSNESS

One of the main issues people are bringing up is the rising cost of living, and affordable housing contributes to that. Some of the things that we can do for that would be to look at our zoning laws and see where adjustments can be made.

WAR

I’m in favor of the United States trying to help bring peace to the world. I recognize that sometimes that is a matter of supporting our allies, and so it’s a tricky balance.  

We need to move towards a cease-fire in Gaza because there is a lot of humanitarian suffering there. There has been so much suffering that we need to move towards a peaceful solution that ends the fighting.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

My commitment and my priority is to maintain that fully funded level. Our schools aren’t used to being fully funded, but now they are. I want to make sure that we have a high-quality education.

I support gun reforms that will make our communities and our schools safer while not infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRE

We need to partner appropriately between state and federal land management and municipalities to mitigate the danger by clearing properties properly. 

The oil and gas industry is really important, especially in my district. We know that we need to transition to cleaner energy sources. Fossil fuels are finite and have a negative effect on our environment. 

CRIME

I support law enforcement and back Proposition 130, which will create a $350 million fund for police grants. This will increase salaries, provide hiring and retention bonuses, and fund additional education and training.

I want to ensure officers receive more training on de-escalation and support co-responder programs that pair law enforcement with behavioral health specialists.

ECONOMY

We can address inflation by supporting labor and wages so people can live where they work. Reducing housing costs, preventing grocery price hikes from mergers, and enacting consumer protection laws will help. Increasing healthcare providers will also make a difference.

ABORTION

We must protect women’s right to access the care they need and develop policies that support women, children, and families. It’s discouraging and alarming that some argue this should be a state’s decision. Access to care shouldn’t depend on where you live.

Dan Woog (R) – REFUSED INTERVIEW

District-49 West Boulder

Lesley Smith (D) – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

Our job as individuals and as elected officials is to spread the facts. I’m a scientist, so I am very data-based. The bipartisan immigration reform bill sounded ready to pass until the former President told the Republicans not to vote for it. As a result, it did not pass. I hope that, come this election, we have a new administration, and we can work on this seriously and get something done.

HOUSING/ HOMELESSNESS

HD 49’s boundaries are very large and quite diverse. It’s a great bill that passed, where the state requires that individual cities develop a housing plan and how they will implement that.

In my district, especially in the mountain areas, many retirees are worried about increasing property taxes and whether they can stay in their homes.

WAR

I support aid going to the Ukrainians because they’re right next door to the NATO countries. And we’re part of NATO. I don’t want to see it spilling over into NATO countries and starting World War III.

I would like for the President to sit down and work with Hamas, diplomats, and the other Arab countries to come up with a deterrent, free the hostages, and stop the war.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

As a former Boulder Valley School Board member during the Great Recession, I know how hard it is to make cuts. We need to eliminate TABOR. One idea to increase funding is a measure like Amendment C—a five-year timeout for K-12 and higher education.

As for firearms in schools, fortunately, Colorado is a model in this country. It passed some really good gun laws.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRE

Fire mitigation is crucial in HD 49. We need block-by-block efforts along the WUI and encourage homeowners to fireproof their homes.

As a scientist with a background in water, I know we were out of compliance with ozone levels this summer. We can address this by holding oil and gas companies accountable for methane emissions.

CRIME

The jail is overcrowded, with many inmates waiting for competency evaluations at state hospitals. We need to work with the unhoused to keep them housed and clean.

In Clear Creek, we recently had the tragic case of a young man killed needlessly by police, and those officers are being retried. We must ensure that officers can’t move from one department to another without any record or accountability.

ECONOMY

At the federal level, we’ve been waiting for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, and that’s started. We’ve also provided tax breaks to families with children. I met with Healthy Food Colorado about free school meals, which helps parents by covering breakfast and lunch costs.

ABORTION

I was one of the first people to sign the petition for the ballot measure, and I’m pretty hopeful it will pass. It’s very important that Medicare can cover abortion and abortion procedures. Talking to people at Cobalt and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, there are so many women coming to the state f that they’re just overwhelmed. I know having that coverage through Medicaid would be very helpful.

Steve Ferrante (R), (SQG)

IMMIGRATION

We need to stop illegal immigration as much as possible to vet people and prevent bad actors from entering the country. 

We should make legal immigration easier. While it’s a contentious issue, I believe states should fully cooperate with federal immigration officials to curb crime and protect citizens.

HOUSING/ HOMELESSNESS

Housing costs are rising due to several factors: the high cost of construction, materials, and the overhead for construction companies.

To support lower-income housing, municipalities should waive fees and possibly contribute land owned by local or state governments for building projects.

WAR

If the Palestinians, Iranians, or others put down their weapons, there would be peace. But if Israel disarmed, there would be war, as others would try to wipe out Israel.

Europe isn’t contributing its fair share to Ukraine. While it’s a global issue, it’s more localized to Europe. Still, with our NATO commitments, we need to do what we can to support our allies.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

We also need to raise the behavioral standards for students. We need to raise the expectations on the way they perform. 

We should have school resource officers and offer training for teachers and staff who want to step up. While I don’t want to turn our schools into military zones, but I want our kids to be as safe as possible.

CLIMATE CHANGE/FIRE

Why can’t we harvest the trees and get this fuel load out of there? It would, for one thing, bring down the cost of lumber and it would make us a lot safer.

If we look at this globally, we need that oil because we need energy. We need to harvest energy from all means possible and to develop new forms of energy and not implement those new forms prematurely.

CRIME

People are concerned about the crime of homelessness. They’re concerned about auto theft and physical assaults, primarily from homeless people. 

We need a mental health system that prevents unnecessary incarceration. Officers must receive high-caliber training, both in the police academy and through ongoing education.

ECONOMY

The government is addicted to spending, and excessive governmental spending contributes to inflation. The government needs to become more responsible in its spending.

When you go to the grocery store, when you pay your house, car  insurance, workers’ comp insurance, and things of that nature, when you have to put gas in your car, the inflationary pressure is real and tangible. The biggest issue is excessive governmental spending.

ABORTION

People can come in from out of state, and then we will have to pay for it. And you’re going to force people who don’t believe in abortion, such as myself to pay for it.

Secondarily, you’re going to take away the rights of parents from having input into the life of their child because it takes away the parental notification aspect of this. 

District-12 East Boulder County

Kyle Brown (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

Enforcing immigration policies is the federal government’s responsibility. My focus is on keeping the state’s role clear, and I will continue to ensure that everyone in Colorado, regardless of documentation status, is treated with dignity and respect.

I hope a common-sense approach to immigration will acknowledge the vital role newcomers play in our economy and communities, while also helping to enforce our immigration laws.

HOUSING/ HOMELESSNESS

Housing affordability is a top priority for me and the community I represent. I’ve championed policies to increase the supply of affordable housing and will continue to support common-sense solutions to make housing more accessible for families in Boulder County.

WAR

I believe Ukraine and Israel can defend themselves from aggression, but all parties in conflict must abide by international law. However, this issue is beyond the scope of the state office I currently hold.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

I’ve made school funding a top priority in the legislature. I supported ending the budget stabilization factor, which brings state education funding up to the Constitution’s requirements. 

I fight every day in the legislature for common-sense gun violence prevention, including leading efforts on a bill that prohibited  guns in  preschools and on college campuses in Colorado.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

Wildfire resiliency and recovery have been central to my work at the statehouse. I’ve passed eight pieces of legislation to help lower rebuilding costs, expand insurance options, keep people in their homes with reverse mortgages, and provide a sales tax refund for rebuilding.

I sponsored legislation that will ensure that people can build their homes and fences with fire-resistant materials.

CRIME

We need to address crime and criminal justice in ways that prevent issues long-term. For too long, the criminal justice system has relied on mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting communities of color.

No one should fear interventions by law enforcement because of the color of their skin or where they live. Police officers need to be accountable to our laws on the books. 

ECONOMY 

We have an affordability crisis. We need to make healthcare, housing, food, and other essentials more affordable for working families in Colorado. The government can help build a vibrant economy where everyone can succeed, and everyone should contribute their fair share to the resources and services we all rely on.

ABORTION

Abortion is healthcare, and I will continue to ensure everyone in Colorado has access to both abortion and reproductive care. I support the ballot initiative to roll back the prohibition on using public funds for abortion care because access to basic healthcare shouldn’t depend on wealth.

Mark Milliman (R)

IMMIGRATION

The federal government is failing to enforce immigration policies, and that’s not up for debate. This is having a significant negative impact on Colorado. We have our own people to care for and other challenges to address in the state.

Unfortunately, this isn’t misinformation; it has impacted crime. It’s impacted trafficking, including child sex trafficking, and it has increased the flow of drugs.

HOUSING/ HOMELESSNESS

Housing is one of the top issues. The government has been a major contributor to the increase in the cost of housing. We need to change the zoning, make it easier to build houses, especially less expensive houses. 

We need to get them the social services they need and career counseling so that they can get a job, a stable place to live for a while, substance abuse treatment that they may need, and mental health care. 

WAR

We’re not given enough information to make informed and knowledgable decisions about these conflicts. The situation in Ukraine needs to end. We should stop funneling billions into the military-industrial complex.

We need to realize that in the Middle East, the situation with Israel and Hezbollah, neither one of them wants a two-state solution. So, when we talk about a two-state solution, that is unacceptable. 

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

We spend a lot per capita or per pupil on students. It’s not necessarily more money, but how we use and apply the money matters. They’re expanding the role of their schools, we need to educate our kids. 

School safety starts at creating a good environment and a healthy economic environment. The other thing to provide safety is parental accountability, and that includes parental rights. 

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

The truth is that most of the fires that start are man-made causes.  We weren’t doing a good job with mitigation for a long time. ??So, we need to continue investing in fire mitigation in the county. 

It doesn’t behoove the oil and gas industry to have an environmental mess because it costs them money to clean it up. So, my take is to use the right fuel for the right job and do it responsibly.

CRIME

Whether crime is decreasing or increasing doesn’t matter—it’s still above traditional levels. My biggest concern is drug trafficking and human trafficking, especially of children, which many people like to think doesn’t exist in Boulder.

I’m a strong supporter of law enforcement. Unfortunately, they’re doing a very tough job in a very tough environment. Having said that, I have no tolerance for any law enforcement officer who steps across the line. 

ECONOMY

Technically, inflation isn’t falling—prices are still rising, though the rate is slowing. We need to tighten our belts because overspending contributes to inflation. All of the regulations (all of these things that we think are helpful) that the government does end up increasing costs. Even the increase of the minimum wage in Boulder County has an impact. 

ABORTION

Asking taxpayers to fund abortion is wrong, and forcing insurance companies to cover it isn’t the role of the Constitution—that’s for the legislature to decide. This issue is going to continue to divide us even farther apart. We need to start coming back again and start believing in the same things.

District-10 Boulder

Junie Joseph (D) – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

Immigration is very important to our economy. Our job at the state level is to educate one another. My job is to ensure that Coloradans are protected, no matter their immigration status. We strive to ensure that there is no discrimination at the state level.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

We need to ensure housing is not substandard for community members. Additionally, we must address middle-income housing, as Boulder’s high costs make it unaffordable for teachers, firefighters, and police. I will continue to support tax credits to fund affordable and middle-income housing as the vice chair of finance.

WAR

My job is to ensure that I am a good legislator for everyone, whether you’re from Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, or Israel. My job is to ensure that everyone in our community feels supported.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

Education is the bedrock of our democracy. I supported a bill that provided more equitable funding through the state. 

I am working on a bill that will protect gun violence protection. But we also have to protect our kids when it comes to mental health.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

During my first session, we passed two bills to buy two helicopters to help with fires. We also have to keep educating community members on how not to start fires in open space and provide more funding for fire-hardening their homes.

CRIME

Most people are good and decent. If someone falls into crime, the question is how we have supported them as a society and as a community. We need to raise the minimum wage and help people reintegrate into the community after committing a crime.

ECONOMY

Food costs more at the grocery stores, and something must be done. We have passed tax credits for single parents so they can afford more.

The price of gas is way too high. I  passed a bill, House Bill 24-1272, that gives money to community members who want to buy e-bikes and electric vehicles.

ABORTION

I believe that reproductive rights are human rights. Not only do we need to do the work on abortion rights, we also need to work on reproductive justice. What that means is that we have to protect women when it comes to infant mortality and maternal health.

William B. DeOreo(R) – DID NOT RESPOND

District-32 Adams, Unopposed

Manny Rutinel (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

It is our duty as legislators, to make sure we are correcting the facts, to make sure we are crafting policies that end up benefiting people as opposed to crafting policies that pertain to, let’s say misinformation in the broader public.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

Housing affordability is complicated on two fronts: First, we need to significantly increase the supply of affordable housing. Second, we must address demand by providing relief to those facing eviction and ensuring welfare programs are available for working families..

WAR 

Refused Answer

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

We have a limited supply of resources, but we can still ask voters for additional funds to support teachers and programs. Regarding school safety, we must address gun legislation and propose measures that tackle the mental health issues related to gun violence.

CRIME 

We need to confront crime directly. My approach is to be tough on the root causes of crime—addressing the factors that lead to socially inappropriate behavior. We must ensure people have the resources for food, housing, and healthcare.

ECONOMY

On the demand side, we need to provide working families with the resources to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Expanding the earned income tax credit would give families a significant rebate, allowing them to address various challenges.

ABORTION

I believe abortion is a civil right. Such rights shouldn’t be left to the whims of state politicians; they must be protected at every level to ensure access to essential reproductive healthcare centers.

District-35 Westminster

Lorena Garcia (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

The federal and state government and even local governments have an obligation to make sure that whatevers said about our communities is factual. It’s really disappointing to see that local elected officials and state and national elected officials are only fueling the flames of what is really dangerous messing with information. 

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

We need to build partnerships between state, interstate contacts, and local communities to ensure long-term services for the unhoused. We should learn from Denver’s mistakes and never resort to violent sweeps of the unhoused again.

WAR

I prefer not to spend over a third of our federal budget on the Department of Defense. Military aid to Israel should stop, and a ceasefire is necessary to pursue a diplomatic solution for Palestinian sovereignty while ensuring Israel’s continued existence without Netanyahu at the helm.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

We need to repeal TABOR. As long as it exists, we’ll struggle to operate effectively. Our state budget is high, and we have significant wealth that we can’t fully utilize until TABOR is eliminated or significantly reformed.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

We are making progress in fire mitigation, but we must protect our planet, especially as Colorado becomes drier. It’s essential to focus on both short- and long-term mitigation strategies that prioritize our environment. We need to be unafraid to pursue an aggressive transition plan.

CRIME

We’ve passed bills to strip immunity from police, but we need to ensure they aren’t finding workarounds to maintain it. After shooting someone, officers shouldn’t just receive paid administrative leave—it’s not accountability. There must be firm consequences for their actions.

ECONOMY

I argue that our free market system harms the economy because it prioritizes profiteering over families’ financial well-being and their ability to thrive. For a strong society, we need to eliminate price gouging and prevent taking advantage of situations for profit.

ABORTION

There must be absolute protection for abortion; it should never be banned. We cannot eliminate one vital healthcare service while protecting another that often leads to the need for abortions. 

Lee J Knoll (R) – DID NOT RESPOND

District-34, Thornton 

Jenny Wolford (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

I support policies that expand affordable housing through tax credits, public-private partnerships, and zoning reforms. First-time homebuyer assistance is crucial for low- and middle-income families. We need collaboration among local, regional, and state governments to coordinate housing strategies, including addressing homelessness with supportive services and affordable housing development. I also advocate for increased funding for mental health services, addiction treatment, and permanent supportive housing to address the root causes of homelessness.

WAR

Refused Answer

CRIME

I support community policing initiatives that foster trust between law enforcement and residents, particularly in high-crime areas. As a member of the Community Engagement Team (CET), I’ve seen its positive impact and advocate for its expansion. School Resource Officers, who are highly trained—including in mental health—collaborate with school districts in HD31, building trust among students, law enforcement, and the community. 

ECONOMY

I support tax relief measures for working families, such as property tax reductions and increased child tax credits. Focusing on workforce development and offering incentives for businesses to create good-paying jobs, especially in clean energy and technology, is essential. I advocate for lower taxes and grants to help small businesses facing inflation. I support the continuation of federal assistance programs like food stamps and unemployment benefits for those still affected by inflation.

ABORTION

I support Colorado’s proposed measure to allow public funds for abortion services and ensure abortion coverage is included in health insurance plans. I will continue to advocate for federal legislation that codifies the right to abortion nationwide, ensuring access regardless of state laws. I stand firmly against efforts to ban or restrict abortion access and support a woman’s right to make decisions about her own health care.

Audio recording issues on Immigration, Schools and Climate Change. Rather than misrepresent the candidate’s positions, we chose to leave these out.

Craig Sullivan (R ) – DID NOT RESPOND

District-31 Thornton

Jacqueline “Jacque” Phillips (D), (SQG)

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

 support policies that expand affordable housing through tax credits, public-private partnerships, and zoning reforms. First-time homebuyer assistance is vital for low- and middle-income families. We need collaboration among local, regional, and state governments to address homelessness and coordinate housing strategies. Additionally, I advocate for increased funding for mental health services, addiction treatment, and permanent supportive housing to tackle homelessness’s root causes.

WAR

Refused Answer

CRIME

I support community policing initiatives that foster trust between law enforcement and residents, particularly in high-crime areas. As a member of the Community Engagement Team (CET), I’ve seen its positive impact and advocate for its expansion. School Resource Officers, who are highly trained in mental health, partner with schools in HD31, building trust among students, law enforcement, and the community.

ECONOMY

I support tax relief for working families through property tax cuts and increased child tax credits. We must focus on workforce development and incentivize businesses to create good-paying jobs, especially in clean energy and technology. I advocate for lower taxes and grants for small businesses facing inflation and support continued federal assistance programs like food stamps and unemployment benefits for those affected by inflation.

ABORTION

I support Colorado’s measure to use public funds for abortion services and ensure coverage in health insurance plans. I will advocate for federal legislation to codify the right to abortion nationwide, ensuring access regardless of state laws. I firmly oppose efforts to ban or restrict abortion and support a woman’s right to make decisions about her healthcare.

Audio recording issues on Immigration, Schools and Climate Change. Rather than misrepresent the candidate’s positions, we chose to leave these out.

Heidi Pitchforth (R) – DID NOT RESPOND

STATE SENATE

District-23 Adams to Weld

Barbara Kirkmeyer (R) – DID NOT RESPOND

Joseph Bobko (write in) – Did not schedule interview in time.

District-17 Longmont, Erie to Lafayette

Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

We’ve provided humanitarian services and resources to support those in need, demonstrating Colorado’s caring and compassionate nature. I want to continue exemplifying these values in the state senate.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

I wrote an affordable housing bill focused on ancillary dwelling units (ADUs) and we need to explore various segments of affordable housing. If we can have an administration like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz that offers a $25,000 tax credit for homeowners, that would be a great start.

WAR

I do believe that Israel has a right to defend their country, but the carnage has been horrific, and I would like to see an immediate ceasefire. The hostages that are still being held should be released.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

Colorado has woefully underfunded public education. I have a 100% rating from the Colorado Education Association and fully support maximizing funding for schools. However, our ability to fund education is limited by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, and I would like to see that modified to ensure proper funding for public education.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Constituents have contacted me about their homeowner’s insurance being canceled due to living in a wildfire urban interface, which increases their wildfire risk. We need to do more to protect these homeowners and address those being left behind regarding insurance. This is an issue I plan to work on in January if I’m reelected.

CRIME

I’m guided by data driven policy and taking a look at outcomes in similar situations and what can we learn from that. A crime I’m concerned about is what is happening in the schools. I would like to see us do more around acceptance and inclusion in the school system so that students feel safe.

ECONOMY

A recent report shows that facility fees at Colorado hospitals and clinics have risen significantly above the cost of living. I’d like to take a look at lowering facility fee costs for those that are receiving health care. 

ABORTION

I support reinstating the rights established in Roe v. Wade, which were reversed by the Dobbs decision, leading us in the wrong direction. I fully back Amendment 79 on the Colorado ballot, which will provide state employees with access to reproductive health and abortion services.

Tom Van Lone (R)

IMMIGRATION

State government gotta follow the precedent set in the laws by the federal government. They should all work together starting with the governor’s office and ICE and the immigration offices of the federal departments of all of that. You can’t make your own policy. You must support the feds.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

The government needs to work together, but every new law raises housing costs and the overall cost of living. We have too many laws that do little but increase expenses—700 were introduced last year at the state level. This is a waste of time, and we should cut the Department of Regulatory Agencies in half.

WAR

Ukraine is a product of the war machine, and I do not support the war there. I advocate for ending the conflict by any means necessary and would have wanted a ceasefire yesterday to address the situation. We need better negotiators, as the current ones aren’t getting the job done.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

Our schools are consistently underfunded, but I propose leveraging technology to enhance education. Each child should have the opportunity to interact with AI programming at their own level. We learned during COVID that online learning is effective, and I believe we can tailor a curriculum to individual needs using technology.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

I want our ecosystem to be cleaner than ever, as it seems we’ve overlooked cleaning up highways and other areas. Colorado is doing well with rebates for various energy sources and will improve its funding efforts. Technology will dictate the pace of electrification, but I remain optimistic about the future.

CRIME

Most crime stems from varying social and economic strata. The solution lies in technology and education. Technology can facilitate learning in the comfort of one’s home, alleviating discomfort in traditional classroom settings. A better curriculum that openly addresses the effects of crime and drugs could be beneficial.

ECONOMY

Government actions contribute to inflation. Supply and demand is what a capitalistic society runs on. Any regulations that disrupt this balance can lead to inflation or deflation. If elected to the Senate, I will work to reverse many actions that cause inflation.

ABORTION

Abortion should be a federally protected issue, similar to the Second Amendment. While I prefer not to use tax funds, I also oppose raising welfare-babies. I’m concerned about the number of abortions and question whether we understand the causes of pregnancy. However, I’m optimistic about the future and believe technology will once again save humanity.

District-18 Boulder

Judy Amabile (D), Incumbent – ENDORSED

IMMIGRATION

We have to help people, do what we can to ensure that they have a place to be and food, and not be vilified.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

I sponsored the bill for accessory dwelling units that integrate rental units into single-family zones, creating naturally affordable housing. We need to protect renters by ensuring access to legal counsel. For individuals with serious mental illness or addiction issues, treatment should be provided in supportive settings, such as hospitals or residential care.

WAR

I’m for peace everywhere. I certainly wanna see that the people in Israel are safe and protected, and I certainly wanna see that the people in Gaza are safe and protected.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

I have promoted and sponsored gun violence prevention bills and supported all such measures passed in the legislature over the past four years. While we face limitations on revenue collection, we’ve implemented creative workarounds, including collecting fees that have been helpful. However, there is still much more to do.

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

We’ve invested in fire mitigation, which I believe will yield results. We also purchased two firefighting helicopters for quicker state responses to emerging fires, helping us extinguish them sooner. Additionally, we’ve passed funding measures to support firefighters and train more individuals to become firefighters.

CRIME

We need to develop crime prevention tools. While most individuals with mental illness are nonviolent, those living on the streets often have serious conditions. We aren’t doing enough to get them the care they need. Establishing a continuum of care is essential to provide help before they end up in the criminal justice system.

ECONOMY

We need to make sure that healthcare is affordable. We have to create more affordable housing so that people are spending less of their income. We should have local control over minimum wage, and wages have to come up. We have to do that in a thoughtful way that doesn’t hurt the business community. But we have to make strides towards raising wages so that people have a fighting chance.

ABORTION

I think Colorado is really leading the way because this ballot measure not only says you can get an abortion, but it also says we can help you access abortion care. We should be doing what we can to help people from other states– who don’t have the protections that we have– to get access to abortion care.

Gary Swing (Unity Party) – FAVORITE

IMMIGRATION

Freedom of travel and migration is a natural human right, regardless of borders. Everyone should be treated fairly under the law, regardless of citizenship status. I support reasonable pathways to asylum, legal residency, and citizenship in the U.S., along with legislation to facilitate this.

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

Increasing residential capacity and density in Colorado to tackle the affordable housing crisis, as well as ending the state prohibition on local rent control is imperative. We should leverage new federal guidelines allowing states to use Medicaid for housing and food. The high cost of housing is the leading cause of homelessness in Colorado.

WAR

I oppose U.S. foreign military aid and believe the country should focus solely on non-offensive defense of its territory. I’m pro-human rights and support a one-state system with proportional representation. Schools should include conflict resolution education to teach respect and empathy among individuals.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

I support public funding for education at all levels, along with empathy and conflict resolution training in schools. I advocate for gun-free school zones and addressing mental health issues to combat the culture of violence in our country. Nonviolent training is essential in education at every level.

CLIMATE CHANGE

A significant factor in climate change is the displacement of native wildlife populations by humans. We must develop an ecologically sustainable economy and society that enables people to live within planetary boundaries, ensuring life on Earth can thrive. I support transitioning to alternative transportation modes and advancing renewable energy development.

CRIME

Drug use should be viewed as a health issue rather than a crime. Individuals imprisoned for non-violent offenses should receive compassionate treatment through drug education and rehabilitation programs, allowing law enforcement to focus on violent crimes.

ECONOMY

I support transitioning to an environmentally sustainable economy that includes pollution taxes to reflect environmental impact costs, balanced by a guaranteed minimum income. It’s essential to ensure people have enough income to cover basic living expenses—housing, healthcare, public education, and transportation. We need a robust safety net to lift families out of poverty.

ABORTION

I support constitutional amendments both at the state and national level to guarantee a woman a safe legal abortion. I support public funding for birth control, family planning programs, and age-appropriate sex education in public schools. I don’t think the U.S. government or other state governments should have a role in regulating abortion.

District-19 Westminster

Lindsey Daugherty (D), Incumbent – DID NOT RESPOND

Sam Bandimere (R) – DID NOT RESPOND

Ryan Van Gundy (L)

IMMIGRATION

They should release all the statistics that can be provided to the American people. There are a lot of things that need to be discovered and corrected. There are not a lot of statistics that fall within the FBI standards. A lot states don’t report, especially sanctuary states, they don’t report a lot to the federal agencies. There’s always a little bit of misinformation, but immigration policy shouldn’t be as difficult as it is anyway. 

I don’t think it [The immigration bill] went far enough. It was more like a money laundering thing, like most of our federal government does. What we need is a comprehensive thing that makes an easier path to citizenship. But we do need a sovereign border at the same time and that, that legislation really did nothing to resolve that. 

HOUSING/TAXES/HOMELESSNESS

We’ve been seeing this since the Gallagher Act got repealed, and the cost of living has skyrocketed here. So we need to reinstate that if we could, or something way better than that. We can also work on the property taxes. What you purchase your house at is how much you should pay. You should pay that much in taxes. If you refinance, you could get a new tax adjustment. 

We can’t just always say housing is the only thing is that everybody needs because homelessness is not a one-size-fits-all issue. Some people are homeless because they have addiction problems. Some people are homeless because they need job and housing resources or have mental health issues. If we don’t build all those pillars, we will never be effective in helping. We have to get the state resources down there to the local governments to help.

WAR

I’m not an isolationist, but I do believe that we should have a strong, sovereign military. We should not be getting involved in other people’s conflicts. If you’re funding people, then you might might as well be involved in the war yourself. With all of these wars and the things going on in Ukraine and Israel, nobody has really tried diplomacy.

War sucks. It’s awful for everybody involved. I don’t know any way that Israel could handle that without always being the victim of being attacked by Hamas. I don’t know what collateral damage they could do differently. I wish that they could get a ceasefire, but they’re not working with the best of actors to try to adjudicate that. I have no right to tell these other people how they can defend themselves.

SCHOOLS/GUNS/FUNDING

We have a lot of taxes that should already be allocated for schools. We need to make sure that the money is going the way it needs to go. Sadly, we shouldn’t have to have active shooter drills. That being said, we need to fund schools and stop making them self-targets. We need to make sure the money is going to them. 

CLIMATE-CHANGE/FIRE

The climate is changing but we also lost a lot of our forest management systems. We don’t really do the things that we used to do back in the day. Whenever something goes off it’s always way worse than what it should have been and we definitely need a better firefighter response. They kill it but we need to get them better resources so that way they can handle these fires more rapidly.

We don’t have the best breathable air here, so climate change is definitely affecting Colorado. We need a more robust energy system, so we’re not so reliant on natural gas and things like that. That may help down help to cut the fires down a little bit. But I don’t know if that’s the be-all angle that could fix such a thing.

CRIME

We need to help our police department and give them the resources. Probably focus more on victim crimes instead of victimless crimes. The resources are stretched thin, just pulling people over for speeding tickets and things like that. That way, they can just focus more on stopping crimes and being more out in the presence of the community.

We have to start holding the union accountable. People are being stopped, like the poor Elijah McClain. I mean, he was stopped for no reason, just because he was in the wrong place. That’s a victimless crime. He can be whatever the heck he wants. I don’t know why the police were even interacting with him. If they’re not held accountable, the families and the victims should be recompensed for it. 

ECONOMY

We need a federal amendment that forces our government to balance the budget and not just print money. They’re the only ones that create inflation. They print the money, they’re the only ones with the purse strength. As the cost of everything goes up they get more revenue. 

ABORTION

I don’t think anything should be covered under public funds, but I also don’t think that the government or citizens have any right to force or deny health care to anybody. If abortion is what you need, then nobody has a right to tell you that you can’t have that.

COLORADO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION & CU REGENTS QUESTIONS

IN-STATE ENROLLMENT

• CU Boulder has a lower percentage of in-state students than many comparable public universities in other states. What is your stance on prioritizing enrollment for Colorado residents versus out-of-state or international students at CU-Boulder?

CURRICULUM

• Should CU adopt a faster-track curriculum to help highly motivated students graduate earlier to enter the workforce or maintain a more traditional, core-course model?

DIVERSITY/PROTESTS

• How do you plan to maintain a diverse class of students at CU, both in terms of identity and ideology? Where do you plan to draw the line when dealing with protests on campus or at campus events?

TUITION COST

• Soaring higher education costs are important for many voters with children they hope to send to college and for young people who hope to go. How do you plan to ensure tuition remains affordable for Colorado families?

RESEARCH

• How can CU advance research and innovation in industries important to the state?

SUSTAINABILITY

• What role should CU play as a leader in sustainability and climate initiatives within the state of Colorado?

COLORADO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 2

UNOPPOSED

Kathy Gebhardt, (D) – ENDORSED

EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY

I see it as an opportunity gap, not an achievement gap. Funding is key to offering equal opportunities to students at risk of lower academic outcomes. We need to invest in programs like Career and Technical Education (CTE), art, music, and sports to keep students engaged. The focus should be on expanding opportunities for all students, not just closing gaps in test scores.

CURRICULUM STANDARDS  

The State Board establishes standards, while curriculum decisions are made locally. We are focused on ensuring that standards promote post-secondary and workforce readiness (PWR). I support CTE programs and believe school districts should receive credit for strong PWR initiatives. St. Vrain Valley’s CTE and Innovation Center exemplify how to prepare students for future careers.

SCHOOL FUNDING

Every school is underfunded; the question is by how much. Facility funding can be addressed with one-time resources like tax rebates, but operational funding requires ongoing support. TABOR limits our revenue-raising ability, and the current budget won’t resolve the issue. We may need to ask voters for additional taxes to fully support public education and address operational shortfalls.

TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

Paying teachers a living wage is essential, but we also need strong support systems, such as mentoring programs for new teachers. First- to third-year teachers should have a safe space to ask questions and receive feedback outside of evaluations. Mentorships can enhance teacher retention by fostering supportive relationships and professional growth.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Parent engagement is crucial. While on the Boulder Valley School Board, I helped establish the BVSD Community Leadership Academy for parents to learn about district operations. We also launched BVSD Connects, holding sessions in schools twice a year to listen to parents. Additionally, parents can join district and school accountability committees, and we ensure bilingual families are represented through Spanish-language groups.

SCHOOL CHOICE

I support both public and charter schools. District 2 has strong charter schools, and I believe in school choice. Unfortunately, the tension between traditional public schools and charters has become adversarial. I wish we could shift the focus to working together for the benefit of all students.

CU Board of Regents

Elliott Hood (D) – ENDORSED

IN-STATE ENROLLMENT

CU is subject to state law, which requires that a majority of our students come from in-state rather than out-of-state or international backgrounds. I support that law.

CURRICULUM

I support faster pathways for students who wish to graduate early, saving time and money while reducing student debt. I also back concurrent enrollment for high school students to earn college credits before attending CU, and community college transfers should receive maximum credit for their completed courses.

DIVERSITY

This is a major priority for me. The Regents recently passed a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion policy that commits the university to these issues and requires campuses to develop specific plans to meet diversity goals. The Regents will review these plans to hold the university accountable and ensure budgeting supports these objectives.

I believe in the right to protest, but those using university property must adhere to rules governing the time, manner, and place of protests. These rules ensure protests don’t disrupt classes or access to buildings and must be applied equally, regardless of the message. As long as the rules are followed, I support free expression.

TUITION COST

This is my top priority. I view this challenge as not just about tuition, but also reducing overall education costs and student debt. Some ideas include: locking in tuition rates, increasing affordable housing, lowering material costs, and expanding the endowment. We must control the frequency and amount of tuition increases while maintaining expected academic programming.

RESEARCH

We must ensure our research aligns with the state’s needs and goals by collaborating with stakeholders in government, industry, and academia to identify areas for impactful research. Our programs and resources should be tailored to address these needs.

SUSTAINABILITY

We need to enhance our research on sustainability and climate solutions. As a leader in this area, CU must commit to becoming more sustainable as an institution. This includes reducing energy use, transitioning to renewable sources, and aiming for carbon neutrality in the coming decades. Many universities and companies have made this commitment, and CU should follow suit.

Eric Rinard (R) – QUALIFIED

IN-STATE ENROLLMENT

There is  some nuance in this issue. As a former in-state student myself, I believe it’s crucial to maximize the number of qualified in-state students admitted across all campuses, including Boulder.

CURRICULUM

I have no objection to a faster track for students capable of taking on more credit hours per semester. Flexibility can benefit those ready to move into the workforce sooner.

TUITION COST

Tuition is currently unaffordable, influenced by various factors beyond the university’s control. I will carefully evaluate any actions by the Regents that could lead to cost increases and tuition hikes. My goal is to explore alternatives and work toward lowering those costs.

DIVERSITY/PROTESTS

The university should do more to welcome diverse viewpoints. While CU aims to align its enrollment demographics with the state’s population, we can enhance efforts to attract diverse student applicants. True diversity in higher education begins with strong preparatory programs like P-TECH, which enables high school students to earn college credits or even an associate’s degree.

Free speech is a core American value, but interrupting someone else’s speech is not protected. To enjoy your own right to free speech, you must respect the speech rights of others.

RESEARCH

The university recently achieved a record in research funding, primarily from the government. However, I would like to see more collaboration with private industry to support research. We should explore expanding our partnerships to benefit key industries further.

SUSTAINABILITY 

CU has many opportunities to advance research that improves everyday life. I’m a big fan of electric vehicles (EVs)—they’re clean, quiet, and efficient—but I have concerns about lithium batteries due to their expense and short lifespan. I’d like to see more research into alternative energy forms and better battery technology, such as the promising “million-mile battery.”

TJ Cole (Unity) – QUALIFIED

IN-STATE ENROLLMENT

We should focus on making CU the top choice for Colorado students. Building strong connections with local high schools is crucial for improving enrollment. While programs like ASSET are already in place, we need to enhance outreach to rural areas and inner-city communities to ensure their students have access to CU.

CURRICULUM

I believe CU already provides flexibility for individual learners. There are pathways for motivated students to graduate sooner if they choose, while more traditional options remain for others. I think the current system already accommodates both approaches.

DIVERSITY/PROTESTS

The most important thing we can do is improve collaboration with inner-city and rural communities. Expanding the ASSET program to these areas will help ensure students from diverse backgrounds have access to CU. By increasing opportunities for earning college credits early, students are more likely to continue their education at CU, which will help us maintain a diverse and inclusive student body.

I believe in the first amendment and support protests as long as they are peaceful and safe for the community.

TUITION COST

A key part of my platform is fiscal prudence—ensuring we use public dollars efficiently. We can keep tuition manageable for in-state students by expanding collaborations with local high school districts through ASSET programs. This allows juniors and seniors to take college credits early, reducing the amount of time they spend in college and, ultimately, the total cost of their education.

RESEARCH

CU is already a leading research institution in the Western region, and we need to continue building on that. Supporting our professors and ensuring they have the resources and funding they need is key. By fostering more innovative ideas, we can strengthen CU’s role in driving research that benefits Colorado’s industries.

SUSTAINABILITY

CU can leverage its research capabilities and maintain fiscal responsibility to be a leader in sustainability. This includes ensuring we don’t overuse natural resources and converting older buildings into more eco-friendly facilities. By being mindful of our spending and resource use, CU can continue to lead in sustainability efforts.

Thomas Reasoner (Approval Voting Party) – DID NOT RESPOND

TOWN OF ERIE MUNICIPAL ELECTION QUESTIONS

DEI

• The town has made significant efforts to be an inclusive employer. What are your plans to continue supporting and expanding these programs?

