Thomas Tobiassen
Thomas Tobiassen was a nonpartisan candidate for at-large representative on the Aurora City Council in Colorado. Tobiassen was defeated in the general election on November 7, 2017. Click here to read Tobiassen's response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.
Biography
Tobiassen received a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Maryland. His professional experience includes working as a computer systems engineer. He served on the Regional Transportation District Board of Directors for eight years and also served as the board's chairman.[1]
Elections
2017
The city of Aurora, Colorado, held elections for city council on November 7, 2017. Wards I, II, and III were up for election, as well as two at-large seats. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 29, 2017.[2] The following candidates ran in the Aurora City Council at-large general election.[3]
| Aurora City Council, At-large General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Allison Hiltz |
22.88% | 17,697 |
| Dave Gruber |
17.52% | 13,554 |
| Thomas Tobiassen | 17.46% | 13,509 |
| Timothy Huffman | 15.33% | 11,857 |
| Brian Arnold | 10.54% | 8,157 |
| Russell Wagner | 8.62% | 6,667 |
| Abel Laeke | 3.83% | 2,965 |
| Reid Hettich | 3.82% | 2,956 |
| Total Votes | 77,362 | |
| Source: City of Aurora, "2017 Official Election Results," November 29, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2017
Tobiassen participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[4] The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | My top priority is to ensure that our city grows smartly with quality housing that supports families of all incomes, we attract high quality primary industries that provide good jobs with excellent salaries supporting strong families, that our world class police and fire services are staffed, equipped, trained and have the resources necessary to protect our city and that our infrastructure is maintained in a state of good repair. As a member of the Planning Commission,Budget and Water Advisory Committees, I have worked to smartly manage growth in Aurora.[5] | ” |
| —Thomas Tobiassen (September 10, 2017)[1] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| Crime reduction/prevention | Unemployment | ||
| Government transparency | City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | ||
| Transportation | Homelessness | ||
| Housing | Public pensions/retirement funds | ||
| Civil rights | Environment | ||
| K-12 education | Recreational opportunities | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| State | |
| Increased economic opportunities. Public safety requires a commitment from government leadership to listen to the concerns of the residents and respond in proactive ways. Our government leaders need to go out and meet with community groups and build strong relationships. As an RTD Board member, I was constantly out meeting with neighborhood and civic groups at every opportunity. | |
| Recruiting new businesses to your city. As a member of Accelerate Colorado, I have worked with regional, state and federal business and government leaders to improve the infrastructure that attracts primary business to our city. | |
| We are fortunate to live in a city that has a lot to offer our residents and businesses along with tremendous opportunities for our future. | |
| Aurora is a wonderful city and I will work to ensure that all of Colorado recognizes that fact! For over 20 years, I have volunteered in many ways to ensure that Aurora is a great city to live, work, raise a family, have fun and retire. |
Endorsements
2017
Tobiassen received the following endorsements in 2017:[1]
- Bob LeGare - Aurora City Council At-Large
- Bob Roth - Aurora City Council Ward V
- Brad Pierce - Aurora City Council At-Large
- Bob Broom - RTD Board, Aurora City Council Ward VI (past)
- Ingrid Lindemann - Aurora City Council Ward III (past)
- Ruth Fountain - Aurora City Council (past) Heather Ridge Neighborhood
- Polly Page - Public Utilities Commission (past) Meadowood Neighborhood
- Nadine Caldwell - Aurora City Council Ward I (past)
- Larry Beer - Aurora City Council (past)
- John McCracken - Aurora City Council (past) Heritage Eagle Bend Neighborhood
- Aurora Firefighters Association Local 1290
- Denver Area Labor Federation
- Amalgamated Transit Untion Local 1001 (Bus, Light Rail Operators & Mechanics)
- Betty Anne and Don Budy - Heritage Eagle Bend
- John Deshner - Senior RTD Bus Operator
- Barbara Deadwyler - RTD Board, Aurora
- Paul Solano - RTD Board, Commerce City
- Dr Claudia Folska - RTD Board, Aurora
- Ellen and Joe Belef - Centre Point Neighborhood
- Kevin Flynn - Denver City Council, Rocky Mountain News (Ret)
- Ron Rakowsky - Mayor of Greenwood Village, CO
- Bonnie "Ernest" Archuleta - RTD Board, Denver
- Karen Stuart - Mayor (past), City and County of Broomfield Colorado
- Senator Nancy and Terry Todd - Eastridge Neighborhood
- Senator Suzanne and Ed Williams - Danbury Park Neighborhood
- Roger Sherman - Denver
- Bill Holen - Arapahoe County Commissioner
- Honorable Jovan Melton - House District Representative
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Thomas Tobiassen Aurora City Council. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Aurora, Colorado | Colorado | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Thomas Tobiassen's Responses," September 10, 2017
- ↑ City of Aurora, "Current & Upcoming Elections," accessed February 21, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Aurora City Clerk's Office," August 31, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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