Colorado College students will have a voice on April 7, when elections will be held for both mayor and city council. Several important issues are on the line to be approached by the mayoral candidates.
Colorado College had a significantly lower voter turnout that registered voters in the Fall 2014 elections, so many members of the school community are urging students to fill out a ballot.
“Without voting, we do not exist in Colorado Springs,” said Abe Mamet, CCSGA member on the Committee for Community Engagement. “And that is hugely important, since CC represents an undeniably unique portion political spectrum in terms of its political location, and such a large number of voters live here.”
In the mayoral race, incumbent Steve Bach chose not to seek re-election. There are six candidates running to take over his position: Tony Carpenter, Amy Lathen, Mary Lou Makepeace, Lawrence Martinez, Joel Miller, and John Suthers.
Five city council seats are also up for grabs. None are in Colorado College’s District 1 of Colorado Springs.
The main issues of these elections revolve around city administration. In 2011, Colorado Springs transitioned to a strong mayor-council form of government, which caused a strain in the relationship between the city’s legislative and executive branches. Many blame this strain for the city’s slow economic growth in the past four years.
“It (the administrative issue) is going to be the new mayor’s single biggest challenge, and potentially their greatest triumph,” said Mamet. He suggests that personal, face-to-face communication among city leaders may be the best way to approach decisions and issues.
All of the mayoral candidates propose strategies to fix this mayor-council issue, but it is the voters who decide what path the city will take when they vote on the ballet’s two administrative issues.
Issue 1 concerns whether the city charter should be amended to exempt the mayor’s authority from contracts and agreements made by Colorado Springs Utilities Board.
The Utilities Board is made up of members of the City Council. Before 2011, the Utilities Board had authority to make final decisions. Voting “yes” on this issue would be a check to the executive power of the mayor.
Issue 2 asks whether the city charter should be amended to allow the City Council to hire and fire its own staff (currently the mayor’s duties).
Voting “yes” on this issue would also be a check to the executive power of the mayor.
The candidates have diverse views on matters that Colorado College students care about like expanding the job market for young professionals, the future of downtown Colorado Springs, and transportation. Data has not been released regarding which candidates are leading the race.
Mayoral Candidates
Tony Carpenter
Age: 55
Experience: Veteran, city employee, business owner
Strategy to attract young professionals: Make it easier for new businesses to thrive.
Plan for revitalizing downtown: Less government provisions that decrease the growth
Prioritizing roads and highways or public transportation: Equal
Amy Lathen
Age: 47
Experience: County Commissioner for seven years, cut county spending by $30 million during this time by reducing administrative department
Strategy: Reform regulatory environments and streamline business planning and job competition
Plan: Support elimination of business personal property tax, increase business licensing, establish local initiatives
Prioritizing: Roads and highways, because they affect buses
Mary Lou Makepeace
Age: 74
Experience: Mayor of Colorado Springs from 1997-2003, following 12 years on City Council
Strategy: Establish Young Professionals Advisory Board
Plan: Increase opportunities for living downtown, create more accessibility from trails and parks
Prioritizing: Public transportation
Lawrence Martinez
Age: 53
Experience: El Pomar Emerging Leadership Native American Council, City Council Mayor’s Office Employee
Strategy: Higher paying jobs, city attractions, public transportation, affordable housing, better education, family entertainment
Plan: Focus on homeless situation, more events and city involvement, bring businesses downtown
Prioritizing: Roads and highways
Joel Miller
Age: 44
Experience: 21 years as a military officer/pilot, City Council, Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Board, Colorado Springs Advisory Commission
Strategy: Refocus budget to grow existing businesses and attract new businesses, remove unnecessary business taxes and fees, create a level playing field for all businesses
Plan: Review and decrease government taxing on businesses
Prioritizing: Equal
John Suthers
Age: 63
Experience: Attorney General of Colorado 2005-2015, U.S. Attorney for District of Colorado 2001-2005, Executive Director of Colorado Department of Corrections 1999-2001, District Attorney of El Paso and Teller Counties 1989-1997, 10 years in private law practice
Strategy: Promote private sector job creation
Plan: Work with businesses and business groups to get more people living and working downtown
Prioritizing: Equal
This is a mail-in or drop-off only election. Mailing in or dropping off can be done any day between now and April 7. The drop-off location closest to Colorado College is the City Clerk’s Office, at 30 S. Nevada Ave.