BUDGET

• How would you help/propose the town manage capital improvements while maintaining fiscal discipline?

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RIDGE-TWO QUESTIONS

• O&G isn’t going away. What steps would you take to ensure public health and environmental safety With Erie growing as much as it has and future developments on the horizon/planned?
• Red Tail Ridge is a development proposed on an old Oil and Gas field, do you approve of this development or oppose it and if so, why?

OPEN SPACE

• What is your plan for growing and maintaining open space in Erie?

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

• Describe how you would work collaboratively with the Planning Commission and Planning Department to encourage developers to submit proposals for strategic & sustainable growth. How would you communicate those plans to the community in an effort to educate and inform them?
• Describe how you would work collaboratively with the Planning Commission and Planning Department to encourage developers to submit proposals for strategic & sustainable growth. How would you communicate those plans to the community in an effort to educate and inform them?

PUBLIC TRANSIT

• Erie has weak public transit options with very limited availability. What would you do to improve those choices for residents?
• How do you plan to poll voters on their desires around public transport?

*In full transparency, the publisher, Shavonne Blades, has lived in Erie for more than 30 years. She is involved in the community and the local elections. It matters to her who is representing her. We have noted which candidates she personally supports, however the Editorial Board refrained from endorsement to maintain division.

Mayor

Justin Brooks, Incumbent – *Publisher Endorsement

DEI

We are very proud that we’ve been able to embed not only our hiring or training but also our retention policies. We have incorporated a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer into our HR department, and we have regular classes that we send our staff and senior staff to teach them how to navigate crucial conversations and provide feedback.

BUDGET

We prioritize the projects that are most important or highest on the list and consider the cost of waiting to have them done later versus having them done later.

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RANCH

At this time, we have no intention of creating a heavy industrial zone in the town, so that said, there will not be any new oil and gas applications approved under my administration.

I did not approve of it [Redtail Ranch] based on the many risks surrounding it. There were oil and gas pads to the north, a landfill to the east, a landfill to the West, and toxic dumping sites. IBM, I think, was a Superfund site at one time. He was just nearing as well, and I think that the residential development sighting at that location was not well thought out.

OPEN SPACE

Today the Planning Commission and the town council don’t have a lot of direct collaboration when it comes to strategy and planning and those types of things and they’re developing a comp plan they do have an opportunity to engage with the council to give feedback on elements.

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

For those who know me, my last campaign and monitored the various initiatives since I was elected, affordable housing is deeply important to me and I think that having the ability to not only purchase or rent to put a roof over your family’s head it’s important for you to not be distressed in your home for you to be able to put food on your table and pay your bills at the same time is extremely important.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

That’s another area that’s deeply important to us. Erie High School is the only high school in the school district that is not on an RTD public right of way, so it’s not served by public transit that’s a problem, and we’ve been working with RTD and with CDOT to increase the transit quality in our area.

Andrew Moore – REFUSED INTERVIEW

We sent Mr. Moore a list of topics we would be discussing; Mr Moore’s response to our writer was as follows, “Thanks for reconnecting.  After reviewing the original request, I noticed that the topics are not focused on Erie. Can you clarify the questions?”

Our publisher responded, but we did not receive any further correspondence after this.

DISTRICT 1

John Mortellaro – DID NOT RESPOND

Andrew Sawusch, Incumbent – DID NOT RESPOND

Anil Pesaramelli  – *Publisher Endorsement

DEI

The town needs to hire talent from other places. As of now, Erie is in the top 50 best places to work. It is important to have a place where people can work and live, so affordable housing is important.

BUDGET

The bottom line is to have a place where people can work and live, so providing actions for affordable housing also helps them come back, and this can be done through grants and at the state level.

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RIDGE

Oil and gas is not going away, and we need to find ways to coexist with them by ensuring proper maintenance and enforcement of existing wells. I’m opposed to any development over existing wells and believe we should address any contamination and damage that has already occurred. Open spaces and parks are vital for quality of life, and we must work to preserve them.

OPEN SPACE

I engage in conversations at various levels and remain open to input. As a good listener and a professional engineer, problem-solving is part of my daily routine. I aim to bring that approach to the community, encouraging the public to join in solving these issues.

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

This is a great question and one I’m passionate about. My son is graduating from CU Boulder and has said, “Dad, I think I need the basement. I’m looking for a job but need somewhere to live.” This situation highlights that many people are in the same boat. The city has acquired more land for affordable housing, which I fully support. Many seniors also want to downsize but find it challenging.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

I’ve talked to some city staff about the transportation issue. RTD is doing studies, but not every road in Erie is part of them. Some things are currently being worked on, and my voice will be part of that as well.

Richard Garcia  – *Publisher Endorsement

DEI

The town has made a lot of progress in hiring people of color. One of the things that I want to contribute once I get on the council is to conduct more conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just for the city employees but also as community support conversations.

BUDGET

Our general operating budget includes about 10 or 11 funds, with capital improvements being one of them. Approximately 53% of this budget is generated from sales and property taxes, while the rest comes from other sources. I want to explore ways to increase the capital improvement fund without depleting general operating funds, and I plan to collaborate with city staff and trustees on this.

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RIDGE

I propose creating a larger presence to influence policy by forming a task force of citizens and council members, and hiring a lobbyist to advocate with our state legislature. This will help us influence legislation that protects our city from unsafe activities in our community.

I oppose Redtail Ridge because they consider retail as part of their affordable housing plan. I believe we shouldn’t place people near a toxic dump.

OPEN SPACE

I would engage the community by holding town meetings to inform them and gather input on decisions related to this topic.

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The school district is one of the largest employers in Erie, yet our teachers cannot afford to live here. When considering diversity and inclusivity, the high cost of housing is a significant barrier to enhancing both in the town of Erie.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

I’m unsure of the current involvement with the original transportation systems, but we need to establish our own transportation system, especially as we consider constructing town centers.

DISTRICT 2

Dan Hoback, Incumbent – *Publisher Endorsement

DEI

I want to retain the existing staff because there remains a segment of the town that is intolerant toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s important to maintain our current structure.

BUDGET

We review the regular budgets about 3 times a year, we always know where we are and we are usually very close to budget if not beating budget and by the end of the year.

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RIDGE

I’m not aware of any planned projects, but we need to enforce stringent rules and limitations to move forward. I voted no on that proposal for several reasons, including public health and safety. I was one of four council members who voted against Redtail Ridge, while two voted for it. If it fails, it can’t return for another 12 months, and I’m unsure of the plans.

As the liaison to the Open Space and Trails Advisory Board, I work to ensure we have a target list of properties that may become available. If not, we maintain contact with the owners to check on potential availability.

OPEN SPACE

What we need to do is continue to push the developers to add some high density air density medium density mixed use density to do their plans because that’s how you create a sustainable community.

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

It’s definitely a problem that we need to address …We just need to keep driving it.

TRANSPORTATION

Public transport is a big ticket item that Erie can’t really do on its own. We’re working on a shuttle service similar to what other instabilities have for the most the most necessary of our residents and we work with RTD to try to get more services.

Brandon Bell, Incumbent – DID NOT RESPOND

Dan Maloit – DID NOT RESPOND

Ben Hemphill – *Publisher Endorsement

DEI

I plan to work with the town manager to cultivate a culture of respect and ensure that everyone knows they’re welcome to work with everyone in the town and on the council.

BUDGET

I would work with the other councilors and the finance department to determine our priorities and what makes the most sense.

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RIDGE

I would work towards robust monitoring, working with the town legal department to understand the penalties that can be given to companies found out of compliance.

I plan to maintain open spaces to effectively use our mixed-use zoning to provide the density that we need for a sustainable tax base throughout the town. I also plan to designate land that doesn’t have any actual revenue coming in but can still be enjoyed by the community.

OPEN SPACE

Collaborating with the Planning Commission would be straightforward for me, as I currently serve on the Planning Commission. We need to approach quasi-judicial items carefully while ensuring regular communication, likely through study sessions where the council and Planning Commission can work together.

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Affordable housing is an important part of Erie. Many of my fellow candidates talk about it, and I generally agree with them. We must ensure that people who work here, be they teachers, first responders, or service workers, are able to live in Erie.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

The first step would be for the Weld County residents to vote to expand RTD into Weld County would allow Gary to the entirety of Erie to be in an RTD district, so if that happens, then work closely with RTD to evaluate the expansion of routes through Erie.

DISTRICT 3

Brian O’Connor – DID NOT RESPOND

Travis Pinz – DID NOT RESPOND

Emily Baer, Incumbent – *Publisher Endorsement

DEI

I do support those efforts and I have taken advantage of all of the diversity equity and inclusion training that this town has offered. I was the liaison to the DEI task force and justice equity diversion system.

BUDGET

Last October we voted to take extra funds over our recommended 20 to 25% reserve funds and put those into a capital improvement fund so that we’re able to ensure that our budget is serving the community.

OIL AND GAS/RED TAIL RIDGE

I advocated for Senate bill 181 and 2019. Bill 181 did not was not the end all, be all. We know that it’s important to stay engaged. It’s important that Erie has a voice at the decision making table.

I have opposed it, I voted against it twice I believe this year. And, it is not on an old oil and gas field it is on a current frack site the Waste Connections and frack sites are located on that land.

OPEN SPACE

The Planning Commission and planning department are really great assets and resources for the town council. We do work very closely with them in strategic growth to include consideration for our community’s needs.

DEVELOPMENT/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

It’s extremely important that we are being planful so that the town is able to position ourselves forward to take advantage of things like grants and funding that comes from the state and federal dollars that we’re able to purchase land and position to support our affordable housing goals.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

I’m excited about Erie’s on-demand service, which will start early next year. They’ll be a service for residents. They can call or use an app to get a car directly to their house and take them directly to wherever they want to go, whether they live in Vista Ridge or want to go to the new King Soopers at 9 miles.

SUPERIOR MUNICIPAL ELECTION QUESTIONS

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL AIRPORT NOISE

• Rocky Mountain Regional Airport is receiving a lot of complaints from residents and is currently in litigation with Boulder County over noise. They mainly express they are concerned about the increase in traffic, the low-flying airplanes and the ongoing noise. What is your stance on the lawsuit and what will you do to help resolve their concerns? 

OIL AND GAS

• What actions will you take to lessen Superior’s dependency on natural gas?

OPEN SPACE

• Having enough open space to serve as a greenbelt is also high on residents’ concerns. What are your plans for development and in particular open space for Superior?

YOUR AGENDA

• Residents really want us to ask is your one specific agenda idea without being general?

CLIMATE CHANGE/NATIVE GRASS

• Native grasses are an obvious concern of Superior residents, which is in overall maintenance. What role do you see Superior in mitigating the wild grasses in the open space?

INFRASTRUCTURE

• How would you improve the infrastructure of superior, such as roads?

Heather Cracraft – ENDORSED

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL AIRPORT

As the lawsuit progresses, I look forward to learning more about options to mitigate the residents’ concerns.

OIL AND GAS

I need to educate myself more on the details/costs/savings as a municipality in this area. It is important to focus on bettering ourselves each day when it comes to sustainability.

OPEN SPACE

As part of the Home Rule Charter Commission, we discussed the value of our open space and wanted to ensure its protection for the future and beyond. Open Space is one of the reasons that our community is such a wonderful place to call home.

YOUR AGENDA

If elected, my focus is to join the Board and bring my experience from 26 years in the community. I want to continue concentrating on development that sustains our local industries, strengthens our tax base, and supports our residents to maximize our community’s potential. 

CLIMATE CHANGE/NATIVE GRASS

I have volunteered to be a Wildfire Partner, working closely with our Town Staff on better practices for our homes and the open space that surrounds our Town. As a Marshall Fire survivor, I appreciate the county and its resources for more education. The science developing about that specific wildfire and how we can learn from it is important to pay attention to.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure has always been a top budget priority in Superior as the town has grown. It’s essential to develop a plan that addresses both short-term and long-term maintenance. After facing two natural disasters in the past 11 years, we’ve encountered challenges, but Superior’s staff is doing excellent work.

Mike Foster – ENDORSED

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL AIRPORT

I support the Town’s lawsuit. 

OIL AND GAS

We have been collaborating with the Town to provide more charging stations and actively pursued and supported the town’s efforts to seek federal funding to help us with this.

OPEN SPACE

Open space is meant to be preserved as open space. I would never have any plans to develop open space. 

YOUR AGENDA

My long-term priorities are the economy, the environment, and equity. 

CLIMATE CHANGE/NATIVE GRASS

I support the work that Boulder County is doing on fire research to identify and work to mitigate grassland fires and understand how fires operate in a grassland environment. 

INFRASTRUCTURE

The town has over $35 million in unfunded capital improvements projects, such as road maintenance, schools, parks, and playgrounds, which need to be renovated. I am supporting the town’s sales tax increase, which is on this November’s ballot.

Sandee Hammerly, Incumbent – ENDORSED

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL AIRPORT

The Rocky Mountain Airport has become an increasing problem for the Town of Superior due to noise and air pollution. Earlier this year, we filed a lawsuit against Rocky Mountain Airport and Jeffco to abate the public nuisance from piston-engine aircraft. I’m fully supportive of that action.

OIL AND GAS

As an individual town, our abilities are limited due to scarce resources. However, we benefit from a strong partnership with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, which should provide significant support in moving everyone in the right direction.

OPEN SPACE

Any open space in the town is restricted, and we can’t and won’t build on it.

YOUR AGENDA

As of Sept. 2024, the Town of Superior has issued 257 certificates of occupancy, meaning that we are about 65 percent rebuilt, but until every homeowner has returned home, our work’s not done. In addition, as a town, we need to make sure that we recover the federal dollars owed to us for recovery. 

CLIMATE CHANGE/NATIVE GRASS

This is a huge priority for our town. We have been doing as many things as we can with the budget. 

INFRASTRUCTURE

One of the things that we are trying to do is a sales tax increase and a bond issue. If it passes, we can fix these things sooner rather than later.

Gregory Horowitz – QUALIFIED

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL AIRPORT

I fully support the town’s position on the litigation, but I don’t think it’ll stop there. I believe that it is important that we come together as a community to find solutions that work for everyone. 

OIL AND GAS

With my background in sustainability, I see the need for this. We’ve already implemented (several initiatives), and I also understand the other point of view: some people just like it (natural gas) better. 

OPEN SPACE

It is important to preserve the open space and natural environment that we currently have. 

YOUR AGENDA

The people in the town have many opinions on many issues. I think there is a proper place to express those opinions so they can be addressed. 

CLIMATE CHANGE/NATIVE GRASS

We need native and adaptive grasses, so it’s important to maintain the natural and native adaptive grasses that we have here.

INFRASTRUCTURE

I think it is important to maintain our current infrastructure and investigate what we need to do to improve it.

George A. Kupfner – DID NOT RESPOND

Jason Serbu – DID NOT RESPOND

STATE AND LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES

ERIE COLORADO BALLOT MEASURES

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT BALLOT ISSUE 7B (Weld County Ballots only) – YES

This measure would integrate the Weld County portion of Erie into RTD, providing including a potential extension of the JUMP line to Erie High School, along with additional regional funding opportunities.

A tax increase of 1 cent per $1 purchase (or $1 per $100) would apply only to purchases made in the Weld County portions of Erie, as properties in Boulder County already belong to RTD and pay this tax.

Since Erie can only take the bus five times a day to Boulder, YS votes YES for transportation.

ERIE 3C: MARIJUANA MORATORIUM LIFTED/EXCISE TAX PASSED – YES

This proposed ballot measure will ask Erie residents to decide whether to impose a 5% excise tax on the retail sale of marijuana, encompassing both recreational and medical use. This tax rate is the most common among Colorado municipalities that allow marijuana sales.

If the measure passes, it will lift the moratorium as of January 1, 2025, permitting up to two retail marijuana stores to apply for licenses within the Town of Erie. YS recommends a YES vote. It has been 10 years sine marijuna was legalized and Erie is losing tax dollars to their neighbors.

ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL BOND MEASURE – YES 

This measure would enable the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) to borrow $739.8 million for several key initiatives, Build five new schools: a Montessori School in Longmont, a high school and CTE center in the Erie/Tri-Town area, a PK-8 school in Mead, and an elementary school in Erie, along with an expansion of Longmont’s Innovation Center. This bond does not raise taxes. YS endorses a YES vote.

CITY OF BOULDER BALLOT MEASURES

City of Boulder Ballot Question 2C – Council Pay, Ordinance 8640 – YES

A charter amendment to Section 7 proposing to: Increase council compensation from a per-meeting stipend to an amount based on Area Median Income (AMI) to better reflect the growing demands and complexity of council work. Elected Officials deserve to be paid, YS endorses a YES vote.

City of Boulder Ballot Question 2D – Executive Sessions, Ordinance 8641 – NO

A charter amendment to Section 9 and a new Section 21A to: Authorize the City Council to hold executive sessions in accordance with state law. Because we believe transparency is critical for government, YS votes NO.

City of Boulder Ballot Question 2E – Boards and Commissions Charter Cleanup, Ordinance 8639 – NO

A charter amendment to Section 130 to: Empower the City Council to establish by ordinance the terms and criteria for board and commission members, and to revise the language regarding the removal of these members. Considering Boulder has a bad track record for managing some of it’s more “controversial” commissions, we vote NO without clear protections for committee members.

COLORADO BALLOT MEASURES

Amendment 79 – YES

This is likely the most important ballot measure for Coloradans. Colorado Amendment 79 would add the right to abortion to the state constitution and allow public money for abortion services. This means abortions would be covered under the publicly funded Colorado Medicaid program, HealthFirst Colorado. YS suggests voting YES to protect the reproductive rights of Coloradans for years to come. 

Amendment 80 – NO

Colorado Amendment 80, the Constitutional Right to School Choice Initiative, proposes adding a right to school choice to the state constitution. If passed, it would:

• • • Guarantee school choice: Every K-12 child in Colorado would have the constitutional right to choose among various education options.
    • Parental control: Parents would have the right to direct their children’s education.
    • Broader educational options: School choice would encompass public neighborhood schools, charter schools, private schools, homeschools, and other innovations, allowing families to select the best fit for their child.

A NO vote on Colorado Amendment 80 protects teachers’ unions by opposing the expansion of charter schools and alternatives like vouchers for private and homeschools. These alternatives can divert funding from public schools, weaken teachers’ unions, and reduce protections and resources for educators in traditional public schools. Voting NO helps preserve strong public education and the rights of unionized teachers.

