3 ON 4: Aurora City Council vacancy finalists weigh in on hot-button questions

AURORA | The three people vying for a vacant Aurora City Council seat appear to have more in common in regards to city hot-button issues, than differences.

Amsalu Kassaw, Danielle Lammon and Jonathan McMillan, candidates for the empty City Council seat are vying for the at-large position, pitching their strengths to seated city lawmakers instead of voters.

The three candidates were slated to mingle with members of the community Dec. 9, in the lobby of the Aurora Municipal Center. Lammon and Kassaw were slated to attend the event in person. McMillan was scheduled to participate remotely.

Aurora City Council chose three finalists from among 34 applicants in November to fill a vacant at-large council seat following the resignation of Councilmember Dustin Zvonek on Oct. 31. Zvonek stepped down citing family concerns and his new role at a political lobbying firm. His replacement will serve the remainder of Zvonek’s term, which ends next fall.

The Sentinel interviewed the three final candidates and asked specifically about police, homelessness, taxes and “Operation Aurora.”

Amsalu Kassaw, an immigrant from Ethiopia and member of the Saint Mary Orthodox Church, highlighted his journey in Aurora and deep commitment to serving the community while he spoke to Council members on Dec. 2. He is a lieutenant at Geo Group Inc. for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) facility. He lists a career background as a security guard and officer. Kassaw, a Republican who has lived in the city for 17 years, said he is proud to call Aurora his home.

Danielle Lammon, a 12-year Aurora resident and small business owner, owns an insurance agency and book publishing company. On Dec. 2, she emphasized to city lawmakers her deep roots in the community and extensive involvement in various boards and commissions. 

As a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Aurora program and a member of the Aurora Rotary Club, Lammon said she has tackled projects ranging from creating a sensory garden to fundraising for a fire safety trailer. She sits on the city’s Budget Advisory Committee.

The third candidate, Jonathan McMillan, has highlighted his background in youth violence prevention and public service. McMillan, who has held roles such as the Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, spoke about his belief in servant leadership.

He said on his city council vacancy application that he is an unaffiliated voter and offered previous Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and current Denver Mayor Mike Johnston as references.

City Council members are scheduled to choose a candidate at a Dec. 16 meeting.

Trust in the police

Each candidate was asked whether they thought people of color in Aurora should trust the police department, given its history. 

On building trust between the Aurora Police Department and the community, Kassaw said it was important for the Aurora Police Department to increase community engagement and communication, especially with people of color. He said the police should prioritize communication and engagement to foster respect and understanding.

“We need to have some kind of engagement to build trust between law enforcement and us,” Kassaw said. 

McMillan had similar answers and said he believes people of color should be able to trust the police department. Still, he said the department needs to make intentional efforts to rebuild broken trust, especially after incidents like the Elijah McClain case.

Unlike Kassaw, McMillan said the department’s priority should be more on training. He said they should focus on repairing relationships and rebuilding trust with the community through training in areas like equity, implicit bias and trauma-informed practices.

McMillan said he would want the police department to have a model of “respect, protect and serve with honor and equity” in all their interactions.

“I am obviously not a person of color,” Lammon said.  

She said that while Aurora has a history to consider, she does believe that the citizens of Aurora must begin to rebuild faith in the city’s institutions. She said that the Aurora Police Department rebuilding faith is a two-sided effort that starts with trust and is fortified by the knowledge that people in uniform work to protect and serve citizens while placing their own lives in harm’s way every day. 

Business first?

The candidates were then asked if they had to choose between the interests and needs of residents or businesses, which would be the priority? For example, the $2 occupational privilege tax was repealed and, for a brief time, was almost repealed again and brought back to help fund two fire stations in Aurora. The city is already looking at a deficit of $12 million in 2026, partly from repealing the $2 “head” tax. 

The 2025 budget includes the elimination of the occupational privilege tax and the accompanying reduction of approximately $6 million in revenue, said Ryan Luby, deputy director of communications for the city. 

