AURORA — Four City Council positions and the mayor’s seat are up for grabs Nov. 6, and in every race, an incumbent is seeking re-election.
The campaign’s key issue has been water-rate hikes and the city’s lack of communication to residents about them. Also garnering discussions have been growth and education.
The mayor’s race has Ed Tauer seeking a second and final term against challenger Francis Peter Maks Jr.
Tauer, who had $247,000 in his campaign fund as of the latest reporting date in August, says the biggest issues facing the city are improvements to Interstate 225, redeveloping areas such as Havana Street and the makeover of the former Fitzsimons army base.
“In the last four years, we were able to accomplish a lot of things. The biggest thing we did is set the groundwork to do a lot more,” Tauer said.
Maks did not return phone calls seeking comment. On his website, he says city leadership “doesn’t have the best interests in mind for the city as a whole.”
Ward V appears to be the most competitive council race. Sue Sandstrom is seeking re-election against former firefighter and current restaurant owner Alfonso Nuñez and Don Toussaint, a third-year law student and former financial-services manager.
Toussaint said the city should focus on redeveloping existing areas instead of creating new development.
“I’m not anti-development. I’m just pro-development of our existing communities,” Toussaint said.
If elected, Nuñez would be the first Hispanic on the council in almost 25 years. He is on the city’s Blue Ribbon Panel and has never run for office. The biggest issues facing the city are education and diversifying the police and fire departments, he said.
Sandstrom, a certified public accountant, said she’s a candidate who doesn’t seek publicity but works on important things behind the scenes while finding money for better code enforcement.
In Ward IV, City Councilwoman Molly Markert is being challenged by Gary Zimmerman. Zimmerman said he is running so that Markert would not be unopposed.
In her first term, Markert worked to improve the Havana Street corridor and helped ensure that if the Heather Ridge Golf Course is ever sold, the land would become open space.
Incumbents Brad Pierce and Ryan Frazier are trying for four more years in the two at-large seats but face a challenge from a trio that includes Pam Bennett, a transgender person who has won endorsements from the police and fire unions. Also in that race are challengers Carol Wilkins and Duane Senn.
Issues Bennett said are important to the city are stabilizing the water rates and bringing more jobs to the city.
“I want to see Aurora as a major U.S. city,” Bennett said.
Frazier is chairman of the city’s public-safety committee and has worked to improve benefits for police and firefighters. He said he would try to partner schools with the new Fitzsimons medical campus.
“If we are not exposing our children to the excitement of Fitzsimons, we are doing our future generation a disservice,” he said.
Pierce said the city must find other revenue sources besides sales and use taxes, which account for about 75 percent of city revenue.
Councilman Bob Broom is running unopposed in Ward VI.
Two questions are on the ballot. One would extend from 10 to 20 years a special improvement district in which neighborhoods can have masonry fences put up, then pay the city back. Extending it would allow for lower annual payments.
The other ballot question would allow the Cherry Creek Racquet Club neighborhood near Quincy Avenue and Smoky Hill Road to create a general-improvement district and increase property taxes so it can build masonry fences. Only registered voters and property owners in that neighborhood will vote on that measure.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