Amendment I – NO

Colorado Amendment I would change the rules for bail in first-degree murder cases. A NO vote on Colorado Amendment I would help protect people from being denied bail in first-degree murder cases, especially considering the high rate of wrongful convictions in violent crimes. Mistakes happen, and innocent people can be accused. Keeping the right to bail ensures that those wrongly accused still have a chance to defend themselves while awaiting trial. Voting NO safeguards the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Prop K – NEUTRAL

This ballot issue doesnt involve any earth-shattering changes. It requires citizen-led ballot initiatives to submit petitions one week earlier to qualify for the ballot. We are unsure the extra week makes a difference, but perhaps it is to counter against how much easier it is to citizen-led ballot initiatives on the ballot than other states. We are NEUTRAL on this one.

Prop 128 – NO

Like Amendment I, Proposition 128 seeks to make significant changes to the state’s judicial system. This initiative would alter when individuals convicted of certain violent crimes can apply for parole. Currently, in Colorado, those convicted can apply after serving 75% of their sentence and can earn time off for good behavior. Under the new plan, for crimes committed on or after January 1, 2025, individuals would need to serve 85% of their sentence before applying for parole, with no reduction for good behavior. YS suggests voting NO for Prop 128 for similar reasons to Amendment I. 

Amendment J – YES

Although Colorado legalized same-sex marriage in 2014, the state’s Constitution still defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Colorado Amendment J aims to remove this outdated ban, ensuring that marriage is no longer limited to heterosexual couples.

A YES vote reflects modern values of equality and respect for all couples, aligning the state constitution with the legal protections and rights of same-sex couples, and supporting fairness and love for everyone.

Prop 127 – YES

YS has received many letters to the editor urging voters to vote YES to ban the hunting of wild cats in the state. This initiative aims to ban trophy hunting, which is defined as intentionally killing, wounding, chasing, or trapping mountain lions, bobcats, or lynx.  Under this measure, mountain lions would no longer be classified as big game, meaning that any issues involving mountain lions and livestock wouldn’t qualify for damage claims with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Additionally, it would make it illegal to possess a bobcat or lynx, resulting in a misdemeanor charge that could lead to fines or jail time. 

Prop 130 – NO

This initiative aims to establish the Peace Officer Training and Support Fund, providing an additional $350 million for law enforcement in Colorado. The funds would be used to increase salaries for police officers, offer bonuses to attract and retain exceptional officers, hire more officers to address specific crime issues like gang activity and drug trafficking, and fund education and training, including use of force, physical fitness, and criminal justice studies.

Additionally, the initiative would create a $1 million death benefit for the family of a peace officer killed in the line of duty, with an estimated annual cost of $4 million. At this time, YS suggests voting NO, as we believe taxpayer money can be better spent on other departments such as education and public transit.

Prop 131 – NO

This initiative proposes implementing top-four primary elections and ranked-choice voting for various offices, including the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and governor. Currently, Colorado’s primaries are semi-closed, allowing only registered party members and unaffiliated voters to participate. Winners are determined by plurality vote, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins without needing a majority.

While ranked-choice voting is generally viewed positively by the left, politicians from the Republican, Democratic, and Green parties have all opposed this proposition for valid reasons. As YS reported earlier this year, the measure is backed by Kent Thiry, a wealthy Coloradan who seeks to inject more money into Colorado’s elections. For these reasons, YS suggests voting NO on Prop 131.

Prop KK – YES

Colorado Proposition KK proposes a 6.5% excise tax on the manufacture and sale of firearms and ammunition, to be paid by dealers, manufacturers, and vendors. Revenue from this tax would support the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Cash Fund, funding essential programs such as:

• • • Crime victim services for those affected by violence.

• • • Mental and behavioral health programs for children and veterans.

• • • School security and safety programs to enhance student protection.

A YES vote ensures that those profiting from firearm sales contribute to community safety and support for victims. This initiative provides vital funding for mental health programs and improves school security, making Colorado safer for everyone. Voting YES on Proposition KK is a proactive step toward supporting public safety and well-being.

Colorado Supreme Court Judges

YS was not able to interview or review the judges prior to publication of the Election Guide. However, here are two sources for reviewing judges. After reviewing for our own ballot, we voted yes to retain them all.

State:

https://judicialperformance.colorado.gov/2024-judicial…

The post Yellow Scene Election Guide 2024 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Local elections are often the most important to your daily life but are not given nearly as much attention as large national events. YS strives to provide a comprehensive guide to the upcoming elections so you can have a voice in how your city, neighborhood, and community are run.

We ask all candidates running against each other the same questions. However, answers are condensed and summarized when needed to fit our size constraints. Each candidate we have an opinion on is then given status by our election board — Endorsed, Qualified, Unqualified — and every race has an endorsement.

Editors Note:

Nothing gets past our readers. They noticed a mistake that slipped into the YS Election Guide and alerted us immediately. 

For Broomfield, City Council Ward 1, YS endorses Kenny Nguyen.

YS does not endorse Chriss Hammerschmidt. We actually find her Unqualified due to her anti LGBTQ+, anti-abortion, and conspiracy theory views that she would bring to City Council. 

We apologize for any confusion for mislabeling this endorsement and want to thank our supporters for quickly pointing this out.

In our defense, we were up into the late hours of the night with a flurry of spreadsheets, documents and design layouts to be completed of over 84 candidates and 24 ballot issus — such is the life of a small, independent magazine that still believes in real, local journalism — but take full responsibility for our mistake.

Colorado Statewide Ballot Measures

Proposition II – Taxes and Tobacco: Asks voters to either (1) allow the state to retain and spend revenue the state received above the estimated revenue generated from increases taxes on cigarettes and tobacco and nicotine products in Proposition EE or (2) refund $23.65 million to distributors and wholesalers and reduce the tobacco tax rate by 11.53% | Vote: Yes

Proposition HH – Taxes and Property: Reduces the property tax rate; allows the state to retain and spend revenues (that it would otherwise be required to refund to residents under the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR)) to give local governments to make up lost tax revenues from the property tax rate reduction | Vote: Yes

Boulder County Ballot Initiatives

1A – Open Space extension: A proposal to extend for fifteen years the existing 0.05% countywide sales and use tax for the purpose of acquiring, improving, managing and maintaining open space lands and other open space property interests. | Vote: Yes

1B – Affordable Housing Extension: A proposal to extend for fifteen years the existing 0.185% countywide sales and use tax for the purposes of funding existing and additional affordable and attainable housing and related supportive services within Boulder County. | Vote: Yes

6A  – Nederland EcoPass Public Improvement District extension: A proposal for a ballot issue for the November 2023 election to extend for ten years the District’s existing ad valorem property tax mill levy imposed at a rate not to exceed 1.85 mills for the purposes of paying the costs of providing a Regional Transportation District EcoPass to all District residents; and to seek elector authorization for the District to administer an EcoPass program for non-resident employees of employers operating within the District. | Vote: Yes

Broomfield Elections

Broomfield Mayor – UNOPPOSED

Guyleen Castriotta – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: You don’t see a lot of folks camping in tents. People do live in their vehicles or are living several to a room. It looks different in Broomfield. We offer referrals for services for emergency and transitional housing, mental health if they need it and also in the colder months, we offer hotel vouchers.
• Infrastructure: Regional Transit Authority (RTD) is underfunded, under-resourced and overprescribed. Broomfield contributes about $17 million a year to RTD. If you’re transit dependent in Broomfield then then you’re out of luck and that is the bigger problem. There has to be systemic change in the state to truly create a public transit system that serves everyone.
• Development: We’re embracing growth, we’re building and improving as fast as we can. Voters approved an open space tax in perpetuity, and that helped fund a lot of land acquisitions that are going to be conserved and preserved as parks and recreation. But you can’t walk around – Broomfield is not a walkable community. It wasn’t built that way. It’s the burbs. You need a car here.
• Cost of living: We require all new developers to provide 20 percent of their new for rent units at 60 percent (Adjusted Median Income) or less, or 10% of their for sale units at 60%. We have focused on that as a priority as long as I’ve been on this council since 2017. We’ve already built 9,700 units in three years.
• Education: I doubt local governments can fill the gap. The schools are funded by a completely different taxing system in Colorado. It’s through property taxes. Cities and counties, and we’re both, are facing a lot of sticker shock as well. The cost of our capital improvements, pipes, labor, you name it, has tripled since before the pandemic.
• Crime & Mental Health: We have mental health co-responders that go on calls. We have red flag laws or risk protection orders that allow folks to report someone who may be trying to harm themselves or others with firearms and get those firearms removed. We are utilizing part of our cannabis sales tax revenue to fund behavioral health programs in our schools.
  

Broomfield City Council – Ward 1

Chriss Hammerschmidt

• Unhoused: They’ve done a good job with homelessness in Broomfield. They now have a voucher program so that people who need housing can get housing. The police department is really good at assessing the situation. I think they’re a vital part of that program.
• Infrastructure: I attended a transportation forum the other day and I think Broomfield has a pretty good handle on it. They work pretty closely with CDOT. I know there’s been some problems with Highway 7 and I-25 Corridor, but that’s just the lack of funds. The thing I see as a problem is just the funding, like the RTD light rail system that’s taken a long time, they’ve overcharged.
• Development: Broomfield was a small home community and it’s no longer that. The character changes as the population increases or decreases. We’ve had droughts forever here because we’re a semi-arid, arid part of the United States. We need to be really careful with our water supply and what I like to see is that we slow down a little bit. 
• Cost of living: People on fixed incomes are really feeling the pinch, we have to be really careful about how we subsidize housing. We don’t want to make it less affordable for some people just to make it more affordable for other people.
• Education: My kids went to five-star schools and I never saw problems, but I just have to look at that a little bit more.
• Crime & Mental Health: I think a lot of our problems go back to either drugs or childhood abuse or even elderly abuse. We need to focus on helping people find out what the problem is in their lives, that would go a long way to helping crime. You have to enforce laws, there has to be consequences. That’s how you have a civil society. It’s worked for a long time and we need to get back to the basics.

Kenny Nguyen – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We can help homelessness with affordable housing and better wages, because the reality is that people are just unable to afford homes. We need more housing units to help people make sure that they can afford a home and have options so they can purchase or even rent homes or apartments.
• Infrastructure: The reality is that we don’t have public transit that supports us. A lot of folks use RTD, I use RTD. Unfortunately, it’s not accessible for a lot of Broomfielders. We want to make sure Broomfield is on the Green Path of carbon emissions. I would also encourage more charging stations for electric vehicles.
• Development: My goal is more density in units. We need to focus on apartment complexes, duplexes, and townhomes that are maybe not as large but they are more attainable and affordable.
• Cost of living: Folks are seeing crippling effects of inflation and interest rates. We have to increase wages, make sure that people can afford those homes. There’s crippling inflation and interest rates, people buy a home and they’re unable to afford a mortgage.
• Education: Working with our local schools, teacher unions, and our educators to fund programs that are fair. We have to work together from local, state and federal and ideally, find the right partnerships. How do we get more pre-K teachers and educators?
• Crime & Mental Health: We have to find better ways to address gun violence. Having mental health providers, police officers on patrol, and de-escalation. We’ve had some successful gun control legislation like red flag laws and getting guns from people who are more dangerous. I would also invite experts, police officers, folks to brainstorm together.

Broomfield City Council – Ward 2

Paloma Delgadillo – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: I believe in funding our health and human services department and ensuring people who are unhoused, and those being on the brink of being unhoused, are able to access free services. I want to ensure that we are not making homelessness a crime, luckily this is the case. In Broomfield, if someone is camped out where they should not be camped out, it does not lead to criminal punishment.
• Infrastructure: I am on the record of supporting denser development. It’s necessary not only to have regulatory solutions, but also to have more people. There are people who cannot afford a car, much less two cars for a household and so I think expanding public transportation is extremely important for us.
• Development: Our goal is about 40% open space. Having access to the outdoors, open space, is beneficial for people and public health. We have plenty of single family options, I would argue that what we don’t have is townhouses and more of those denser developments.
• Cost of living: Safe and dignified housing is a human right. It’s unconscionable the inequality we have in America. Obviously, that is not something under my control as a city council member. However, I do support continuing to fund those public services and public utilities that help improve people’s quality of life.
• Education: I would defer a more robust answer for school board candidates and people who are much more informed about this. I would point to funding community services such as library programs, making sure that we have low cost and free preschool available to young families.
• Crime & Mental Health: I believe in the Second Amendment and I do believe that we need common sense regulations. I think it’s impossible to ignore the link that poverty and a scarcity of resources have a detrimental effect on mental health. Giving people access to safe housing is important to ensure they are taken care of. 

Broomfield City Council – Ward 3

Jean Lim – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: In Broomfield when a resident or someone is concerned about an unhoused person, they can report it to the city and a cross-sectional team goes out to see if they can assist that unhoused person. That team effort has been successful so far in trying to find the unhoused person the resources that that person needs to find housing somewhere and to otherwise be set on a better path to sustainability. 
• Infrastructure: Public transit is essential to meeting not only the needs of those who have to commute to work and in and out of Broomfield, it’s essential to meet our green greenhouse gas goals, which we set in 2020 in Broomfield. Our BRT service has not developed fully yet. We need BRT service on Colorado 7. 
• Development: We have a process of reviewing development in Broomfield which keeps the character while at the same time providing for housing needs. We have recently revamped a lot of the code which had not been reviewed for a long time, as far as zoning landscape code, where parking and biking requirements. 
• Cost of living: I’m very proud of the efforts that council has made with our inclusionary housing ordinance. We have secured funding from residential developers for either the on site units or for cash in lieu. For cash in lieu, we have established the Broomfield Housing Alliance which will use to look at developments in Broomfield that can address the needs of our demographics.
• Education: The Colorado preschool initiative as a statewide initiative, it was adopted on the premise that the state would be able to fund it and Broomfield has six school districts. Broomfield has never been in the service of providing education, so I don’t think that Broomfield has a role in this statewide initiative.
• Crime & Mental Health: We have enhanced our mental health services that are available to Broomfield residents, in particular in the past four years through the pandemic. We have made use of the funding grant and internal funding grants and now the opioid money that’s available to enhance mental health resources for Broomfield residents.

Peter Crouse

• Unhoused: I don’t have a plan for homelessness. The answer to homelessness is a multi-jurisdictional question that’s going to involve the resources of cities, counties, states and actually the federal government. It also has to do with health care in the country, which I don’t view as being as complete as it should be.
• Infrastructure: We have to build appropriate density. Density allows living near retail so people can shop and walk without having to travel great distances, density allows people to park their cars, to ride their bikes, and to walk. The word density is a boogeyman, it creates fear in people. When they hear density, they think poverty, crime, crowding and I don’t think those align.
• Development: There are those who would like to make Colorado so expensive that you build a financial fence around Colorado. I don’t think that that’s the right way to approach population growth. If you look at 96th Avenue in Broomfield, that is a model development of how we can move forward to provide adequate housing that’s affordable, as well as putting it around workplaces so that you have workforce housing and people don’t have to travel great distances to work. 
• Cost of living: We have to be very careful about what kind of municipal laws we pass regarding housing standards and electricity. We have got to ultimately move away from hydrocarbons, because the air pollution that comes with hydrocarbons has negative consequences. We want to reduce that air pollution. The move to electrify things has consequences in housing cost, you have to be careful.
• Education: I don’t think local governments should be expected to fill that gap. I think that unfunded state mandate is one of the things causing friction between the municipalities and the state level government right now. I’m not sure how to address that unfunded mandate.
• Crime & Mental Health: The responsibility for controlling guns is going to come down to voters in this country and voting in national politicians that align with their views on gun control. I really don’t think that the local communities are gonna have a lot to do with gun control. I don’t have a magic bullet answer on what to do about mental health issues. It’s so tied to families, poverty and poverty is so generational.

Broomfield City Council – Ward 4

Laurie Anderson – ENDORSED

• Unhoused:  Continue providing a more tailored approach to the unhoused, working with unhoused individuals on a case by case basis to figure out where they are from and what they need to get back on their feet. Broomfield’s unhoused population is low, so we should use this to our advantage by providing this more tailored, personalized approach.
• Infrastructure: Those before us have done good work to begin expanding public transit and walkability, we should continue this work. We have walkable developments, more bus stops and expanded RTD coverage in development, hopefully to be completed in the next couple of years. We need to work to keep these projects on track. 
• Development: We need to build developments with unique character, such as the upcoming town square.
• Cost of Living: Broomfield has already done work on figuring out what affordable housing is needed and how to provide more of it. We should follow the work that came before and stay on this course to provide affordable housing for Broomfield families. We have homes in the pipeline, we are building for density and plan to have RTD coverage by 2026.
• Education: Advocate with the state to ensure that the most needy families are prioritized, and seek more funding for early education.
• Crime & Mental Health: Identify when someone is having a mental health crisis as opposed to committing a crime, and expand programs and services to assist people undergoing mental health crises. Right now, our biggest issue with regards to mental health is lack of resources. Most of this is handled at the state level, so we must advocate for more state support and resources.

Broomfield City Council – Ward 5

Adam Gobetti – UNQUALIFIED

• Unhoused: We need to help the unhoused population, not just tuck them into a corner and forget about them. The issue really comes down to mental health. We already have mental health resources, we need to do a better job of informing people and expanding access. We need to do targeted investments to improve these resources. Do what we can to make sure people don’t wind up unhoused in the first place.
• Infrastructure: We need to focus on what can be done at a municipal level, such as advocating for smarter design and working with RTD and county authorities to encourage more public transportation. 
• Development: We need to be careful with what we build and why, and focus on growing slowly. 
• Cost of Living: Affordability/Cost of Living: We need to spend less money on big projects and focus on saving money for Broomfield families. To do this, we need to reduce taxes for those in Broomfield. We need to make it less expensive to live and do business in Broomfield. Don’t add costs to housing and don’t make it more difficult for builders to create housing. 
• Education: Education is a matter for the school board, not the city council. This doesn’t mean that nothing can be done, but it means that city council is incredibly limited in this area.
• Crime & Mental Health: Mental health drives a lot of other issues, such as crime and suicide. Broomfield’s police department is fantastic and needs to be supported. We need to invest in solutions to mental health and crime problems that aren’t entirely police oriented.