“The 2025 budget is balanced,” he said. “The 2025 budget includes a financial forecast for years 2026 through 2029. That forecast includes forecasted changes in revenue and expenditures. The 2026 forecast includes funding to staff one fire station. The 2028 forecast includes funding to staff an additional fire station. The 2026 financial forecast includes an $11.5 million budget shortfall that will be addressed as part of the 2026 budget process.”

To balance the budget in the next two years, council will either need to make cuts to the budget or they will need to create a new tax.

Each candidate agreed that residents and business owners should be equally taken into consideration. 

Kassaw said that residents and businesses are interconnected and rely on each other. He said he would support budget cuts before taxation, and that council would need to be careful and thorough in examining the budget, but overall, he emphasized seeing residents and businesses as complementary rather than conflicting, and he wants to support a thriving business climate that benefits the entire community.

McMillan said he felt “choosing” one or the other was a “Catch-22” as businesses provide necessary tax revenue for the city, but the tax burden should be applied equitably. He said he would look at both taxation and budget cuts to balance the budget. He said he is open to exploring innovative taxation methods, like taxes on luxury or vice items, rather than just across-the-board taxes that could overly burden residents, and he wants to look for inefficiencies in current tax collection before resorting to new taxes or budget cuts that could harm residents.

As a business owner, Lammon agreed that residents and businesses should be taken care of equally, but she said she was not opposed to the “head” tax, and she would not have repealed it. 

“As a small business owner and a resident, I do not have a problem with paying the tax and neither do my employees,” she said.

Homelessness approach

All three candidates agreed that decisions for the city should be made with valid data and evidence, but all were also open to the possibility of testing out the “work first” approach to homelessness the city is trying out for the navigation campus opening next year.  

The “housing first” approach to homelessness has a proven success rate of 88%, according to the most recent study cited by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Kassaw said he did not approve of the “housing first” approach because he did not think it had high success rates. He said that he thought “housing first” caused crime and the approach is “hiding the homeless” without actually addressing the root issues. He did not provide any data or research to support his opinion.

Kassaw said he favors the “work first” approach, which focuses on providing job training, employment opportunities and programs that he says could restore “dignity” and independence for homeless individuals. 

He believes this work-focused model is more effective at reintegrating the homeless back into the community and addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, such as mental health issues and addiction.

McMillan illustrated the research evidence that points to housing-first success rates, but he also said that sometimes innovative programs that don’t quite meet the bar of scientific “evidence-based” can still be effective. He said he was open to the approach, but emphasized the importance of ongoing evaluation and adaptability when implementing public health and social service programs. Just because an approach isn’t proven yet doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be considered, he said.

Lammon said she thought the “work first” approach sounded holistic and she pointed out that it would address individual needs. She did not state her opinions on the “housing first” approach.

“My understanding of the (navigation campus) is that it will provide a low barrier to entry with services that support individuals at each stage of homelessness to become self-sufficient,” Lammon said. 

Operation Aurora

All three candidates had solid opinions about “Operation Aurora,” the threat of mass deportation of immigrants in Aurora by President-Elect Donald Trump made during his rally in Aurora on Oct. 11. 

Trump has said he wanted to deport undocumented immigrants and immigrant criminals, but it begs the question of how far he will take it. 

News about the threat has put Aurora immigrants, especially those without documentation or in mixed families, on edge, immigrant activists say.

As an immigrant and ICE lieutenant, Kassaw focused on detaining and deporting immigrants. He said that the operation should not be used for “mass deportation” of all undocumented immigrants, including those who have gone through proper legal channels like asylum seekers. He said he disagreed with potential overreach or misuse of the operation to target non-criminal immigrants. Kassaw emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance and addressing criminal activities while also supporting legal immigrants and protecting their rights.

McMillan said he was concerned about attempts to circumvent Constitutional protections like birthright citizenship. He also condemned the family separation of previous administration practices. 

