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Aurora, Colorado municipal elections, 2015
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The city of Aurora, Colorado, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 27, 2015. Five of the 10 city council seats were up for election.[1]
Mayor Steve Hogan ran unopposed for re-election. Ward IV incumbent Molly Markert and Ward VI incumbent Bob Broom did not file for re-election. Charlie Richardson was elected to replace Markert, and Francoise Michelle Bergan was elected to replace Broom. Ward V incumbent Bob Roth won re-election against two challengers. Angela Lawson and incumbent Bob LeGare were successful in the at-large race, defeating Maya Wheeler and incumbent Debi Hunter Holen.[2][3]
The development of a light rail line through Aurora drew attention from city officials, candidates, business owners and local activists. Learn more about this issue here.
Mayor
Candidate list
- Steve Hogan
- Incumbent Hogan was first elected in 2011.
City council
Candidate list
Ward IV
Notes: Incumbent Molly Markert did not file for re-election. Arnie Schultz withdrew from the race in September.
Ward V
- Cheri McElhiney
- Livia Payne
- Bob Roth - Incumbent Roth was first elected in 2011.
Ward VI
Note: Incumbent Bob Broom did not file for re-election.
At-large (two seats)
- Debi Hunter Holen - Incumbent Holen was first elected in 2011.
- Angela Lawson
- Bob LeGare - Incumbent LeGare was first elected in 2011.
- Maya Wheeler
Election results
| Aurora City Council Ward IV, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Charlie Richardson |
56.6% | 4,086 |
| Joe Lewis | 43.4% | 3,135 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 7,221 | |
| Source: City of Aurora, "Unofficial Election Results 2015," accessed November 3, 2015 | ||
| Aurora City Council Ward V, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Bob Roth Incumbent |
63.5% | 5,262 |
| Cheri McElhiney | 19.9% | 1,646 |
| Livia Payne | 16.6% | 1,373 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 8,281 | |
| Source: City of Aurora, "Unofficial Election Results 2015," accessed November 3, 2015 | ||
| Aurora City Council Ward VI, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Francoise Michelle Bergan |
51.0% | 4,263 |
| Brian Arnold | 29.6% | 2,475 |
| PK Kaiser | 19.5% | 1,629 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 8,367 | |
| Source: City of Aurora, "Unofficial Election Results 2015," accessed November 3, 2015 | ||
| Aurora City Council At-large, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Bob LeGare Incumbent |
28.5% | 17,209 |
| Angela Lawson |
28.3% | 17,062 |
| Debi Hunter Holen Incumbent | 25.6% | 15,467 |
| Maya Wheeler | 17.6% | 10,595 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 60,333 | |
| Source: City of Aurora, "Unofficial Election Results 2015," accessed November 3, 2015 | ||
Council wards
Below is a map of Aurora's council wards in 2015. There were six wards on the council along with four at-large seats. Each ward elected its own representative on the council. The four at-large members were selected by and represented the entire city. Click the map to return to the candidate list.
Issues
Light rail development
Background
A 22-mile light rail line connecting Aurora to the rest of the Denver metro area was scheduled to open by 2016. This line, referred to as the I-225 Rail Line or R Line, was first approved by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in 2009 and construction started in 2013. The construction cost for the R Line was estimated at $350 million in 2014.[4] An additional line running from downtown Denver to Denver International Airport called the A Line was slated for completion in 2016 and would connect with the R Line at Peoria station. As indicated on the maps below, the R Line through Aurora connects with the H Line at Nine Mile station.[5]
Responses to development
Ward IV election
None of the candidates for city council expressed opposition to the I-225 Line on their campaign websites or during forums as of September 15, 2015. The three candidates who ran to replace term-limited Ward IV incumbent Molly Markert were the most vocal about their views on the development of the I-225 Line. Markert was supportive of development plans related to the light rail line, and Ward IV houses two of the line's eight stations. Here were the arguments made by the candidates:
- Charlie Richardson suggested that he would ensure citizen feedback on future developments if elected, saying, "I will differentiate between what the city is incapable of doing versus what it is unwilling to do."[6] In an interview with the Aurora Sentinel, Richardson also stated his support for redevelopment plans at Regatta Plaza.[6]
- Arnie Schultz stated his support for the full range of developments planned near the rail line, including Regatta Plaza, commercial leasing on Peoria Street and retail space on South Havana Street. He also supported a 424-unit apartment building near the Iliff light rail station.[6]
- Joe Lewis expressed concern over Aurora's marketing efforts in the region. He cited attracting new businesses to Regatta Plaza and other developments in the ward as necessary to increase tax revenues while drawing in more visitors.[6]
City officials
Mayor Hogan and city council members remained generally receptive to the I-225 Line's development since construction began in 2013. In February 2014, at-large council member Bob LeGare expressed concerns about unrealistic expectations for development costs near the completed line. LeGare, a real estate professional, noted in an interview with The Denver Post that regional planners expect property prices to increase to $25 per square foot near the line, thus increasing property tax intake. He countered that there was a significant gap between these projections and the typical property price of $17 to $18 per square foot for Aurora properties. Hogan acknowledged LeGare's critiques but said that the city needed to meet high expectations by making bold development decisions near the line.[7] A December 2014 report by RTD noted $85 million in small business enterprise (SBE) commitments within the I-225 Line development area.[8]
