The controversy surrounding Aurora City Manager Skip Noe has spilled into the mayor’s race, with Councilwoman Molly Markert jumping in with hopes of becoming the city’s mayor this fall.
Markert on Tuesday said part of the reason she is running is because of the divide caused on the council over some female members’ claims that than he does the men.
Markert was one four councilwomen who Monday night with Noe, saying they felt their issues with the city manager weren’t being taken seriously. Noe has the support of Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan.
“I think the two are tied together,” Markert said of the split on the council and her starting the process of running for mayor hours before the executive session. “It’s another example of how a 6-5 split is not a resolution. There are still a number of people who don’t agree with the direction that decision reflects.”
Markert submitted paperwork to run for mayor, named her committee and will begin collecting signatures to appear on the November ballot.
The other two issues Markert will campaign on are whether Aurora should become a county and whether it should have a strong mayoral form of government. She opposes those ideas. But those have been part of Hogan’s focus for much of his first term in office.
Hogan said the Noe situation should not be a campaign issue.
“Anybody who wants to make this an election issue is probably a little shortsighted,” Hogan said after Monday’s meeting.
Because of the split, Markert said she doesn’t see how the council can go forward on other issues “without some leadership” to bridge the divide.
“It’s a symptom, a scab, a boil, an itch that’s part of the overall problem of not hearing all the voices and not responding to the concerns,” Markert said.
Councilwoman Sally Mounier questions why her male colleagues haven’t taken the concerns of her and others more seriously. She also walked out of the meeting in frustration, after hoping that Noe would have agreed to leave the job.
There are six women and five men, including the mayor, on the City Council.
“There are five guys against five women,” Mounier said of those in support and those against the city manager. “Where would you find this anywhere? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Debi Hunter Holen is the lone councilwoman in support of Noe, and she said Tuesday she hasn’t changed her mind.
“I want him to stay,” she said. “We were negotiating. We were working toward a final end, and they got up and left (Monday’s meeting). So here we are.”
“Here” means another executive session on the Noe situation, scheduled for April 13.
Hogan still believes both sides can come to a working agreement and move forward with Noe running the city in the city’s best interest.
“We’ll continue talking,” Hogan said.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp
