AURORA | After a decisive win, Aurora’s newly elected “people-first” slate to city council are already discussing some areas where they might want to make changes and how they plan to work together, as their campaigns promised.
“We represent the whole of Aurora, not sections of Aurora,” Councilmember Ruben Medina, Ward II incumbent winner, said. “A community is everyone. It’s not exclusive to anybody. It’s inclusive of everyone, whether it’s their beliefs, gender, sexual orientation or political opinion, whatever may be. That’s what the makeup of our community is.”
While not official until the end of November, election returns consistently show Democratic and left-leaning candidates for Aurora City Council, Cherry Creek schools board and Aurora Public Schools winning in all of the contests for school board and city council seats.
Incumbent Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky conceded her at-large race Nov. 5.
“While last night’s election didn’t go the way we had hoped, I am deeply proud of the work we’ve accomplished together — the initiatives I led and the efforts I was privileged to support,” Jurinsky said in social media posts. “Four years ago, I was told I couldn’t win. But we did. And I have served my hometown and all of you with every ounce of passion, loyalty, and heart that I have.”
Elected were newcomers Rob Andrews, Ali Jackson, Gianina Horton, Amy Wiles and incumbent Medina.
Jurinsky, as well as Ward II incumbent Steve Sundberg, both Republicans, were not returned to office.
What’s being considered a progressive sweep in Aurora was also seen nationwide. Whether it was Democratic liberals or progressives, many political majorities or gubernatorial and mayoral races were flipped in the 2025 elections. While many groups and individuals try to take responsibility for the flip, progressives and Democrats, being angry with President Donald Trump and his administration, are the most responsible for the change, according to Seth Masket, a political science professor at the University of Denver.
“It’s fairly common for the party that lost the election to do well the next year,” Masket said. “Because the losers of the presidential election tend to be angrier the following year at the president, and anger is generally a better motivator than satisfaction.”
The fact that the Aurora City Council election is considered nonpartisan did not stop voters from being aware of the candidates’ political leanings.
“My understanding of those particular elections in Aurora is that the candidates’ political leanings were fairly well known,” Masket said. “There were a number of fairly Trump-supportive Republicans there, and a lot of pretty progressive Democratic candidates.”
Jurinsky and Sundberg made frequent headlines in the Sentinel and media across the region, and even the nation.
Winners said they’re ready to turn away from the campaign and focus on the business of the new city council.
The decisive victory in all the races gives the left-leaning council block a 6-4 vote advantage over conservatives and Republicans still on the dais.
“I look forward to working with the newly elected Councilmembers,” Councilmember Curtis Gardner said to the Sentinel. “The best piece of advice I got when I was elected was to take six months to learn the job — meet with people, take tours, study the budget. I’ll continue to work to make Aurora the best City in Colorado to live, work and play and will support policies that further that goal.”
Some of the remaining city council members, including Gardner, Angela Lawson, Françoise Bergan and Mayor Mike Coffman, have all seen the council majority flip over the years.
Between a virtual press conference held by the apparent winning candidates Nov. 7 and additional questions from the Sentinel, the soon-to-be council members shared their gratitude, spoke to what led to their win, and offered a few hints about what’s to come.
“Hope is much stronger than fear, than apathy, and though we have a long way to go to make sure that Aurorans are safe, and are truly thriving, it is only the beginning,” Horton, apparent winner in Ward I, said.
Apparent winners are two at-large contestants, Andrews and Jackson, Ward I candidate Horton, Ward II candidate Wiles and incumbent Councilmember Medina, who held on to his seat in Ward III.
All of the candidates posted convincing leads, which are apparent wins. The races are not officially called until Nov. 25.
“This election was not about being divisive,” Andrews said. “This election was about people coming together to end demonizing our city and our community. And what we want to do is we want to make sure that everybody loves our city. They have a place where they can work, love and play all day long.”
In highlighting both the mechanics and the meaning of this year’s results, Domonique James, the campaign manager for Medina, explained the conservative-to-progressive majority flip that will occur after the new members are sworn in on Dec. 1.
“What made this election, these election results, so exciting: People First candidates flipped the Aurora City Council,” James said.
James framed the victories as a case study in retail politics, overcoming financial disadvantages.
“Everybody had the same issues around money,” Medina said. “I’m proud that we all came together as a coalition.”
The progressive slate raised about $125,000 combined among four candidates, compared with more than $850,000 raised and spent by conservatives, James said. To close the gap, candidates and volunteers knocked on more than 35,000 doors and partnered with labor, climate, education, and civil rights groups.
“What we lacked in money, we made up for in our amazing volunteers, in our commitment to community and our willingness to go out and speak to people,” Wiles said.
Coalitions were also credited during the campaigns to host multiple political forums for people to engage with candidates, including the Aurora NAACP, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, Justice for Black Coloradans, Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism, known as the YAASPA and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
“It took collaboration, compassion and courage,” James said, with candidates who “represent the full diversity of Aurora,” which included electees from mid-career parents to early retirees, entrepreneurs, teachers and social workers.
Danielle Young-Kombo, a resident who helped with all of the candidates’ campaigns, said that hosting the high-turnout public forums, including at Arapahoe Community College and Heather Gardens, greatly helped the candidates with engagement and name recognition. She said that the candidates who showed up to all of the forums were the ones who won.
Each candidate talked about where they hoped to focus their attention once sworn into office.
Horton said she is already prepared to hold a town hall in December to hear residents’ concerns. She said she wanted to focus on accountability in the Aurora Police consent decree and repeal mandatory minimum jail sentences as immediate policy targets.
The Consent Decree, imposed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in 2021, followed investigations into the Aurora Police Department’s excessive use of force and discriminatory practices, particularly against people of color. Triggered in part by the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, who died at the hands of police and rescuers after being stopped, unarmed, the decree mandates broad reforms in training, accountability, use-of-force policies, data systems and community engagement.
Wiles said she wanted to focus on infrastructure gaps in northeast Aurora, calling for grocery access, rec centers, and libraries, and she vowed to extend public speaking time at council meetings. She also supports bringing domestic-violence cases back to Aurora’s system to better serve victims.
Jackson said she wanted to thank labor and LGBTQ+ communities for their support. She also said she would be pressing for more public restrooms and citywide trash service, and pledged proactive engagement with immigrant residents. She told the Sentinel she also planned to do more work with the homeless population by helping people get off the streets and into shelters.
“I do believe in this Navigation Center, but let’s continue putting resources into just getting people off the streets so that we can not carry that persona and stigma,” Jackson said to the Sentinel. “It’s just dignity for everybody involved at that point.”
Andrews said he planned to prioritize progress with the police consent decree.
Medina touted what has worked for him in his previous years on city council, a ground game built on face-to-face problem-solving and said he’ll move to nominate Councilmember Alison Coombs as Mayor Pro Tem to diversify committee assignments. He said he also plans to strengthen meeting decorum rules, invest in youth mental health and explore economic-development projects that create union jobs.
Coombs said she spoke to Medina about his interest in nominating her to serve as mayor pro tem next year, and that she will submit a letter of intent.
Volunteer Kirk Manzanares spoke while standing in a spot he now dubs “Victory Row,” a celebratory line of campaign signs along Alameda and Sable.
“We did it,” Manzanares said. “I come from a family where I had four sisters and two brothers. Now I have many, many brothers and sisters. We work together as a community.”
Campaign staffers Jasmine Ross and Lindsey Rasmussen were credited for building a field-first operation that, as Ross put it, was “powered not by money, but by the passion and dedication of the people who believed in change for Aurora.”
As for the controversial bills approved by the majority of existing city council, some new council members said they would look into possibly moving domestic violence back to the Aurora Municipal Court from the county courts, reviewing mandatory jail sentences, and reinstating the business employee “head tax.”
Misdemeanor domestic violence cases were historically handled by Aurora’s municipal court until this last summer, when city council voted to have it moved to the counties, much like other cities already do. This was controversial because although it is rare for a municipal court to handle domestic violence, it was considered to provide better outcomes for victims and perpetrators.
Wiles said she would want to look into whether the cases are being handled well or being dropped, as was a fear among county officials. She said she would be interested in bringing them back to Aurora for the safety of the victims.
Horton suggested bringing back the Privilege Tax, or “head tax,” of $2 per employee per month paid by employers in Aurora. She said she would want to speak with business owners to hear their perspectives. However, the $6 million in revenue the tax drew annually for the city could help address the current city deficit.
Aurora is one of the few places in Colorado that has mandatory jail sentences for petty crimes. The sentences include shoplifting and homelessness.
Horton, who has worked in the criminal justice industry, said that mandatory jail sentences are an injustice.
“It allows the system to abuse its authority on an individual who may or may not have the means to exit out of the system early,” Horton said. “Typically, it is also a strain of resources on a city, on a city’s budget, and at the same time, it incentivizes keeping people longer in the system than they need to be.”
Former progressive Councilmember Juan Marcano also said the new majority should move Aurora’s municipal elections to even-year cycles to lock in higher turnout. Head nods on screen suggested an appetite to study the shift.
James closed by inviting the public to the first entirely in-person council meeting in months on Nov. 17. The next meeting will be the final meeting with the outgoing council members before the new members take their elected seats.
“We made history with a record-breaking turnout, and this is proof that when you give people something to believe in, they will show up and they will vote,” Jackson said.
Begging the ‘Call for the question’
Current city council members frequently used a parliamentary procedure to end comments and debate initiated by Democrats on the dais. Debate and commentary would be cut short if any member of council called “ for the question. The measure’s purpose is to prevent filibusters. In the last year, multiple city council members, including Alison Coombs and Crystal Murillo, called out the Republican majority for using it to silence what they say is healthy debate and minority voices. This includes a more recent city council meeting Oct. 20, where it was used against Coombs to prevent her from making any comments before a vote on the agenda.
None of the candidates said they had specific changes they would make to the act of “calling for the question,” but each said they would be open to making changes if council members continued to use it repeatedly to silence debate.
“Call for the question” can be beneficial and should be used responsibly without being used as a tool to bully, intimidate or shut people down, At-Large candidate Alli Jackson said.
All the new council members agreed that there should be a healthy debate in which all voices are heard. Horton, who won Ward I, said she has noticed “call for the questions” has been used a lot this year to silence minority voices, and she would be open to making changes.
“I believe to establish a new sense of culture with new people coming into City Hall, to establish a new sense of respect across all council members, extending even to our public servants who work in the city, is to show that we can be a city council that can listen not only to the public but also to each other,” Horton said.
She said that as the new leadership transitions into their positions, they will need to evaluate the way members respond to each other and “make sure that’s rooted in respect, accountability and ultimately transparency for the public.
Andrews, who won an at-large council seat, said the progressive candidates all ran and succeeded by working together and that he would be interested in discussing changes after he had a chance to talk it over with the other city council members.
“Running this campaign was about doing things together and giving consensus and really bringing Aurora together,” Andrews said. “Nothing, from my point of view, nothing’s going to happen in the vacuum or a silo.”
Ward II city council winner Wiles said that she watched as “call for the question was repeatedly used to silence anybody who disagreed with the majority,” and she said that it is not a way leaders should be running a city.
“We absolutely need to allow differing voices to express themselves and to get their entire thoughts out,” Wiles said. “We definitely need to look at what we can do to fix that so that it’s more equitable for everyone.”
Ruben Medina, the incumbent and winner in Ward III, said that it all comes back to decorum, and asking the public for decorum when there was a lack of decorum between city council members is an unfair ask.
“I am a firm believer that if we’re the leaders, then we have to lead by example, and so we can’t be bickering between ourselves, infighting, and then expect the public not to act the same,” Medina said.
He said he wanted to have some dialogue with the city attorney and to look at how he and other leaders put teeth into the requirement for council member decorum, such as a fine, censure, or another tool that could immediately stop that tactic from being used in that way.
“Is there something that we can do immediately that stops that, so that we can let people know, the public as well as each other, that there are certain boundaries and that we have to maintain a sense of respect for each other, regardless of the positions we hold,” Medina said.
The community is made up of different kinds of people, and only listening to the voices we want to hear and excluding the voices we don’t want to hear does a disservice to each other, ourselves and the greater community, Medina said.
Public expected to be re-invited to be heard
“Public Invited to be Heard,” the listening session before the city council meetings begin, which allows members of the public to talk directly to city council members about any topic not on the current agenda, has undergone many changes in the last couple of years.
The public listening session is not required by state or charter mandate, and the city council majority may alter it in any way. Protests during city council meetings, especially those that have taken control of the public speaking session by not abiding by the time limits, prompted the city council majority to make changes to limit people from taking over. In the last year and a half, many of the protestors who seemed to have a power struggle with council members were a group of people demanding police discipline linked to Black men who were killed by Aurora police, while, in some cases, they were unarmed.
The family of Kilyn Lewis, a Black man who was unarmed and killed by Aurora SWAT after being pursued as a suspect in the shooting of someone in Denver, and their supporters all began protesting and calling for justice more than a year ago. Three more people have died, including two Black men, as the demand for justice and police reform continues.
Different moves made by the current city council to cut the speaking times and public viewing of the public speaking sessions were one of the main topics each of the new city council people ran on, each claiming that the public has a right to voice their opinions, even if the majority of city council disagrees with them.
“Whether it’s ‘public invited to be heard,’ or just more community voice altogether,” Jackson said, “meeting and hearing the needs of our community and figuring out just how we can connect our resources to them. I’m always open to change.”
She said the “push and pull” between community and city council members — from cutting people off, cutting the time limit for speaking, and other tactics to silence the community — is not “meeting community where they’re at.” She said that one example that sent a disgraceful message was that the Kilyn Lewis family was never apologized to.
“I think we can start to rebuild some of these broken connections with the community, and I think that’s going to help ease tensions,” Jackson said. “We can change things, so let’s be smart about it, and let’s work together.”
Andrews said he wanted to wait to speak with his fellow city council members before making any public decisions.
Medina and the other two Democrat city council members with whom he has been working with the last two years, council members Alison Coombs and Crystal Murillo, have all taken a stance against holding virtual city council meetings and restricting talk times as a way to prevent audience disruptions.
“The public needs to be present; we need to hear them,” Medina said. “I think they have a voice regardless of the issues or concerns, and we need to not take everything so personally, but take it for what it’s worth and have those dialogues.”
Back to his points involving the decorum with fellow city council members, he said that not hearing every voice in the community is a disservice to everyone.
Wiles based much of her campaign on the public’s invitation to be heard, and she wanted to extend the time people could speak. She said unlimited speaking time might cause additional problems, but there should be a place in the center that works for people.
“I think two minutes is really not long enough for somebody to be able to get their thoughts out effectively,” Wiles said. “I think we need to re-evaluate that decision and see if there’s maybe a happy medium.”
Newly elected council members, Andrews, Medina and Horton, all said they would want to work with the other city council members to make sure they are all on the same page before promising any specific changes, but they said they did plan to make some form of change to allow the community more of a voice.
Aurora’s Consent Decree and police reform
Since before the death of Kilyn Lewis, Aurora has garnered a reputation for police brutality and deaths of unarmed Black men at the hands of Aurora officers, the reputation prompted the Attorney General, Phill Weiser, to step in in 2021 and create a consent decree.
The Aurora Consent Decree followed investigations into the Aurora Police Department’s excessive use of force and discriminatory practices, particularly against people of color. Triggered in part by the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, who died at the hands of police and rescuers after being stopped, unarmed, the decree mandates broad reforms in training, accountability, use-of-force policies, data systems and community engagement.
Now, four years into the consent decree, many critics are unhappy with the pace and types of reforms and say it hasn’t improved the situation as promised.
The newly elected council members each had tentative suggestions they hoped to bring to the table.
Medina suggested beginning back-foot and bike patrols because they make officers more approachable and have shown much success in previous years’ trail runs. Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said during a previous Town Hall meeting that he did not think he had the manpower for foot patrols and that he has been sending drones up and down Colfax for added security. Medina said that although he appreciated where drones can help, they are not the same as having an officer be active in a community.
Jackson said she wanted to focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in the city and ensuring that police receive proper training on bias and discrimination. She said she mostly just wanted to look into what is being offered and if it should be updated.
The Aurora Consent Decree could expire in the next year, and Andrews said he hopes to get it over with so the city can move on to a new genuinely independent monitor.
Those still demanding ‘justice’ and change in Aurora
Along with the death of more Black men, such as Lewis, after the Consent Decree was implemented, a group of activists and family members of Lewis began protesting at meetings and eventually disrupting city business. One of the prominent faces of the group demanding justice and substantial police reform in Aurora is MiDian Shofner.
Shofner began attending meetings to demand police discipline for Lewis’ death, along with his family members and others. Over time, the protestors grew more aggressive, disrupting other members of the public who came to speak or insulting specific council members, and the city council began responding to Shofner and others by making insults in return and imposing more restrictions on the public.
Eventually, it all became a power struggle between the two groups.
City council cut speaking times, stopped publishing public speaking sessions, and went completely virtual for months, until litigation with the Lewis family was resolved. During the Oct. 20 city council meeting, city council voted to bring the meetings and public listening back to in-person on Nov. 17. During the last virtual meeting Nov. 3, Shofner pledged to continue coming to meetings to protest the death of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, who was killed by an Aurora officer Aug. 30.
“We continue to watch this council pretend like nothing has happened, no outrage by your body, only empty words for the family and praise for some of you to Todd Chamberlain,” Shofner said. “I find myself thinking that none of you have reached out to Phil Weiser or any other outlet for support on how the Consent Decree is still failing the community. You just arbitrarily listen to an entity you are paying $5 million to monitor the patterns of the police. At your next session, when you’re back in person, you will see us, and we will be there because your decision, your culture and your lack of leadership make disruption necessary.”
Shofner later told the Sentinel that having new council members means no change for her and that she will still attend all future meetings, holding them accountable in the same ways. In another video posted on Shoifner’s social media, she said, “We still have a lot of work to do,” after congratulating the new candidate’s win.
When the election season began, Shofner started a “vote them out” campaign against the Republican candidates up for reelection: Jurinsky, Steve Sundberg, and Amsalu Kassaw. Since then, Shofner stopped that campaign but quickly jumped to a “get out the vote” campaign in Aurora, encouraging people to vote and using different comedic stunts to get people involved in the election.
Some candidates said they were never close to Shofner and do not owe her anything, while others said they would be respectful of her work and what she is fighting for, but that does not grant her access to demand anything the new council members cannot fulfil.
It is unclear what change Shofner expects to see with the new council or whether they will go along with any demands. Possible talks of negotiations have been mentioned, but nothing has been decided.
Vote counts are current as of Tuesday Nov. 11, 2025
2025 Aurora City Council Election: 2 At Large seats
| Aurora City Council At-Large | Adams County | Arapahoe County | Douglas County | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsalu Kassaw | 1426 | 21760 | 730 | 23916 |
| Danielle Jurinsky | 1846 | 26510 | 917 | 29273 |
| Rob Lee Andrews | 3269 | 32690 | 843 | 36802 |
| Alli Jackson | 3533 | 32498 | 736 | 36767 |
| Watson Gomes | 962 | 10402 | 213 | 11577 |
2025 Aurora City Council Election: Ward I, northwest Aurora
| Aurora City CouncilWard I | Adams County | Arapahoe County | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reid Hettich | 427 | 383 | 810 |
| Stephen Elkins | 871 | 826 | 1697 |
| Gianina Horton | 2141 | 1879 | 4020 |
2025 Aurora City Council Election: Ward II, northeast Aurora
| Aurora City Council Ward II | Adams County | Arapahoe County | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Sundberg | 1080 | 4454 | 5534 |
| Amy Wiles | 1764 | 5159 | 6923 |
2025 Aurora City Council Election: Ward III, west-central Aurora
| Aurora City Council Ward III | Arapahoe County |
|---|---|
| Ruben Medina | 6034 |
| Marsha Berzins | 3183 |
Aurora Public Schools voters brings two new and two incumbents back to boardroom
Voters in the Aurora Public Schools district chose four at-large board members from a pool of seven candidates this year.
Board members are elected at-large and represent the entire school district. Winning candidates are Gayla Charrier, Tramaine Duncan, Anne Keke and Kristin Mallory.
2025 Aurora Public Schools Board of Education - 4 At-Large Seats
| Aurora Public Schools At-Large Directors | Adams County | Arapahoe County | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrix Lewis | 1269 | 7678 | 8947 |
| Tramaine Duncan | 3068 | 17617 | 20685 |
| Anne Keke | 3424 | 18987 | 22411 |
| Kristin Mallory | 3144 | 17135 | 20279 |
| Gayla Charrier | 2492 | 14460 | 16952 |
| Nino Pepper | 1487 | 9568 | 12732 |
| Tapsuru 'Ousman' Ba | 1954 | 10778 | 12732 |
Charrier is a small business owner with a background in health care. She was a first-time candidate. Charrier’s campaign website says some of her priorities include ensuring students have equal access to education, partnering with parents and supporting teachers. She was endorsed by the Aurora Education Association, the local teacher union, Colorado People’s Action and the Denver Area Labor Federation.
Duncan is a middle school teacher with a background in education and mentoring youth. He is seeking a second term on the school board.
On a Facebook page for Duncan’s campaign, Duncan describes some of his goals for a second term as continuing to improve district policies, supporting teachers and providing support for multilingual and immigrant students.
Duncan is endorsed by the Aurora Education Association, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, the Denver Area Labor Federation and U.S. Rep. Jason Crow.
Keke is an instructor of career readiness for Colorado Early Colleges and has a background in criminal justice, including working for the 18th District Attorney’s Office. Keke is the current school board president and is seeking a second term on the board.