Eminent domain and Regatta Plaza
On August 18, 2015, the council unanimously approved the use of eminent domain to condemn four properties at Regatta Plaza, a shopping center in southwest Aurora.[9] These properties are located near the Nine Mile rail station, and the city had previously acquired the services of the design firm Miles High/Koelbel to redevelop Regatta Plaza into mixed-use property connected to the station via a pedestrian walkway.[10] The use of eminent domain followed a 2013 declaration by the council that Regatta Plaza was considered a "blighted" property.[11]
Property owners Romesh Sharma and John Buckley opposed the council's vote, indicating that the city had rejected multiple proposals for redevelopment. Buckley said that the city of Aurora was "steam rolling this...they are going to do whatever they want."[11]
Sharma made the following statement in an interview with ABC 7:
| “ |
This is an injustice...I told them I want to develop my land myself. I don't think that the city is doing something for the benefit of the public, but it is doing something for the benefit of that private development. [12] |
” |
| —ABC 7, (2015), [11] | ||
Iliff Station Neighborhood Association
Albert Melcher, the head of the Iliff Station Neighborhood Association, voiced concerns about the impact of RTD's Iliff Station development starting in December 2014. In a July 2015 interview with The Denver Post, Melcher stated:
| “ |
In March (2015), a traffic impact study for this project was published and it included all existing traffic today plus traffic from a 1,200-car RTD parking garage...But it ignored traffic to be generated from the (transit-oriented development site), the 1 million square feet of office space proposed along Iliff Avenue and other potential traffic. [12] |
” |
| —The Denver Post, (2015), [13] | ||
The neighborhood group recommended the widening of Blackhawk Street, the removal of a bike lane on Anaheim Street to ease congestion, and reconsideration of a roundabout near a 600-spot transit parking lot. The group was also concerned that residents of St. Andrew's Village senior care center could be endangered by increased traffic. Melcher noted that Mortenson Construction, the company responsible for building a 30-acre development near the station, was responsive to design and pedestrian mobility suggestions, though it lacked the authority to carry out additional changes.[13]
Homeowner concerns
In April 2015, residents of the Meadows Mobile Home Park expressed concerns about potential noise and traffic from a nearby light rail station. Homeowners criticized the RTD for failure to deal with increased traffic near the station, which they said could contribute to accidents. A March 2015 community meeting held by regional planners also exposed concerns about loud sounds produced by the rail line. RTD officials stated that they were working with city officials to install an additional traffic light near the stop but that estimated noise levels did not meet the threshold for noise-reducing measures.[14]
Ballot measures
Amendment to Allow Subsidies of Motor Sports Facilities
A measure amending the Aurora City Charter to allow economic incentives for motor sports facilities was on the ballot for voters in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Adams Counties, Colorado, on November 3, 2015. It was defeated by a narrow margin.
If approved, Question 2J would have amended the Aurora City Charter, repealing Section 11-18.5. This repeal would have rolled back a ban preventing the city council from providing economic incentives to motor sports facilities, such as a NASCAR-style speedway. The targeted ban was passed in 1999.[15]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Aurora Colorado Election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City of Aurora, "2015 Candidate Election Dates," accessed October 21, 2014
- ↑ City of Aurora, "Certified Candidates," accessed August 31, 2015
- ↑ City of Aurora, "Unofficial Election Results 2015," November 3, 2015
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Aurora's light rail project along I-225 on track to open in 2016," December 1, 2014
- ↑ Regional Transportation District, "2015 East Rail Fact Sheet," June 26, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Aurora Sentinel, "Aurora Election 2015: Three-way race to replace Markert in Ward IV," September 3, 2015
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Aurora has high hopes for light-rail development," February 10, 2014
- ↑ RTD FasTracks, "Aurora Line/I-225 Rail Construction Update," December 12, 2014
- ↑ ABC 7, "Revamp coming to 'blighted' Regatta Plaza shopping center in southwest Aurora," June 30, 2015
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Aurora selects master developer for Regatta Plaza," May 4, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 ABC 7, "Aurora to use eminent domain on Regatta Plaza for redevelopment," August 28, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Denver Post, "Aurora residents seek, get input on RTD light rail station at Illif Ave.," July 9, 2015
- ↑ CBS Denver, "Community In Aurora Concerned About New I-225 Light Rail Station," April 14, 2015
- ↑ Aurora Sentinel, "Aurora City Council endorses Prop 2J, repeal of racetrack ban," October 12, 2015
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