AURORA | In the race for City Council’s Ward V, voters will see one familiar name and two newcomers on the ballot this fall.
Incumbent Bob Roth, who has served as the ward’s city councilman since he was appointed to the position in 2009, will be the familiar face. Cheri McElhiney and Livia Payne, both first-time city council candidates, are challenging Roth for the seat.
Roth said he would use his next term if elected to ensure a diversity of new housing is built in Aurora as the city grows and the Regional Transportation District’s Interstate 225 light rail line opens in 2016.
With RTD’s Aurora “R” light rail line due to open next year, Roth said it’s imperative for the city to attract different kinds of housing.
“How the Aurora line develops and its success is going to impact the whole city for years and years to come,” he said. “To steal a line from Mayor (Steve) Hogan, it will be the main street of Aurora. It needs to develop with the right mix of development. That includes housing.”
He said making it tougher for homeowners to sue builders over construction defects is a primary issue for all of Aurora. He lauded city council’s approval in August of a resolution to give builders the right to repair defects before litigation is pursued.
The measure, which still needs final approval from city council, would require that the majority of home owners in a homeowners association — as opposed to just a majority of HOA board members — approve of any lawsuits, and allows builders to offer monetary settlements to homeowners in lieu of repairs.
Roth said he would also use his term, if re-elected, to urge the city’s Public Works department to complete a traffic and mobility study for Heather Gardens residents that has sat unfinished for years.
“It’s an aging community that has special needs as far as mobility issues,” he said.
Roth said he is also closely following Regatta Plaza’s redevelopment.
“When I first got appointed, Regatta was in my ward. That was one of the first things people told me about. That passion has been there for many years to get it fixed,” he said.
The Regatta Plaza area has been eyed for redevelopment for years and parts of it have sat vacant for decades. In August after stalled negotiations with two property owners, Aurora City Council unanimously approved using eminent domain powers to condemn a large section of the planned Regatta Plaza development for the Nine Mile Urban Renewal Plan.
McElhiney, who has lived in Ward V with her family for five years, said preserving Aurora residents’ right to have backyard chickens — a measure that was passed after decades of the hens being banned — would be a primary focus of her campaign.
She said residents are upset with Roth, who voted in 2014 against the measure to allow residents to own up to four chickens with a permit issued by the city. At the time, Roth said residents in his ward did not want to the measure to pass.
Roth countered that he would not be doing anything in the future regarding the chicken ordinance unless it came up with voters.
“I have no intent on bringing that up and fighting that battle again,” he said. “As of the last count, there have been 160 permits issued for backyard chickens. There were two sides to the conversation and my side did not prevail. That’s the way it works. I don’t have any desire to expend more time and energy on it. The council has spoken, and the majority said they wanted to allow it.”
McElhiney, who grew up in Arvada and Littleton, is a developmental pathways early intervention service coordinator and a licensed social worker.
She said her campaign has been all grassroots and that she is working on a social media and website presence for her campaign.
“We’re going to do this old-fashioned way,” she said of her campaign style. “Just walk door to door. I’m more interested in talking with the people in my ward. It’s going to be real grassroots. I’m not doing a big fundraising thing.”
She said while stumping for her council seat, she learned that residents in Ward V are most concerned about completing the billion-dollar veterans replacement hospital in North Aurora and redeveloping Regatta Plaza.
“It’s not directly in our ward, but it impacts people that live in our ward,” she said of both projects.
Editor’s note: Payne, the other newcomer running for the city council seat, did not return a request for comment for this story.
so Cheri McElhiney is only interested in backyard chickens?? some reason to run for city council. while completion of the VA hospital is important it isnt in Ward 5. Ward 5 residents more concerned about thing in Ward 5.
Cammy,
Don’t always believe what you read. Backyard chickens aren’t the only reason I am running and it was highly overstated in this article. Many other issues were brought up in this interview invluding the VA and the issues the residents at Heather Gardens are having with the redevelopment of that area.
I won’t ever say I speak for everyone in my Ward, because that’s simply not possible.
I do hope to make an impact on urban homesteading, sustainability of our city, and just being available to listen to the people I represent. Simple as that.
Thanks for the feedback though!
i know the Sentinel doesnt always tell us what we should know but its the only paper we have in Aurora and if we dont believe what we read there, then how are we to be educated in things that concern citizens in Aurora?
Doing your own research, asking the source when you can, and other things like that I suppose. One of the things I said to this reporter was, “If backyard chickens are your biggest concern in Aurora, maybe you shouldn’t be in office”, and yet, she made it my biggest concern. Quite frustrating I must say.
I feel – in this article – that Roth has offered a good understanding of the city’s planning issues. But he has been our representative for 6 years and I would really like to hear what he has accomplished or in the process of getting done.
He points out that the Public Works department hasn’t completed the traffic and mobility study for Heather Gardens residents in a timely manner. Why does he think he can make that happen now? He is currently being paid as our representative – then get it done now – not after you are reelected.
Have you ever seen a bigger group of foot dragging council members in your life?
Move over career politicians of Aurora. You all need to be replaced one seat at a time.
Would he get it done if he’s re-elected? I don’t think you can count on it.
How much money has Roth’s campaign taken in from builders?
Just like Denver City Council Aurora council people will take money under the table to build bread box apartment complexes right next to light rail stations. This will accommodate the simple minded millennial generation and all of Americas “NEW Comers” from the third world. I plan on selling out at the real estate growth peak and split this blunt smoking state and leave the mess to you folks who will need to learn 132 different languages and put in top of the line security systems on your houses, cars and anything of value. asta lavesta haji.
Aurora needs more masques and open space for prayer rugs. Maybe they can turn city hall into a grand mosque for all of the new third world new comers to this sanctuary city.