Heidi Henkel – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: There are a number of compounding issues behind this problem that need to be addressed. We need to expand affordable housing, mortgage assistance, and other housing support services so that people who are struggling don’t slip into homelessness. We need to get the unhoused wrap-around support services they need, such as mental and physical health care.
• Infrastructure: Work on rezoning to improve walkability and public transportation, reduce parking spaces, increase walkability between commercial and residential areas. This is all about planning, we need to build with walkability and public transit in mind first and foremost. If you build density, transportation will come.
• Development: The key to this is public input. If we are people powered, we’ll be able to build smartly and preserve Broomfields unique character. People are moving to Broomfield because of affordability, open spaces, and the tech scene, among other factors. We need to keep all of these in mind while growing and developing.
• Cost of Living: We should build partnerships to develop more affordable housing, reduce cost of living and support Broomfield families. Broomfield should retain its land use authority because it can move quickly to build affordable housing. We need to work to make home ownership more attainable for people, and work regionally to raise the minimum wage across Boulder County and surrounding counties. 
• Education: We need to provide more preschool and childcare resources for Broomfield families. 
• Crime & Mental Health: Work at the state level to pass a bill requiring firearm education before any firearm purchase. This will significantly increase gun safety, and weed out people who are looking to purchase a firearm just to hurt others. Make sure people are keeping their firearms locked up, and work to reduce firearms being stolen from cars and homes. Expand red flag laws to ensure that people going through a mental health crisis have some sort of intervention before purchasing a firearm.

Broomfield Ward 5 (Recall) | Vote: No

Todd Cohen – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We have a robust Human Services Department that provides services. The city also has a hotel voucher program to temporarily get people out of public spaces and provide shelter especially in times of severe weather.
• Infrastructure: We can pressure RTD to live up to their promises, they have failed. We’re unfortunately a public transit desert in many ways. I would like to see more safe, dedicated bike lanes rather than relying on paint on a pavement.
• Development: Stick to our 40% open lands goal. It provides spaces for both mental health spaces and wildlife. We are emphasizing density, particularly in the Highway 7 corridor. The future is more townhomes, more dense housing developments around transit areas.
• Cost of Living: Beyond the basic problem of supply and demand, we need more housing. The market is not going to solve that. It’s partly the density that you require, we need to build our way out of this with more housing options.
• Education: The state doesn’t have enough resources for schools, roads, or sewers. It doesn’t have enough resources for preschool. Unfortunately, TABOR has starved schools, roads, and education to a Mississippi level.
• Crime & Mental Health: young people are not feeling hopeful at all, and if you don’t have hope you turn to other means. Lockdown drills, home prices out of reach, student loans making college unrealistic, why is it surprising that we have mental health challenges and anxiety?

Maria Boutrous – UNQUALIFIED

• Unhoused: We need to take an individualized, tailored approach, by providing mental health and economic support services to the people that need it. Many with mental health issues, such as schizophrenics, are chronically unhoused, and we need to focus on giving them the support and resources they need.
• Infrastructure: Broomfield has been giving RTD money for years without a noticeable increase in service. We need to reevaluate where our money is going, and what will have the best impact on increasing public transit availability. Crime puts a big damper on public transit use, so by combating crime we would encourage more people to use public transit. 
• Development: We need to be smart about developing the last twenty percent of available land in Broomfield, as the city’s large amount of open space is one of the main things that draws people to the city.
• Cost of Living: We need to reduce the mill levy, and other taxes and regulations that make it difficult for builders to create housing in Broomfield. This will increase the amount of affordable housing, specifically middle housing like townhomes, and reduce cost of living for average families. Specifically, we need to target  high property taxes that make life more expensive for Broomfield families.
• Education: This is not something the city council can realistically address, this issue is best left to the school board. 
• Crime & Mental Health: Crime is a huge mental health burden on Broomfield families. We could do a lot to address the mental health crisis by reducing property crime, such as vehicle thefts, so families have less to worry about, and by fighting to lower the cost of living. In order to reduce crime, we need to work with Broomfield police and give them the resources and support they need.

Boulder Elections

Boulder Mayor

Aaron Brockett – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We need more permanent housing to get people off the street and provide wraparound substance abuse and mental health services. We should also create programs with transitional choices like tiny home villages which are proving to be successful in Denver. We can help pay for this with funding from proposition 123 which was passed last year and provides millions of dollars for homelessness supportive services.
• Infrastructure: We need to move in a sustainable direction by creating more “15 minute neighborhoods,” where people can walk, bike, and take the bus to most of their daily needs. We are working to accomplish that by rezoning some of our old strip malls and business parks, so they become vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods. We got a $25 million grant to increase transportation between Longmont and Boulder. I will seek out every opportunity to add transit options and bike infrastructure if I’m re-elected.
• Development: It’s about locating denser development in places that can support it, where there are services, bikeability, and transit. That goes to some of the rezoning I’ve been talking about, but some of that new development can really create beautiful communities. You can add new development in ways that actually enhance a community’s character.
• Cost of living: We have to create substantial affordable housing. Right now we are working on projects to clear out  regulatory obstacles to more affordable and attainable housing, and I am in full support of those. The rezoning that I was talking about will come with a 25% affordable housing requirement. We can expect substantial amounts of affordable housing from that. We also have to look at changing permit and fee structures so that affordable housing is easier to create.
• Education: I have been disappointed at the rolling back of universal preschool programs. We had a positive alternative in the potential creation of an early childhood education district, but I was disappointed that they didn’t move forward. One thing we can do at the municipal level is to provide support for early childcare expenses. Our Human Services department has a child care affordability fund that we use to support small family-owned childcare, as well as people who need help paying for childcare.
• Crime & Mental Health: Better mental health support is critical. Currently Colorado ranks 49th in terms of funding and it affects everybody in the community, people with houses, people without houses, youths, and seniors, everyone. We need to partner with our nonprofit and county governments to provide additional resources and funding. The largest cause of gun violence is suicides. We need to provide mental health resources to help keep that from happening.
• Policing: I was excited to support the Reimagine Policing program. It moves us away from primarily arresting people who commit crimes and more into a focus of how to prevent crimes from happening in the first place. So it puts police more in a partnership with the community and finding out the reasons why crime is happening and working toward changing the environment such that it won’t reoccur in the future.

Bob Yates 

• Unhoused: I put together an eight point plan that addresses some problems and consequences of homelessness in Boulder. We need to be compassionate and provide services that unhoused people need — mental health treatments, substance-abuse treatment, temporary and permanent housing. We need to be sensitive to community values because we have homeless people living in parks and other public spaces, which is illegal and unhealthy for them and for our housed community. 
• Infrastructure: Our public transportation is operated by the regional transit district, the RTD. The city does operate one bus line, the HOP, and we’ve had discussions over the last few years about possibly expanding the HOP bus lines, because RTD is simply not able to provide adequate transit service to our community.
• Development: Boulder’s growth within the last 20 years has been very slow and steady. We add about 200 to 300 housing units per year. About half of those incremental units that have been added in the last few years have been permanently affordable and are restricted for low income families. So we have been growing very slowly but steadily.
• Cost of living: There are a number of state and federal programs that help the city create permanent affordable housing for families with low income at or below 60% area median income. If a family makes 70%, there are no such programs. The city needs to be creative. One program I put together with the former mayor was a middle income down payment assistance program.
• Education: This is a state program, so I’m not sure it’s appropriate. The city is not involved with education. I think it’s great that the state has stepped in to provide some preschool education, but the city is not in a position to get into the education business to fund education services. This is something the city should not be involved in. We should leave that to the school district and to the state.
• Crime & Mental Health: Colorado ranks at or near the bottom of mental health funding compared to other states. The city doesn’t have a health department and so while the city can certainly be helpful in various ways, we need to look to the state and the county to provide treatment. For gun violence, I am proud of the fact during my years on council, we passed two sets of gun gun violence prevention measures.
• Policing: I am happy with the plan. It passed unanimously a couple weeks ago and that tells you a lot. There’s not a whole lot that nine members of the council can agree on, and I think that’s a tribute to the police chief, and I think it’s a tribute to the process. I was part of that process of community engagement understanding what it is that the community expects from the police department. It is my understanding that the understanding police plan that we approved a couple weeks ago is being held up nationally as a role model.

Nicole Speer – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: My plan is to focus on evidence based solutions to end homelessness. There are a few things we know that work, one of them is prevention focused, and it is providing cash emergency assistance to people who are on the verge of becoming homeless. You can, for relatively small amounts of money, actually prevent somebody from falling into homelessness.
• Infrastructure: I would advocate for moving towards universal design standards for our streets. Which go beyond ADA accessibility. Maybe neurological disorders, sensory processing disorder and mental illness. Make more spaces for them, like how we provide ample seating for people who can’t really walk very far before they take a break. How are we using trees and plants to dampen noise and provide shade for cooler spaces. Those are things I’d push for.
• Development: I’ve been here almost 20 years and you know, the character has changed quite a bit. We have gotten quite a bit wealthier, housing prices have gone up quite a bit. A lot of the homes are doubling in size. I think we need to think about how we want to change moving forward. Are we comfortable with that change? Is this what we really want to be?
• Cost of living: One thing is to increase the amount of affordable housing. We are beginning to look at — and I am fully in support — is putting housing fees on single family homes that are doing additions or large renovations. Homes that are getting bigger. These homes that I just complained about above are changing the character of our neighborhoods.
• Education: I was a little disappointed that our county commissioners did not choose to pursue the creation of a child care district. I think that is an interesting solution to some of the childcare issues we’re facing, and I would really like to see that revisited in the coming years.
• Crime & Mental Health: At a local level we’re doing what we can to restrict availability of guns. We really need some sensible gun safety legislation. As far as Mental health goes, I always think it’s important to remember most people with mental illnesses are not committing crime, and also people with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of crimes. We are one of the lowest when it comes to mental health care. I would love to see the county and state invest more in mental health services, a lot of it comes down to prevention.
• Policing: Where the Reimagine Policing policy ought to be taking us is to where we’re partnering with the community to reduce crime and reduce the need for police intervention. That is where I see the role evolving to prevent crime. More investment in social services. If you have enough money to put food on the table, we know there is no reason to go try and steal food from the grocery store. We know that investments really make a difference.

Paul Tweedlie – UNQUALIFIED

• Unhoused: You can make a distinction between the homeless, who are raised in Boulder, and have fallen on hard times, and they have been helped by the city’s housing department. I think it’s like six people. Transients, illegal camps, these guys don’t belong in Boulder, they need to leave.
• Infrastructure: I think there are some problems. I was excited to see a new route has been added and also I see encouraging signs like E-bikes around town and now E-scooters. We need to make sure we have safe bike and foot paths where people can get to where they need to be. 
• Development: There’s the super rich who come from out of state with millions, if not billions, and that puts pressure on the housing market. What we really need is low income housing so that the people who work in Boulder can live in Boulder. So I would try to encourage the development of  low income housing.
• Cost of living: There’s not much you can do about the rising cost of living. There’s a 600 acre area just north and east of the city which you know can be chopped up and then we can develop that area for more low income housing. The first thing would be to follow the plan that’s already in place.
• Education: It sounds like a failing for families. I don’t know what to do, the housing and school system are already under a lot of pressure. I’d encourage more home schools, I’d support these programs.
• Crime & Mental Health: Crime is a real problem and it’s highly associated with drugs. There is such an access to drugs. Fentanyl is killing our kids. Absolutely heartbreaking. To address the crime I think we first need to address illegal drugs.
• Policing: It was a great plan. They’re looking for more officers to hire, but they’re having trouble hiring more officers. I believe the city Council has a duty to set the tone, they need to set expectations in Boulder. If you break the law, you’re gonna get fined and ticketed if it’s a misdemeanor. If you don’t pay your fine, you’re going to jail.

Boulder City Council – At Large

Aaron Neyer

• Unhoused: We need transitional housing so homeless people have a place to go. Right now we’re saying ‘you can’t be here,’ but the truth is they don’t have a place to go. We need to recognize our society, and the inequity that’s built into our society, is creating this problem. 
• Infrastructure: We need to make it more appealing to not use a car, to do that people need to feel safe. Right now a lot of people don’t feel safe when not in a car. We do that by creating more protected bike lanes.
• Development: Duplexes and triplexes allow for more infill and housing. We start like really thinking how we can intelligently build out.
• Cost of Living:  We should create more affordable housing, and more middle income housing, to start creating a little more economic diversity. I know people who live in duplex and triplexes and they really enjoy the community feel.
• Education: I know there’s really great preschools here yet a lot of people struggle sending their kids to preschools. I would like to see Boulder play more of a role in how we are shaping the education system. But I’m not well researched enough to know what the solutions are.
• Crime & Mental Health: I learned about a program where they trained a number of mental health responders so if someone is caling 911, the operator that receives it can determine if this is a mental health crisis. I’m curious if we could do something like that in Boulder, that would be really cool.
• Policing: The struggle is when somebody is having a mental health break down, they get the police called on them. We should emphasize things like community mutual aid and trained mental health responders.

Jacques Decalo

• Unhoused: Expand facilities and programs that currently help the unhoused, such as turning night shelters into daytime or even 24 hour shelters. Give unhoused people the support they need to find both temporary and long term housing, particularly employment. Enforce the camping ban, but provide areas where the unhoused can stay, receive support, and access services. 
• Infrastructure: Work on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis to figure out which can accommodate more density. Make Boulder friendlier to bikers by building protected bike lanes and fixing potholes. Work to accommodate e-bikes and make public transit more reliable and frequent. 
• Development: Keep Boulder diverse, natural and beautiful. Make our neighborhoods more walkable and friendlier to public transit. Boulder shouldn’t sprawl. 
• Cost of Living: Make Boulder an affordable place to live for everyone. Focus on building inclusionary housing while also helping housed people stay that way. Make use of vacant and underused spaces, like empty offices, to build more housing.
• Education: Work with what we have, use universities already in Boulder to expand early education programs. Give lower income Boulder residents more opportunities for early childhood education. Philanthropy can help us bridge these gaps and provide for Boulder’s children.
• Crime & Mental Health: Take a holistic approach to policing, focus on preventative measures. Get input from the community on what they’re worried about and what needs fixing. Address what leads people to crime, provide support and expand opportunities for people.
• Policing: Continue to support Reimagine Policing. Invest in our police, make sure our bike paths and public spaces are safe, well-monitored, and held to a safety standard put forward by the chief of police. We also need to work with our local businesses to help them feel safe. 

Jennifer Robins

• Unhoused: We can’t group the unhoused into one group. We have families that are experiencing homelessness. We have individuals experiencing homelessness. I think Boulder does a good job working with a portion of the unhoused community who are actively working towards to exit homelessness. For those living in the encampments, we believe we need to continue outreach to get them involved with coordinated entry and the mini mini services that are offered through outdoor city.
• Infrastructure: Transportation accounts for 29% of the greenhouse gas emissions. There are many people in our community that have to drive to work, to shop, to go to school. It comes back to rezoning housing and areas that we have mass transit and walkable, mixed use neighborhoods. We need to increase the safety and usability of RTD, increase our bike share, and incentivize eBike purchases.
• Development: I would support strategic zoning reform to allow for slightly higher densities and gentle infill in certain areas. These areas can include our vacant or aging businesses and industrial districts, where we can rezone to create multi unit housing. I think it’s crucial work with our existing neighborhoods to accomplish all of this.
• Cost of living: The market is in the business of profit it’s not in the business of affordability so in Boulder we’re going to have to regulate in order to get the affordable housing that we need. We need to focus on continuing our inclusionary housing policy and leveraging that cash to let our Boulder housing partners with the county to create truly affordable housing.
• Education: I went back to work after six weeks with both of my kids and they had to go directly into private daycare so I am very aware of how families struggle. We need to continue looking at working with our community partners or existing nonprofits to help that situation, as well as potentially providing tax rebates for in-home daycare.
• Crime & Mental Health: We need to implement a caring yet efficient strategy for addressing crime. Mental health is a huge issue right now. Public safety is the job of the city and health is the job of the county. The county really needs to step up and provide supportive services.
• Policing: Police need to be staffed to be staffed to be successful. I went on a ride along about two weeks ago with the police and I was able to see how all of the different teams within the police department work together so efficiently. We had mental health calls. I was able to see how they worked with the downtown Ambassadors on Pearl Street.

Ryan Schuchard – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We need to focus on four key areas: people, prevention, places, programs and spaces. Increase the use of non-police responses when dealing with those suffering mental health issues. Prevent people from slipping into homelessness. Establish a more accessible network, such as day shelters. Make sure our public spaces have the things people need to get through their day, such as public toilets and drinking fountains
• Infrastructure: Consolidate the city’s resources and bureaucracies for the purpose of building more walkable, public transit friendly infrastructure and codify our goals in this area. We need to focus on making Boulder resource and space efficient. Lastly, we need to build a full grid of transportation modes that aren’t centered on cars, and build a public transportation network that is more robust, efficient and reliable.
• Development: Our problems with development come from our attachment to and reliance on cars. Decoupling from cars would give us space for more people and room for safer modes of transit. Reducing our dependence on cars would make our city more inclusive and solve a lot of our issues with development.
• Cost of Living: We need to increase the quantity of middle housing, such as duplexes, triplexes, townhomes. Reform zoning to make it easier to build middle income housing. We need to reduce and eliminate parking mandates in order to incentivize building more housing. We need to practice strategic development in the large tracts of land open to us, such as the airport.
• Education: We need to make the cost of living work better for those in the education system, namely teachers. We also need to expand resources for working parents. 
• Crime & Mental Health: We need to expand our network of mental health and substance addiction support services.
• Policing: Address the epidemic of drug addiction, mental illness, poverty, and desperation, which are fueling an increase in violent crime. We need to fix the congestion problem in our courts, in a way that protects civil liberties while reducing costs and breaking the cycle of people reoffending. Become more sophisticated about dealing with transportation related crime, such as bike theft.

Silas Atkins – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: A holistic approach to support the unhoused and help struggling people stay housed. Take both the short and long term into account, and expand our perspective to work with regional authorities. Take inspiration from successes in Denver to create safe public spaces and provide services to those who need them most. Expand temporary housing solutions such as hotel room stays and repurposing empty commercial space. 
• Infrastructure: Incentivize housing density and placing housing along transit corridors. In order to depend less on cars, we need people to live closer to where they work and give them greater access to more means of transportation. We can achieve this by changing our zoning laws and taking cues from infrastructure changes that are working in other parts of the state.
• Development: Boulder is not full, it only feels so because we have cars everywhere. Reduce conflict between different modes of travel by splitting them up. Increase public transit and dense housing to make Boulder a more pleasant, environmentally friendly place to live.
• Cost of Living: Make it easier for things to get built. Support working families by raising the minimum wage and providing direct cash assistance to those that need it. Work to create neighborhoods of mixed income levels, economic segregation benefits no one.
• Education: There is very little we can do to work with the education system on the local, city level, as this is largely handled on the state level. The best way to proceed is to reach out to experts on this matter and figure out what we can do, if anything, to help ease families burdens. It will take expert advice and out of the box thinking to tackle this problem on the local level.
• Crime & Mental Health: Take the existing police budget and reinvest it into proven, nonviolent solutions, such as the care team. The last thing the Boulder Police Department needs is more money and more officers, as it has been proven that approaches like this do nothing to make our citizens and public spaces safer.
• Policing: The reimagined policing plan was a bad idea for Boulder.