“I’m also very concerned about military presence within our city deporting people who are residents, whether they’re citizens or not. It feels very dangerously close to occupation or even Martial Law,” McMillan said. 

Lammon brushed the conversation off as political rhetoric, saying that she did not have a stance on the subject.

“As of now this doesn’t seem to be much more than bi-partisan campaign rhetoric and there doesn’t seem to be an implementation plan to review,” she said. 

Candidates vie to city lawmakers for the job

All three finalists were interviewed over a two-hour meeting at city hall Dec. 2, closed to the press and public, but available streamed online and in city council chambers. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RECORDING.

The one thing all three candidates have in common is having their families as prominent priorities in their lives and wanting to make Aurora a better place for children and families across Aurora. 

Kassaw, an immigrant from Ethiopia and member of the Saint Mary Orthodox Church, highlighted his journey in Aurora and deep commitment to serving the community. He is a lieutenant at Geo Group Inc. for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). He lists a background as a security guard and officer. Kassaw, a Republican, who has lived in the city for 17 years, said he is proud to call Aurora his home.

“Aurora is more than a city to me,” he said.” It is a symbol of opportunity and diversity.” 

He emphasized his priority of fostering economic development, improving public safety and addressing the issue of homelessness.

Kassaw, who said he has worked with elected officials and community leaders on various initiatives, pointed to his experience advocating for small businesses and promoting civic engagement. He also discussed his work in establishing a sister city relationship between Aurora and Adama City in Ethiopia to facilitate cultural exchange.

“As an immigrant to this country, I bring a unique perspective that is grounded in resilience, hard work and an unwavering belief in the power of inclusion,” Kassaw said. “My journey is proof of what is possible when diverse communities come together, and I am committed to ensuring that Aurora remains a city of opportunity for everyone.”

Two notable references he listed on his application for the vacancy include Priscilla Rahn, a teacher for Denver Public Schools who ran for Douglas County Commissioner, and Hanna Bogale, an Ethiopian-American entrepreneur who ran for Aurora City Council.

Lammon, a 12-year Aurora resident and small business owner, she owns an insurance agency and book publishing company, emphasized her deep roots in the community and extensive involvement in various boards and commissions. 

As a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Aurora program and a member of the Aurora Rotary Club, Lammon said she has tackled projects ranging from creating a sensory garden to fundraising for a fire safety trailer. She sits in the city’s powerful Budget Advisory Committee.

A Republican, she listed two notable references on her application for the vacancy, Mordecai Brownlee, the president of Community College Aurora and Naomi Colwell, the president and CEO of Aurora Chamber of Commerce.

Lammon’s priorities include ensuring public safety, generating revenue to support essential city services and infrastructure and enhancing Aurora residents’ overall quality of life. She expressed a strong understanding of the city’s form of government and the need to be a responsible steward of the municipal budget.

“I’m passionate about serving our community,” Lannom said. ”As a council member, I bring a strong background in entrepreneurship, as well as nonprofit leadership. I hope to expand my current involvement to foster a thriving, safe and economically strong community.”

McMillan illustrated his background in youth violence prevention and public service. McMillan, who has held roles such as the Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, spoke about his belief in servant leadership.

He said on his vacancy application that he is an unaffiliated voter and offered previous Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and current Denver Mayor Mike Johnston as references.

“I am doing this for all the right reasons,” McMillan said. “I feel like I’m the most qualified because I’m very empathetic, I’m very pragmatic, and I’m human-centered first.”

McMillan emphasized the importance of ensuring that all law enforcement officers receive trauma-informed, emotional intelligence and implicit bias training to build stronger community trust and de-escalate potentially volatile situations. He also pledged to engage with residents across Aurora’s diverse neighborhoods to understand their concerns and collaborate on solutions.

McMillian touched on his background of being incarcerated when he was young and how that shaped his worldview to be more empathetic in understanding why people take the actions they do.