Tara Winer – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We have a day center that we’re working on. Right now, people have the option of staying in the Boulder Shelter for the homeless. But that is during the night, they need to go somewhere during the day where they can access services, use the bathroom and the showers, and have lockers for their possessions. We need more transitional housing with more services.
• Infrastructure: We have a car culture. To get people out of cars, transit has to be fast, reliable, and inexpensive. That, of course, falls under the purview of the RTD. However, we do have Via, they run the hop and they do a good job. I think the best options we might have even for the disabled are probably E-bikes. I want to put infrastructure with protected bike lanes into Boulder.
• Development: Colorado in general has a housing shortage but we also have a labor shortage. So, to me, they’re inter-twined. Having housing that the labor pool wants is going to be crucial for us to solve some of our labor shortage problems. I don’t have to tell you how expensive land is here, making housing that is affordable is pretty difficult.
• Cost of living: Two types of affordable housing in Boulder. Deed restricted permanently affordable housing, and there is housing that is affordable or attainable. We have a lot of the deed restricted permanently affordable housing units in the pipeline. I would say we’re really good at that. What we don’t have is a lot of affordable housing that’s outside that. We have very little middle income housing stock.
• Education: You know, in a world where we have unlimited funds, yes, they could. But, we have limited funds. Personally, I don’t know. I feel like the state should’ve done that. It’s not fair to keep asking local governments to keep paying for everything.
• Crime: I want to talk about mental health. We have Mental Health Partners. It’s the county that’s supposed to be in charge of mental health so a lot of my job is to beg the county commissioners and the state to do something to help us. Mental health is part of the county’s purview, and it affects our cities so much. I will say that Mental Health Partners did recently get a grant that was awarded to them to purchase a facility.
• Policing: I was part of the subcommittee for the Reimagine Policing plan and I thought the policing plan was great. I think we have some problems because we have a shortage of police officers. We are about 20 police officers down so we’re having trouble keeping up with all the things that police officers need to be involved with. So the reimagining plan called for 205 police officers and we can’t even find staff and retain them. We really need more police officers.

Taishya Adams – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: Resources, people, programs and initiatives we know what works, investing in what works, and being led by those who are most affected by this topic. Like Streetscape, for example, and their four point plan.
• Infrastructure: Funding for our transportation system is going to be the number one most important goal. We have new funding opportunities through both the inflation reduction act, and Boulder’s own climate tax. How do we leverage these historic investments to make sure we are reducing our own carbon footprint emissions, and increasing our biodiversity. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention people with disabilities. I believe in balancing people and the planet.
• Development: We can’t just have housing everywhere. It really needs to be balanced with the habitats of other species and of course the natural resources we manage. As a former commissioner for Colorado Parks, and Wildlife, I am aware of this fresh perspective and proven expertise in balancing the needs of outdoor recreation, which is one of the cornerstones of Boulder. That’s why I came here. The character also evolves as we evolve.
• Cost of living: Increasing the minimum wage. Honestly, I think it’s problematic when our government is only focused on one dimension of our lives. Affordability is not just in housing, We’re going to have a 25% increase in our water bill. Water affordability is going to be a conversation we’re going to be having Not to mention transportation affordability. I know we have some programs, but not to meet the demands. It is a holistic viewpoint that moves the bar.
• Education: One of the issues is staffing and retaining early childhood staff in challenging work conditions. Demand is high and inventory is low. This is one of the challenges of unfunded mandates. I’m going to bring expertise to this council, understanding the federal, state, and local level to work with various departments to put money in the hands of families.
• Crime: What we do have is to work with health and human services that we currently have and make sure they are resourced. Our Health and Human Services department just became at parity with our police budget. Two years prior to that I think it was 2/3 the budget. So you get what you pay for. You get what you invest in. We invested in policing, which unfortunately is a reactive strategy. Thankfully, Chief Herold is working to be more proactive.
• Policing: I’m an inaugural member of the police oversight panel, so I’ve looked under the hood in ways most in our city have not, and by that I mean audio tapes, video, tapes and documents opportunities to meet with the chief and staff and officers and community members. I’ll bring that experience in the expertise to this conversation around policing and Reimagine Policing, I think the current reimagining police program gets it right as it relates to transparency, and as it relates to an effort to be more proactive rather than be reactive.

Terri Brncic – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: Need to stop thinking of unhoused people as a uniform group with the same needs. Housing alone will not solve the problem, many are suffering from mental health disorders. We need to expand our mental health support services and transitional housing to help the chronically unhoused. However, Boulder can’t do this on its own, and we need to pressure the county and state to step up and help us.
• Infrastructure: Focus on our e-bike infrastructure and safety policies. Make sure that e-bikes are encouraged and safe to use for everyone. Increase bike security so people will be more likely to buy and use bikes. Target parking minimums to reclaim space and start building for the future. 
• Development: We need to expand density in moderation. Don’t want Boulder to be all high rise apartment buildings, but need to build targeted, intentionally walkable neighborhoods along transit corridors. 
• Cost of Living: Need to make the best use of our scarce land by building more affordable housing and expanding housing density. We have to make sure that, in the process of building out, we focus on housing that is affordable rather than high end housing like townhomes. 
• Education: We need to increase the minimum wage to make things easier both for educators and for families. This is the main thing we can do to address this issue at the local level. 
• Crime & Mental Health: Work on lobbying the county to expand mental health resources in Boulder. Our police force is progressive and doing well, we need to support them.
• Policing: I support Reimagine Policing, we have one of the most progressive police chiefs in the country and we should support her. The chief has expressed a desire for change and is currently on a good course, we should support her while also keeping an eye on her progress.

Tina Marquis

• Unhoused: Support current efforts, and expand with new projects such as a day center for the unhoused population. Work to connect people to the resources we have. Expand collaborations with municipal partners to increase affordable housing and provide support to those who are struggling. 
• Infrastructure: Reduce barriers to accessing public transportation in order to increase use, which will hopefully lead to increased frequency. Work with RTD to expand public transportation options. Create safe routes for people to walk and bike on. Expand density where it makes sense, in places where people can realistically walk and bike around. 
• Development: Don’t build just for the sake of it. Focus on providing opportunities for middle and low income families, such as providing more middle income housing. In general, focus on building housing that caters to a diverse range of socioeconomic groups. 
• Cost of Living: Help people stay in their homes. In general, focus on helping people who are struggling to afford basic necessities, both by providing services through the city government and by partnering with nonprofits. 
• Education: Focus on working with existing providers and services rather than creating new taxes or boards. Could consider a citywide early childhood care tax, but must look at the need for it in Boulder. Would prefer a city tax rather than county wide tax. Try to meet families needs without adding too much administrative complexity. 
• Crime & Mental Health: Reduce the usage of guns and support gun safety. Guns should not be in the hands of people who would not be responsible firearm owners. Work with the county to address mental health support services in Boulder. 
• Policing: The reimagined policing program provides a nice balance between the need for public safety and our city wide values of social justice and equity. Focus on preventative rather than reactive policing. 

Waylon Lewis – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We’ve been stuck in the status quo that is bad for all of us. Bad for the homeless, bad for the rest of the general public. It’s been expensive, we’ve tied the hands of the police, and expect them to solve everything. I am a rare candidate not allied with either of the major slates who work to form coalitions. (I’d work), to solve this based on what’s worked and what hasn’t in other cities.
• Infrastructure: I would add electric buses and smaller vans more frequently to all the major routes. RTD is not always a dependable partner. We need regular clean buses and protected bike lanes, as well as adequate access and parking for those who do need to drive. This will take cars off the road reducing traffic. We have to take both climate change and our ability to get around the city safely and quickly seriously.
• Development: We’ve lost affordability, our schools are emptying out. Police officers, teachers, healthcare workers can’t afford to live in Boulder. We need to redouble our efforts on affordable housing in beautiful fun ways that keep Boulder feeling like Boulder. I’d often say let’s make Boulder weird again.
• Cost of living: What Boulder has done with affordable housing is pretty impressive. Still, our goal is nearly double where we’re at now. The model that BHP and others are focusing on is working. We need to focus on missing middle income housing but that will take focus and support from the City Council.
• Education: If parents can’t afford to live in Boulder, let alone work in Boulder that doesn’t work for any of us. To keep our economy strong we need to fill the gap with nonprofit and city run daycare as well as pushing both regionally and state and federally to get the support we expected, and that our citizens need. Families are vital to Boulder and we’re losing them every single day.
• Crime: Boulder has shown leadership on addressing gun violence, especially since the tragic shooting at King Soopers. There’s only so much we can do without federal and state support. Mental health and addiction care are both vital for reducing crime.
• Policing: We are gifted with an ethical and progressive police chief. Our role in City Council will be to both support the police and get them clear direction, neither of which they’ve never really had over the last years. The Reimagine Policing document is one I support, and it includes encouraging community, policing and mental and addiction care, so that police aren’t saddled with responding to everything, including situations they may not be equipped for.

Boulder City Ballot Measures

2A – Sales Tax Allocation: Extension of the existing .15 % City Sales and Use Tax with 50% for General Fund Purposes and 50% to Support Arts, Culture and Heritage (Compromise Measure) | Vote: Yes

302 – Public Space: A citizen initiated Charter Amendment to prohibit items located on city property within a radius of five-hundred feet from any point on a school property line or within fifty feet on both sides of any multi-use path or sidewalk with prioritized removal | Vote: No

2B – Election Rules (Petitions): A Charter Amendment to sections 27, 37, 39, 46, and 57 to: Remove the requirement that people who wish to sign petitions in support of mayoral or City Council candidates do so in person before the city clerk. Allow the city clerk additional processing time to reduce the need for overtime or weekend work to process paper petitions.  Clarify language providing that state law governs amendments to the city’s Charter | Vote: Yes

Erie Elections

Erie Ballot Measures

3A – Home Rule: Shall the Town of Erie proposed home rule charter be adopted? | Vote: Yes

3B – Mayor and Council Compensation: The Mayor shall receive as monetary compensation the sum of twelve hundred dollars ($1,200) per month, and each Council Member shall receive as monetary compensation the sum of seven hundred dollars ($700) per month. Both amounts shall be adjusted annually according to the consumer price index (CPI) for the Denver-Boulder-Greeley area, or such successor index promulgated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. | Vote: Yes

Lafayette Elections

Lafayette City Council – At Large

Crystal Gallegos – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: Make sure the people who are unhoused know resources that are available, but we don’t want to strain those organizations as well. I’m thinking specifically of Sister Carmen as one that does great work. We need to make sure they are financially able to continue to assist people.
• Infrastructure: When RTD was free for everyone, as a mom who spends a lot of time driving to various schools, I did notice the program cut down on vehicular traffic immensely, especially near schools, which in turn helps with our problem with emissions and deteriorating roads.
• Development: My biggest concern with population growth is its impact on education. We seem to be building a lot of large density housing, but not really planning for children and schools.
• Cost of living: I just wanted to mention I’m not a homeowner, I am someone who rents. That does make me pro affordable housing. We need to think about education and infrastructure as well. If we continue to build large density housing, we need to make sure we’re considering those as well.
• Education: I’m the parent of a four year old who was promised four days a week of preschool and then they retracted that decision. We need to work with the district to see if there are ways we can implement those additional days that were promised.

David Fridland – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: It’s a lot about working directly with services and support networks that we have around us: Boulder County, our local PD,  Sister Carmen or our mental health services through the city and through the county. Getting them housing, if we can. It’s definitely inspiring to see what the new mayor of Denver is doing.
• Infrastructure: The basic infrastructure of our community needs to be top of mind: roads, safe sidewalks, multimodal transportation, making sure there’s bike lanes, making sure there’s bike and walking paths. All of it has to be addressed. Specifically for mass transit we need to work directly with RTD to make sure our community is getting served. I hear from a lot of people that RTD is a challenge in Lafayette.
• Development: People have been moving to the Front Range, and Colorado generally, since the mid-90s. I love that we have new neighbors, new ideas, new energy. We need to make sure we do it in a balanced way. We need to start thinking about how to build in a balanced and responsive way to the community that lives here already. More density, especially around transportation corridors, is really important. 
• Cost of living: Lafayette has done a pretty good job with affordable housing. We have Willoughby Corner being built. We have been leaders in terms of increasing the housing stock. A lot of it is larger than one community. We need housing stock across the income spectrum. We can do what we can do in Lafayette but it has to be more regional, state-wide support from the county, from the state. We all need to be rowing in the same direction.
• Education: Our role would be helping support local school districts to make sure folks that can’t afford preschool are getting support. We are more of a connector in helping understand the problem, and helping our community and our residents get what they need.

Eric Ryant

• Unhoused: It is a continuing problem and lots of citizens are concerned about it, so I do plan on addressing it.
• Infrastructure: I’m pro-business first of all. Any way to generate either income for the city or make it more affordable to live like the Willoughby Corner center that we’re putting up, I’m all for it. I think that affordable housing is an important issue that I am firmly for.
• Development: I’d have to get with CDOT. I want to see extensively what kind of plans they have with the roads. There’s several projects here in Lafayette that have been delayed or are taking forever, so I’d see what they’re planning to do to help us with the influx of people moving in.
• Cost of living: Inflation is a tough battle, for increasing the minimum wage, once something is in writing with Boulder County I’d probably sit down with all our local business leaders and get their thoughts because I think it is difficult to live in Lafayette. That’s why we’re putting up affordable housing, and we have to allow our local workers to be able to live locally.
• Education: I don’t represent myself. I represent the community, so if we feel that there’s any issues, I am there to approach it and try to find a good, long-term solution to the situation.

Gala Orba 

• Unhoused: The city of Lafayette is currently being sued because we have no homeless shelter. I’d like to open a homeless shelter, and I’m already looking at spaces. I’m going to pick four of them, and then I’m going to take them to the Council. I’d also like to create some permanent housing for the homeless. It’s been proven that the best way to solve homelessness is to give homeless people a place to live.
• Infrastructure: We’ve got space on Public Road and other areas where we could have more economic development and small business, however the rent is pretty high. It’s hard for people to get their foot in the door and start small businesses. I will always be a candidate for the little guy. I believe small business is the heart of our country.
• Development: We’re balancing urban growth in general. We just need a little help with the economy. I think those people who move here could potentially help us. I don’t look at it as a problem.
• Cost of living: There is affordable housing that is public housing but then there are landlords who are already helping with this phenomenon. For all the towns in the area and in this county I feel like Lafayette is the most hospitable to people who are lower income. That said I am focusing on the homeless more so than affordable housing.
• Education: Everybody deserves help with quality help with childcare. I’ve been impressed with the city of Lafayette’s commitment to after-school programs for middle and high school kids. It’s been beautiful to witness. The city has focused on middle and high school kids this past year, and done really well, so it’s time for us to build upon that success and focus on a younger population. There’s been lots of studies as far as how early childcare and head start programs are incredibly beneficial for successful students and successful lives.

JD Mangat – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We have always had folks experiencing homelessness in Lafayette, but lately it’s becoming more and more an emerging issue. Unfortunately we don’t have a housing and human services department currently within the city. My long-term goal is to create and develop that internally. The goal is to provide the unhoused population with the resources they need to survive and thrive.
• Infrastructure: During my time on counsel we’ve built a comprehensive plan for the entire city. We need to focus heavily on multi-modal transportation. I know that the state is working on the RTD across Baseline, but we can’t just rely on that. I’m a big fan of micro mobility, the electrification of smaller vehicles, scooters, and bicycles. We have a lot of areas that are missing bike lanes. The city is not as connected as it should be.
• Development: I think people make the mistake of thinking we are growing like crazy. We’re really not. Our intent is not to expand our borders, it is to meet further growth with infill. That’s going to be tough when it comes to traffic congestion, water, and city services. Any time your population grows I think problems grow with it.
• Cost of living: This is the number one issue I’m campaigning on. Lafayette made history this year by creating Willoughby Corner. There are a lot of different levers we can pull in partnership with the state that we can work with to increase affordable housing, like how we opted into Proposition 123. I’m hoping Willoughby Corner is just the tip of the iceberg.
• Education: I think there’s a need for free full-day childcare. I’d be willing to do what I can do in my capacity to advocate for it, whether it’s on a state level or a different level. That’s a huge need in our city, as all Coloradans would probably agree. 

John Watson – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: I would definitely want to address that issue and look at possibly having some type of affordable housing.
• Infrastructure: I’m a huge supporter of the infrastructure. I definitely want our businesses to continue. I do know that part of the problem that I see is that we are getting ready to lose our King Soopers. It looks like a gaping hole in the north side of town there. At the same time I don’t want another Dollar General or something like that. I’d like a grocery store, whether it be a mom or pop, or somebody else that would be paying taxes.
• Development: I think that it’s not as prevalent because we are kind of close to our maximum threshold as far as population-wise. We will need to look at different aspects and considerations, but I think diversity is a very fundamental part of who I am and what I represent, and I would like us to be welcoming and inviting, not become exclusive.
• Cost of living: I do believe that we should have a living wage. I’m completely on board with supporting people having living wages. I myself have lived here going on 18 years and I could not afford my house when we had it appraised and refinanced. I could not afford my house today.
• Education: I don’t have a lot to do with it as far as a city council member, but I would definitely support those types of endeavors.

Tim Barnes – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: Unhoused have different categories. Those who have immediate needs, say triage, you help them with medical emergency services. The other piece is to help people manage work their way through this system of services that exists, maybe with a mentoring program.
• Infrastructure: The whole metro area has been designed around cars. So we have a hard problem and infrastructure problem that impacts all of these other issues like affordable housing and whatnot. We need to separate car traffic. There has to be a physical barrier, there’s way too many accidents.
• Development: I sit on the sustainability resilience Advisory Committee. Resilience is key. That means taking stock of what you currently have, and what are the missing components. The problem is with development is that it has been low density.
• Cost of Living: The definition of affordable housing is too narrow. Accessory dwelling units, condos, apartments, they all play a role. But right now it’s cost prohibitive to build an adu and keep the rent reasonable.
• Education: I hear there is a direct economic correlation to early education and the economy. There’s a direct correlation. You pay for it, but your economy does better. Municipalities can can contribute but I don’t think they should be the lead.

Louisville Elections

Louisville – Mayor

Chris Leh – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We need to build more affordable housing. There are a variety of places where we can establish some permanently affordable housing. And, one such place is doing some transportation-oriented development near our bus rapid transit close to McCaslin Boulevard.
• Infrastructure: The idea of transportation-oriented development is critical here because it provides the kind of density that helps reduce carbon footprint and provides opportunities for people either not to need cars because they can use the bus or to use whatever transportation they have more sparingly, which helps to cut down greenhouse gasses. 
• Development: We’re going to be doing some changes to our land use planning code and processes. I think that that will certainly provide, we hope, expedited, clear, consistent, fair, predictable sorts of standards for folks to develop too. Those standards will be very much informed by our desire to maintain the small town feel of the city, which I believe we can do.
• Cost of living: We need housing stock that augments our single-family homes, because that’s a majority of housing in Louisville, and it’s not going to work for everybody. Part of being a small town is having diverse housing that includes workforce housing, that includes affordable housing. I don’t think you should have to have double income, no kids to be able to move in, and I don’t believe you should have to move out when you turn 65. 
• Education: We’ve seen a decline in the number of people who are in elementary and middle school. I think it is directly related to the cost of housing for young families. We can help with that, to the extent, we may be able to fill some of the gaps involving some of our local preschools, Montessori schools and others. We may be able to provide some incentives to assist those folks.
• Crime & Mental Health: We’re about to do a pilot program, which is a continuation from previous work that we have done to provide a mental health trained professional to accompany officers on certain calls to help de-escalate issues. Part of the goal is to keep folks who need treatment out of the criminal justice system.

Josh Cooperman 

• Unhoused: In Louisville, at the moment, homelessness is not a serious problem. As a first step, the city council should have a special study session where they have a discussion about homelessness in Louisville and try to really gather as much information about what the status of homelessness is. I think the city could consider repurposing one of the many empty office buildings in town as a homelessness services center, if that were really appropriate.
• Infrastructure: We do have pretty good infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists, but it could definitely be improved. There are a number of intersections which are just not good for people to cross. One of them is South Boulder Road and Main Street. I think the city should definitely prioritize making some of these crossings safer.The city is thinking about the possibility of underpasses, and I hope we can figure out how to fund those.
• Development: We have seen population growth over the last decade At the moment, the population in Louisville is leveling off. Some people think that Louisville shouldn’t grow very much, that’s key to maintaining the character of Louisville. I understand that to some extent, but I also feel like if Louisville doesn’t grow a little bit, we’re displacing that growth somewhere else where it’ll probably be less sustainable.
• Cost of living: As a resident I advocated for affordable housing before the city council because I think we all have an obligation to provide housing for people. If you go into neighborhoods they’re designed in that suburban way where people have to get in their car to access any services, that’s a really unsustainable model. 
• Education: In Louisville, the local government is not really involved with education. The Boulder Valley School district is the district we have here, and we certainly coordinate with them on certain things, but we’re not providing any funding or anything like that. Aside from the property taxes, of course, funding them.
• Crime & Mental Health: People are not particularly concerned about crime in Louisville, but that’s not to say that there aren’t any issues. The police department has been exploring mental health support as part of their work. There was discussion about a pilot program in the coming year, which I think the city council will fund, to provide for mental health providers or support through the police department. And I think that’s a great program.

Sherry Sommer – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: Sometimes I feel like it becomes a problem that gets out of hand because there’s no real way to address it on a smaller level. I think that housing is part of this equation. We can’t do everything, but we can do what’s within our means and the scale of our town to provide avenues where people can afford their housing.
• Infrastructure: We have a transportation master plan, which we’re working on. I think in order to expand walkability, we need to be focusing on the areas where there’s barriers, like the high traffic streets, like South Boulder Road, Centennial and Bella Vista. There’s a component of this that’s enforcement as well. I would love to be able to generate more sales tax revenue so that we can hire more traffic enforcement police officers.
• Development: We need to consider the scale and mass of our existing town and work in that guideline. So, for example, one way we can do that is with our existing neighborhoods, we can work on zoning overlays, which will set standards that are more in conformity with the pr-eexisting neighborhoods.
• Cost of living: The demand to live here is so huge. There’s no way that we can outbuild the demand. A lot of people that I talk to are concerned that they won’t be able to stay in their homes very long because the property taxes are getting so exorbitant. We really need to think about our existing residents too and how affordable our town is for them, that’s part of what a local government does.”
• Education: I’d like to learn more about the issue. I don’t know a way the city can do that.
• Crime & Mental Health: I am really happy that our police department has had people who assist with mental health crises, and it’s not treated in the same way as crime is. There are other interventions. I really support that because mental health has really suffered after the pandemic and then the Marshall fire.

Louisville City Council – Ward 1

Caleb Dickenson – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: Dealing with this issue is certainly incredibly important to the region and that we have a lot of partners in Boulder County and our neighbors that we need to be supporting in our joint efforts. To find a home for every human is really important to me.
• Infrastructure: Public transit is a very difficult topic because we don’t have our own transit system. We rely on RTD and they have their own metrics for how we get routes and how many buses we get and those kinds of things. But they measure our ridership. It’s important we’re using the transportation provided so that they can see that we want it. And if we’re not using it, they’re not going to be providing it. And that’s how that system works.
• Development: The unique feel of Louisville is in the people and the place and our small business owners and great little shops and restaurants. Continuing to develop our commercial areas and adding some more residents to our community is not going to negatively impact who we are. In the end, we’re a community of people. And, if development brings some more density and some more people, I welcome those new neighbors and jobs.
• Cost of living: People are finding it very difficult to live here when they’re not in their peak earning years. We have to continue to partner with developers who can bring true affordable housing to our community. We need a variety of housing stock for empty nesters and young people who want to live in the community. We need to add places for people to live so we can have more diversity in the type of people that can live here.
• Education: I think the increase in property values is creating a very big increase in property taxes, of which in the city of Louisville, half of it nearly goes to the schools. I would certainly hope that if there’s one benefit to this rising property value, that we are able to do a better job funding our schools. 
• Crime & Mental Health: We’re not talking about defunding the police, we’re talking about funding it differently. We need mental health experts on the police force. Currently, many of our calls to our law enforcement agents are around domestic abuse. They need the skills to communicate with someone and help them in a crisis moment and de-escalate. It’s having officers that are trained in mental health first and foremost.

Louisville City Council – Ward 2

Deborah Fahey – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: The city of Louisville doesn’t have a lot of programs available for actually directly assisting, but we do have plans to increase affordable housing, and we’re cooperating with Boulder County. We have an inter-governmental agreement with them to help with housing issues and homelessness throughout the county.
• Infrastructure: We’re making the streets more bike and pedestrian friendly, putting in right turn lights at major intersections. We’ve got a plan in place to put underpasses under Highway 42 on South Boulder Road, places where there’s a lot of transportation issues. We’re also providing issues or assistance for electric bike purchases. We’re planning on one of those e-scooter programs where you can ride them to the bus stops.
• Development: We’re in the process of a housing study, and that’s going to determine what we do, but the plan right now is to increase the amount of housing that’s available, requiring that some of it be low or middle-income housing and putting it close to transit stops. We have a historic preservation tax where if you are willing to preserve your home or business, either one that’s more than 50 years-old, we will give you up to $1 million dollars in assistance.
• Cost of living: We have an inter-governmental agreement with Boulder County on low and middle-income housing. They took over all of our structures that we own about, about 10 or 15 years ago now, and in exchange, they built a housing unit that’s over 200 units that are income-restricted in some way, and they’re also net zero buildings.
• Education: I’m not sure how we could, we’re all pretty financially restricted right now. We are in the process statewide, again, of changing funding for various things, but Louisville as a city is also trying to deal with recovery from the Marshall Fire. We lost over 600 homes in the Marshall Fire, and mine was one of them. We’re still dealing with the flood. Our funds for financially supporting anything are very limited.
• Crime & Mental Health: Through our Boulder County Health and Human Services division, we have health issues for the schools in all of the schools, for all of the Boulder Valley School District. We’ve also got charitable organizations that are funding mental health assistance, and some of that is even coming as a result of the fire.

George Colbert

• Unhoused: Nobody should have to sleep on the streets. I want to make sure that we have resources for those folks who may be on the verge of homelessness, and make sure that they have vocational training with school education. Whatever we can do to help make sure that they’re still part of the workforce, and that we’ve got affordable housing for everyone.
• Infrastructure: Our transit system currently is pretty great. Obviously, everything can get better. When I moved to Louisville, I was really impressed with the walkability that existed already. However, just recently, I was using one of our crosswalks at night and was almost hit by a car. I think we need to really focus on making sure that crosswalks have the right lighting, they have the right warning system, and that our citizens are actually using those in the right manner.
• Development: We need to make sure that the infrastructure that does come in is in line with our small-town charm, and absolutely imperative to the way of life that we have here. We want to keep that, but we also have to be open to reasonable sustainable growth.
• Cost of living: My vision for Louisville includes developing partnerships with the property developers, employers, and nonprofits to create permanently affordable housing by incentivizing affordable housing development and streamlining building codes. We can make Louisville accessible for all income brackets.
• Education: Every child should have access to early education. It is disappointing to see that the projected availability for the preschool program is not going to be met. Local governments indeed play a role. Community partnerships with businesses, local organizations, and charity groups is important and instrumental. Creating some of that public private partnership, we can pull resources to supplement the shortfall.
• Crime & Mental Health: When we discuss crime prevention and reducing gun violence, including suicides, mental health becomes paramount. Individuals who engage in violent behaviors, including self-harm, often suffer from mental health issues. By ensuring timely intervention and adequate support, we can reduce the risk of these tragic outcomes. It’s essential we enforce rigorous gun background checks that must include a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s mental health history. 

Louisville City Council – Ward 3

Barbara Hamlington – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: That collaboration with the county and the state is necessary to develop comprehensive solutions for the growing population of unhoused people in our community. I would advocate for solutions such as an affordable living wage and affordable housing in our community. In order to address challenges the unhoused population face, it requires multiple solutions.
• Infrastructure: Public transit would be best served by collaborating with the county and the state as well. I’m advocating for multimodal transportation for residents. I’m not only looking at it from a walkability standpoint, but I’m considering other options as well to encompass all abilities and ages, ensuring that our crosswalks are safe, that there’s good visibility for both the pedestrian and the vehicle.
• Development: Our economy relies on sales tax revenue to provide the residents with the services that they expect of the city. There are ways to go about strategic development within the city that support our sales tax revenue and also maintain the charm that residents appreciate. Proposition 123 that we recently discussed the city council, was a housing commitment that we all agreed to put forth in order to qualify applications or projects in Louisville, really for affordable housing.
• Cost of living: Some of the things that interest me are re-imagining land use and zoning, particularly in our areas where we have commercial vacancies that have not been filled for some time, for example, along the McCaslin corridor. I envision how it could be used for mixed residential and commercial use, close to public transportation. I also am advocating for accessory dwelling units.
• Education: The local government can help educate the community about that resource to ensure that all residents are aware that they can apply for it. There could be local programs that are supplemented by local government funds, through grant applications, to help families get access to preschool education and care.
• Crime: I’m going to focus my answer on our children. I think collaboration between the city departments, such as the police department, and the Boulder County School District to ensure that our children feel supported and have the resources they need to be successful. They will realize they have partners within the entire community who want to ensure that they have the resources they need to be healthy and successful.

Dietrich Hoefner

• Unhoused: Homelessness is an issue that we need to address in close coordination with our neighboring and adjacent communities along the front range. Louisville has a relatively small percentage of individuals experiencing homelessness. Solutions include addressing the overall shortage of housing and affordable housing units, ensuring access to social services, and engaging on this issue with compassion.
• Infrastructure: Louisville is certainly a suburban community and we do need to appreciate that many folks are going to continue to get around with cars. We need to have a transportation network that works well for folks and is safe for them. I’ve been concerned we’ve had a handful of pedestrian incidents with car collisions. We have room to improve street design and street safety to reduce the frequency of those types of incidents.
• Development: We do have opportunities to redevelop existing sites, and in some cases, we have opportunities to shift land uses potentially from underutilized commercial zone spaces to potentially allow mixed use residential and increase the number of units at a reasonable pace. Louisville’s small-town character and historic downtown are the feather in our caps, we need to be careful that whatever we do, it’s consistent with that character.
• Cost of Living: We’re in the process of developing a housing needs assessment and strategy framework that will help identify steps that can be taken in response to the housing needs. I see this as another region-wide issue. It’s across the Front Range that we have a shortage of housing, a shortage of affordable housing. And I think this is one where we’ll have to work with our neighbors, we’ll have to work with the state.
• Education: Respectfully, I would run that question to the Boulder Valley school district. As the city government, we don’t have a lot of direct oversight of local schools.
• Crime: I think we’ve been reasonably successful with community policing. That means not only having police visible around town, but also having police have good relationships with the community, and with city leadership, so they feel like trusted community members. Louisville has obviously taken steps on gun legislation within the city. I think that’s something we’ll continue, but until there are solutions at higher levels of government, it’s going to be a difficult problem for individual jurisdictions to tackle.

Louisville Ballot Measures

Louisville Open Space Tax: Additional %.125 sales tax (10 yr) to fund open space management and wildfire mitigation and an extension (10 yr) of the extant %.375 sales tax. | Vote: Yes

Longmont Elections

Longmont Mayor

Ethan Augreen – UNQUALIFIED

• Unhoused: We need to get rid of government policies that create more homelessness. For example, the lockdowns that resulted from the poorly understood health scare. I oppose bringing the train up from Denver because Denver has an even larger homelessness crisis. I think it’s important for the city to have a dedicated team that performs outreach and helps homeless people. I also support creating an alternative-to-police model like Denver’s STAR program. 
• Infrastructure: I ride the bus all the time, and I want to make sure it reaches people in the more rural areas of town. But we need to bring RTD to the table and ask what we can do to expand transit. I would also support putting a referendum on the ballot to repeal the train tax we have been paying for a train that doesn’t exist, and try to claw back any taxes we’ve already paid. 
• Development: I would listen closely to what the community wants and make sure the city’s plans match it. There’s a need for affordable housing, but we also need to protect our open space. I don’t think anyone wants to continue the sprawl that we’ve seen. I would support building more apartments or condos in that area to densify housing, but I would also work to limit sprawl. 
• Cost of living: We have an opportunity to support the modular housing industry and I would work to attract a modular housing manufacturer to town. The cost of construction has increased significantly, that’s the number one factor that’s causing housing to be more unaffordable.
• Education: The idea of creating an Early Childhood Development Special District encompassing the St. Vrain and Boulder Valley school districts should be explored further. As mayor, I will be eager to support the District and help bring this promising idea to fruition. As a general libertarian principle, I don’t think it’s wise for a city government to be directly involved with preschool. Let’s leave early childhood education in the hands of qualified and trained education professionals. 
• Crime & Mental Health: We don’t need new gun laws. The state has already provided tools like red flag laws. I also don’t think that criminals should have guns. I believe the Second Amendment is an important right because it gives citizens the right to defend themselves. We should also look at creating a law enforcement advisory board so the public can give feedback. We should hire more social workers and case managers to create a better safety net for people who suffer from mental illnesses.

Joan Peck – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We have a project hopefully ready in 2024, for affordable housing with wrap-around services — addiction services, mental health — permanently there. We need to have everything in the same place so people don’t have to go all over the city.
• Infrastructure: We do have Ride Free Longmont but the challenge is RTD sets those routes. As we grow, the routes do not cover what we need. RTD did give us a grant to look into micro-transit. I am still working on the passenger rail district board hopefully we will get a Northwest corridor for passenger trains.
• Development: We do need to urbanize. I know that’s difficult for some people who have lived here for a long time. It is a challenge to keep our community feeling. We need to have a rental market for people. Longmont is doing a great job of building what we need to get people into housing.
• Cost of living: We used to have an inclusionary zoning ordinance years ago which gave us an affordable inventory. The city council, a few years back, got rid of that. All of our affordable units went to market rate, leaving a big gap. We need to keep people who shop and work in our community here.
• Education: Some of the conversations that I’m having with organizations are can businesses open up preschools in their facilities for their employees? Longmont Housing Authority is going to include a preschool within their housing project.
• Crime & Mental Health: A couple years ago I made a motion that half of the marijuana tax must go into an affordable housing bank. It also goes into mental health. We need universal healthcare, the cost to get mental healthcare for a family is overwhelming. 

Terri Goon – UNQUALIFIED

• Unhoused: Get the government out of the housing business altogether. That would make homes more affordable, there would be less regulation and less requirements. Homelessness is a tragic situation with a lot of factors like mental health and drug abuse involved. Keeping the government out of it would give people more money to invest in the causes they care about. 
• Infrastructure: I do not support expanding public transportation. Government doesn’t need to be in the business of bussing, especially during times of potential pandemics. Sidewalks are another story, and I think we need some stronger regulations around scooters and micro-transit options on sidewalks to improve walkability. 
• Development: Longmont is a beautiful place. Colorado is as well, and people are going to want to continue moving here. And I don’t envision the government doing anything about that. Developers should be able to create homes for people who move here in a way that makes the homes sellable. 
• Cost of living: It’s sad when kids and their families can’t afford to live here, but addressing affordability is not within the scope of the government’s duties. The government needs to stay out of the housing market and allow the market to adjust. We need to do something about Colorado’s construction defect law so we can build more condos. 
• Education: There is no such thing as free preschool. All of our taxes went up and we’re supposed to be incentivizing parents to cart their children to preschool. We should be educating more of our children at home. Keep more of your tax dollars in your pocket and maybe we won’t have to have two parents working.
• Crime & Mental Health: Mental health is a big problem, and I could see the government working to implement mental health resources until private sources come along. We’ve filled our jails with people who need mental health treatment, and it’s all because we don’t have enough resources in this state. For guns, we should have data about who has been in a mental health facility and restrict their ability to purchase firearms based on their level of threat.  

Longmont City Council – At Large

Rebekah Venturella – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: We really have to get creative with our space, to be creative with multifunctional housing. We also need a space, something that’s open 24 hours versus Boulder’s shelter, which  is just for the evenings, and then you have homeless people on the streets in the day.
• Infrastructure: Having a car is expensive. Gas is expensive. Having more transit will be amazing, and the railway, I know they’re working hard on that. We need to be looking at that high density housing where we’re not just putting in houses and lawns, let’s make this a city. Let’s build this community in a tight, tight knit way and make it walkable.
• Development: I like the affordability option, where people are able to buy a home, and they’ll build credit, and then they can pay into it. And then they get that generational wealth, build that equity. That will give people more of a route here, versus just a fast in-and-out. Really looking at the whole picture, not just the immediate fix now.
• Cost of Living: Affordable housing is a necessity, it has to be, because it’s so expensive. Even if you wanted to buy a house, your interest rates are so high, it’s unreal. TABOR and HH are coming up. I built good relationships with state legislators, a lot of people lose sight of that city-to-state connection.
• Education: If we can get TABOR repealed and that money to help boost our education, that’s going to create a ripple effect so kids are getting better at education, they’re getting cared for, that’s going to help with people’s concern with homelessness, it will empower students and kids as they grow up. We’ve all got to buckle down and try to work this out together. It can’t just be our state legislators doing it all. We have to be pushing things here.
• Crime & Mental Health: I’ve got gun violence in the family and mental health struggles as well. I think we need a survivor in that chair. Suicide rate is a higher than that other shootings rate so we need to put more money into the budget for mental health services and we need an intensive outpatient program.

Sean McCoy – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We’re trying to figure out how to navigate the issues surrounding clearing encampments and providing people with adequate shelter. We’re exploring the use of pallet homes and trying other Housing First approaches. I think the biggest thing is to listen to the community and respond to their needs accordingly. 
• Infrastructure: Investing in public transit is one way to resolve the climate issues attached to car-centric development. I’m a big supporter of the rail station that we’re building. In the same notion, we also need to tackle the construction defects issue in Colorado so we can build more apartments and condos to provide more people with homeownership opportunities. 
• Development: We won’t build our way out of this problem. There’s not enough land; there’s not enough water, there’s simply not enough resources to do so. We also need to start thinking about what Longmont’s ideal size is. That way we can continue to provide the services that people depend on like fire and police, while also preserving the town’s unique character. 
• Affordable housing/Cost of living: We’ve been working on this in the city for a while. That’s one reason why we had to take over the Longmont Housing Authority. In my mind, they basically forced us into this situation because of their negligence. Right now, we’re exploring the use of ADUs, but we know they won’t work everywhere. I also plan to work with homeowners associations to reduce barriers to building more affordable housing where appropriate. 
• Education: If we shift money over to support the state’s preschool education program, then something else in Longmont will get underfunded. If you never want to be able to sell a bond again, this is a great way to do it. We don’t want to overtax anybody but stepping in to help fund the gap would force us to tax a certain part of the population over others, kind of like how metro districts work. 
• Crime & Mental Health: When we look at the evidence of the gun violence epidemic, it’s sad. It’s an expensive issue for cities. We can work with insurance companies so people have to take out a policy to buy a gun. Maybe AR-15s and other weapons of war will become so costly that it dissuades people from buying them. I’m not against somebody having a gun for hunting purposes or for safety purposes. I’m against people acting like their Second Amendment rights trump my right to life.

Steve Altschuler – UNQUALIFIED 

• Unhoused: If the homeless that we’re talking about are disabled or veterans, then we need to step in and help them. The same goes for someone who maybe lived in Longmont for an extended period of time and paid taxes. Otherwise, we’re going to attract people from all over the country if we just give out subsidies to anyone who asks.  
• Infrastructure: I’m not a big fan of building high-density housing to improve walkability. People want to live in Longmont because it’s more of a bedroom community and is more affordable than other places like Boulder or Denver. I would support building more walking and biking trails for people to get to King Soopers or other stores. 
• Development: Right now, city council seems focused on acquiring as much land as possible to build as much housing as it can. I don’t think this is a way to maintain the character of Longmont. I could see us building a few more townhome communities to give people a way to step into homeownership, but we also need to focus on connecting these communities to the rest of Longmont. 
• Cost of living: One way to make housing more affordable in Longmont is to get rid of the city’s affordable housing requirements. All they do is drive up the cost of construction for developers. I think a smarter way to make housing more affordable is to stop taxing people so much and allow the city’s residents to keep more of their income. 
• Education: There are things that people should be personally responsible for, and their children are one of them. I think our government should be primarily focused on providing fire and police services, not universal daycare. Hiring government employees to fix this mess will just increase taxes for the rest of us. 
• Crime & Mental Health: Criminals will always find a way to get guns, so the answer isn’t to take guns away from reasonable and law-abiding citizens. Places that have the toughest gun laws, like Chicago, also have some of the highest rates of gun violence. On mental health, we need to make it easier for people who need treatment to get treatment.

Longmont City Council – Ward 1

Diane Crist

• Unhoused: Property taxes push people out, creating more homeless. This is kind of a whole enchilada here. Historically, we’ve been through times like this before —  the 1970s, the 1930s — significant things need to happen. We need Reaganomics to bring down inflation, deregulate, lower our taxes, and balance our budgets.
• Infrastructure: On the Transportation Board we started talking about Vision Zero because we have a safety issue with the way transportation is right now. It’s very centralized. And that just doesn’t work. The big initiative that we picked was Vision Zero. We’re working on developing that within the city, which is zero traffic deaths.
• Development: High density housing is meant to be more affordable, but it’s from isolated services. The thing we need most is for transportation services, which could connect quite easily at a commercial center like the blighted Safeway. It’d be a nice five errand stop and you could catch a bus there, which makes things a lot more affordable.
• Cost of living: We’ve got to put a break on property taxes. The Gallagher Amendment was written back in the 1970s in a similar economic climate. It was repealed, and the idea was we would replace it, but what we did was we removed it without replacing it. In the meantimeI’m asking the city council to consider property tax rebates.
• Education: It’s a frustration to those who work in government funding. We need to not vote in the initiatives on the ballot this year. We need to give it three years and see where we are financially. Currently, we don’t have any childcare facilities on the north end of town, but there are empty storefronts that can be brought into condition. The real road forward is to trim down the expenses. We have to partner with the private sector.
• Crime & Mental Health: Often we try to come up with a micro solution to what’s a macro problem. There’s a homeless engagement professional, a liaison that keeps tabs on that community. That seems to be helping that community find the services they need. I’m not in favor of needle exchanges.

Harrison Earl – QUALIFIED

• Unhoused: It’s important to remember that we’re talking about human beings when we talk about the unhoused. I would work to connect them with better services and resources. I would look to other communities to find ways we can work collaboratively to solve the problem.
• Infrastructure: One of my key objectives is to make sure we have a livable Longmont. Part of being in a livable community is having a public transit system that works for the community and isn’t only built to serve Main Street. I love the idea of microtransit as well. We should also work to improve our sidewalks and build more protected bike lanes to help the city meet its Vision Zero goals. 
• Development: Parks, greenspaces and open areas are what make Longmont a phenomenal place to live and I want them to be enjoyed by future generations. There are ways we can support more growth without sacrificing open land. We should look at certain areas close to downtown that can accommodate more multi-family housing.
• Affordable housing/Cost of living: We need more supply in the community, and that includes more subsidized properties and market-rate homes. Longmont has historically built either single-family homes or apartments and nothing in between. We need to diversify housing stock, one way to do that is speed-up the approval process for developments.
• Education: There’s a group in Longmont that has been pushing for an early childhood education program and a regional tax to support it. While I’m not in favor of new taxes, I like the idea of expanding public education and would support those ideas.
• Crime & Mental Health: The mental health challenges we’re facing are much bigger than the City of Longmont can handle by itself. We need federal and state officials to dramatically increase the funding we receive for supportive services, and should be sending trained professionals to help these individuals instead of police officers. I would support programs like gun buybacks to reduce the number of guns on the street.

Nia Wassink – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: I’ve spent a lot of my career working with the homeless community. First and foremost, housing is the solution. People can’t get into stable employment, substance use treatment, or mental health support services unless they have housing. Right now, we’re relying on the kindness of our faith community and that’s non sustainable.
• Infrastructure: Longmont has grown in a lot of fantastic ways. We were recently named by People For Bikes as the #10 city for our infrastructure. And a lot of folks are looking at multimodal solutions for themselves. I think we have a duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make our streets safer for pedestrians. That’s why I support our Vision Zero goals. 
• Development: One of the things that really appeals to the people of Longmont is the city’s diversity. We have amazing cultural art centers and we’ve created a city that allows people from different socioeconomic backgrounds to live here. If we don’t have a diverse housing stock, then become a city that only appeals to the elite. We need to balance our green spaces with housing that people can afford. 
• Cost of living: There isn’t a silver bullet for this problem. We need to do it all by addressing zoning issues, supporting accessory dwelling units, and supporting infill development so that folks aren’t pushed to the outskirts of our city. We need townhomes, apartments, condos, and single-family homes. We need to figure out where we can put them so they don’t disturb our community environment. 
• Education: I was part of the Early Childhood Alliance for Boulder County that was pushing for a special district to provide more education funding for kids. We are heading toward an early childhood education crisis in this country. Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act are about to run out. The local government must play a role in the solution.
• Crime & Mental Health: We have amazing programs in Longmont like the Restorative Justice Program, but we need to do a better job of addressing the underlying needs of young adults. Crime is a symptom of deeper issues. We need to improve our services for people who struggle with their mental health, and raise salaries for social workers and mental health clinicians.

Longmont City Council – Ward 3

Gary Hodges – UNQUALIFIED

• Unhoused: The city published a pamphlet that has a half-dozen shelter options, food options, and resources for people who don’t have to be living on the streets. It’s really about vagrancy.
• Infrastructure: Public transit is fine, but we’re a relatively small town. I think RTD more broadly will almost always say “no” to expending resources here. We need to look at other options like expanding specialty lines to football games or to the airport, or at beautifying our existing public transit stops with public art to encourage more use. 
• Development: Longmont is going to continue to see growth and I am not opposed to the idea of adding more affordable housing, fundamentally. We need to identify an end game because the blind pursuit of affordable housing can have major consequences.
• Cost of living: It’s expensive because a lot of people want to live here. Something that the city council needs to address is the increasing local utility costs. Electricity prices have increased this year and could increase next year. The city has a plan to draw 100% of its power from renewable energy sources but we can’t shut down our coal-powered energy plants. It’s just fantasy.
• Education: Our role would be to lobby state lawmakers for a solution to the problem, and partner with surrounding communities to send letters of support for different pieces of legislation. I am not sure that we can do anything at the local level to address this issue. 
• Crime: This is not something that the city council can solve. It must come from the state. People don’t feel as safe as they used to. That’s been caused by the push for reduced sentencing at the state level by Attorney General Weiser. I’m not going to ask the police to crack skulls, but we need to get back to community-value policing, go after the criminals, and protect rights of law-abiding citizens. 

Ron Gallegos 

• Unhoused: I don’t think there need to be any more large shelters built because between half or three-quarters of the unhoused population are lacking the necessary mental health support they need. We can thank Ronald Regan for that. I would support building a temporary housing community with shipping containers that is managed by a third-party. 
• Infrastructure: We need to have more owner-occupied, mixed-use, and condo communities in Longmont so that people don’t have to drive to get their basic necessities. If you live near where you work, then people don’t have to use cars as much and that would make Longmont safer for pedestrians. 
• Development: We need to start talking about the sustainability of our community. Longmont is in “maintenance mode.” We should be looking at new infrastructure to accommodate growth. We could increase fees for park space and make other fees for water, stormwater, and sewage go away. I would also encourage mixed-use development in places that have been traditionally commercial or retail areas. 
• Cost of living: We need to streamline the building relationship between developers and the planning community to get them all marching in the same direction together. The last thing we should do is shove a top-down solution on the community. Instead, we should get a bottom-up solution with a lot of buy-in. 
• Education: Education isn’t the city’s area of expertise. That’s why we have a school board. We’ve got enough on our plate to fill it, and then some. We don’t need to be looking out for any other problems. 
• Crime: We don’t have any mental health professionals listed on Longmont’s staff. Nor should we. That doesn’t mean we can’t be supportive, but we need to stay in our lane. Gun violence is a similar issue. That’s a federal, not a state or city-level issue. Policies like extended waiting periods seem to be popular with the public, but I don’t think gun buybacks are something Longmont should consider.

Spencer Adams – NO REPLY

Susan Hidalgo-Fahring – ENDORSED

• Homelessness: I have been working on streamlining the way our Neighborhood Impact Teams work with other community organizations to connect people with services. We need to remember that many of our unhoused neighbors are living in flight-or-fight mode and don’t always have the ability to think about finding services when they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
• Infrastructure: We need to have more options for people who rely on public transportation. Our transportation department recently acquired a grant to support micro-transit. We can’t have people waiting at a bus stop for 30 minutes. We increase the frequency which our public transit operates. I’m also glad to support our Vision Zero goals of making our streets safer for pedestrians. 
• Development: The people who work in Longmont should be able to live here as well. But a lot of the jobs that we have are so-called working middle class jobs and those are the people who are struggling most to afford housing. I support building more affordable or attainable housing for these folks.
• Cost of living: One way to make housing more affordable for all is to raise the minimum wage. We have to make sure it aligns with our cost of living. This is something I’ve advocated. Providing housing is one part of the solution, and making sure people can pay for that housing is the other. 
• Education: One of Longmont’s priorities is early childhood education and that goal has been in place before the state’s push for universal early childhood education. We want to expand those services. We have to make sure these services are affordable for impoverished families.
• Crime: I work to educate the community about the mental health services that are available to them. We also want to make sure we’re sending the right responders to the scene. On gun safety, we need to tighten up our red flag law and start holding people accountable for gun crimes. 

Longmont Ballot Measures 

3C – New Library Funded by Mill Levy and Sales Tax Increases | Vote: Yes

3D – New Arts & Entertainment Center Funded by Mill Levy and Sales Tax Increases | Vote: Yes

3E New Recreation Facilities Funded by Mill Levy and Sales Tax Increases | Vote: Yes

Superior Elections

Superior Ballot Measures

301 – Home Rule Charter: Shall the Town of Superior form a home rule charter commission for the purpose of drafting a home rule charter? | Vote: Yes

Thornton Elections

Thornton Mayor

Jan Kulmann – UNQUALIFIED

Julia Marvin – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We need to expand services that we have to help people at the moment, we have our cold weather program where we provide vouchers when it gets really cold. I would like to see that program expanded to include the summer we’re starting to see more and more days of nearly 100 degrees or higher.
• Infrastructure: We need to be putting more resources into making sure that our roads and our sidewalks are all well maintained.We really need to start looking at some alternatives besides RTD. We need more Micro Mobility public transportation options.
• Development: Community feel is what people really love about Thorton. People do wish we had more small businesses, coffee shops, restaurants, it adds to the character. Do we really need a gas station on every corner? 
• Cost of Living: We should create a housing inventory for the city to figure out what we’re missing, where the gaps are, and then create a housing strategic plan. We could be doing inclusionary zoning policies that would require developers to allocate a certain percentage of affordable housing units. And that’s something that the current council has no interest in.
• Education: Making sure that we’re paying our early educators living wages is incredibly important. The City could invest in public after school programs that the city runs, we should be investing and expanding those more
• Crime & Mental Health: if someone’s in crisis usually the initial call is going to be 911. So to have some mental health professionals that can be sent out in those situations is crucial. There was a lot of success working with cities to provide mental health counselors that were embedded in the police departments.

Thornton City Council – Ward 2 

Angie Bedolla – DID NOT REPLY

Roberta Ayala – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: I’ve seen it in my neighborhood. I live by a pretty big park and there are folks camping there. We don’t really have much funding for our homeless outreach team. We have to fund mental health and human services. I worked in human services, we need those folks, we need to pay them so they stay.
• Infrastructure: I grew up in the original neighborhood of Thornton, it’s more walkable. Other places, you’re getting a little bit into the food desert area, where there’s a lot of housing but not any resources nearby. Roads are built for the car, not for the person. There’s tons of accidents. A lot of neighbors reach out to me as a community leader because they’re frustrated. We can build it so it’s safer for our community.
• Development: I think we haven’t been balancing, we’ve been concentrating more on developers. Our current Council is more interested in pandering to developers with corporate profit interests. Their campaigns have been bankrolled by developers. How do we fold our community into these conversations? I want to get Thorton back to a city that represents people, not corporate profit.
• Cost of Living: Housing that is built for people, affordable housing, isn’t going to be the developer’s top priority. Typically they push housing that is affordable, into the denser, older neighborhoods, and then the luxury apartments and single use McMansions north, and that’s not sustainable. Part of my platform is that we need housing everywhere.
• Education: I sent my son to the Thornton Rec Center, preschool program, and it was fairly affordable. I was pretty much a single mom at the time. We should keep those programs affordable, even though it was just a few days a week. I’m a fan of education as early as you can.
• Crime & Mental Health: We have a progressive and well funded police force but we’re asking our police department to do a lot of things that they are maybe not best trained to do. We started a responder program, but we have to look at adding more resources because a lot of the unhoused folks in Thornton are having mental health issues.

Thornton City Council – Ward 3

David Acunto – REFUSED INTERVIEW

Mark Gormley – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: We have a capitalist system wrapped around what is supposed to be our democratic system and we should be taking care of everybody. We don’t have enough money for support programs. We want to give everybody what they’re asking for, because the need is out there, but where’s the money coming from? 
• Infrastructure: A number of people I’ve spoken to have voiced their desire for better eating establishments. Thornton does a really good job with green spaces, and trails, and we need to make sure that we maintain the ones that exist, and continue to develop those and make sure that the green spaces and trails are in the interest of the citizens and not the developers.
• Development: We don’t have enough affordable housing, specifically what I mean is the other three Wards all have a lot more apartments. So anybody starting out new is not going to be able to afford these single family homes that are cropping up endlessly.
• Cost of Living: In my case, KB Home was able to roll up all the infrastructure expenses into bonds, and when they walk away, they leave the bonds behind for the homeowners to pay, and then they call it property taxes when it’s really infrastructure expenses that are put into these bonds.
• Education:  It would be wonderful if we had the ability to do this, to accommodate people’s needs. I’m all for public education. We’re going back to the whole funding issue. I’m wondering if we have the facilities for such a thing.
• Crime & Mental Health: In the 1980s, Reagan started closing down a lot of mental facilities across the country. We’re not putting the resources into it, and then many wonder why we have so many homeless. A lot of this because they have no alternative. Mental health resources can help prevent crime because people aren’t putting in a situation where they need to perpetrate crime.

Thornton City Council – Ward 4

Christopher Russell – ENDORSED

• Unhoused: My solution is to increase funding for our HOT team, our homeless outreach team here in Thornton, which is understaffed. We need to get communities together, so that we’re not just moving the unhoused across city lines, but actually providing help.
• Infrastructure: Where I live, off Highway 7, there are few bus routes. I believe that the city should run a study and consider running our own mass transit bus system. Spend some money on additional bike lanes and connecting trails.
• Development: Simply by building townhomes, condos, those are higher dense, but they are housing that is innately more affordable.
• Cost of Living: If we are going to erect condos or townhomes we need to designate 20-30% of those as affordable units that have a certain limitation on the price.
• Education: My wife’s level of frustration was through the roof because we couldn’t get answers right away and right deadlines were coming and you had to commit. There needs to be dedicated personnel that can help review and take in information for the betterment of the program.
• Crime & Mental Health: I am a big advocate for having a universal health care system. I think that we start at the top with our federal government. I think the American population in general needs better access to medical treatment across the board, not just mental health. 

Nicole Matkowsky – DID NOT REPLY

Dacono Elections

City Council – At Large