Keke’s campaign website lists her priorities as partnering with teachers, creating a culture of equity and belonging, and promoting student safety and wellbeing.
Keke was endorsed by the Aurora Education Association, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, the Denver Area Labor Federation and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
Mallory is the former chair of the Arapahoe County Democratic Party and has a background in government service and community organizing. She is a first-time candidate.
Some of the priorities listed on Mallory’s campaign website are supporting policies that reduce poverty, protecting all students regardless of immigration status and empowering teachers.
Mallory was endorsed by the Aurora Education Association, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, the Denver Area Labor Federation and the Colorado Working Families Party.
Cherry Creek schools voters choose candidates leaning left not right
Four candidates were seeking two open district seats for the Cherry Creek Schools district board.
All of the candidates, seeking two district seats, ran for open positions.
In District D, Terry Bates won handily over Amanda Thayer.
Bates is the Chief Financial Officer for RK Industries and has experience working in finance and accounting. Bates’ five children graduated from the school district and his wife served two terms on the school board.
2025 Cherry Creek schools Board of Education - District E
| Cherry Creek schools District D director | Arapahoe County |
|---|---|
| Tatyana Sturm | 30013 |
| Mike Hamrick | 48273 |
2025 Cherry Creeks schools Board of Education - District D
| Cherry Creek schools District D director | Arapahoe County |
|---|---|
| Terry Bates | 44919 |
| Amanda Thayer | 33308 |
According to his campaign website, Bates’ campaign priorities are financial stability, maintaining academic excellence and expanding career and technical education.
Bates was endorsed by the local teachers’ union, the Cherry Creek Education Association.
Thayer was endorsed by the Colorado GOP and far-right advocacy group Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN).
In District E, candidate Mike Hamrick bested Tatyana Sturm for that seat.
Cherry Creek held four candidate forums, but Thayer and Sturm did not participate in the last forum. A press release from Thayer and Sturm said they didn’t take part in the final forum because of “personal attacks” from the other candidates.
Hamrick is a retired Air Force veteran whose two children graduated from CCSD. Hamrick serves on the district’s Long Term Facility Planning Committee and his wife, Democratic state Rep. Eliza Hamrick, was a teacher in the district.
According to Hamrick’s campaign website, his priorities include expanding career and technical education, supporting teachers and improving mental health resources for students.
Hamrick was endorsed by the Cherry Creek Education Association.
Sturm was also endorsed by the Colorado GOP and the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN).
Voters mixed on six referred Aurora ballot questions
Aurora voters decided five amendments to the Aurora City Charter, touted as ways to modernize outdated provisions, improve clarity and promote fairness. One ballot question is reserved for residents and businesses along part of the East Colfax corridor.
The proposed changes spanned a variety of topics, from gender-neutral language to council vacancies and term limits.
Question 3B: Gender-neutral language — PASSED
Approved by voters, the measure will update the city charter with gender-neutral language. Many places in the city charter have gender-specific terms that would be updated without altering the intent or meaning of any provision.
Question 3C: Council vacancy procedures — PASSED
This ordinance addresses how vacancies on city council are filled, depending on the timing of the vacancy. A council may appoint a qualified person to serve for up to two years, or call a special or regular election. This change will clarify when appointments versus elections are used and could likely influence political decisions about when members resign.
Question 3D: City manager residency — FAILED
Currently, the charter requires the city manager to reside within city limits. This amendment would have eliminated that requirement, giving the city council discretion to decide residency conditions at the time of appointment.
Question 3E: Holding multiple public offices — FAILED
This amendment would have removed a ban that prohibits elected city officials from holding another elected public office. If approved, it would have allowed city council members to serve in more than one part-time elected position.
Question 3F: Term limits for council members — PASS
The proposal clarifies term limits for ward and at-large council members. Currently, the charter does not distinguish between the two, requiring a council member who has “termed out” after 12 years in a ward seat to take a break before they can run for an at-large seat. If approved by voters, ward and at-large term limits would be considered separate.
2025 Aurora Ballot Questions
| Aurora Ballot Question | Arapahoe County | Douglas County | Adams County | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora 3B - Gender Language | Yes | 26415 | 888 | 2419 | 29722 |
| Aurora 3B - Gender Language | No | 25680 | 1097 | 1790 | 28567 |
| Aurora 3C - Council vacancy procedures | Yes | 38198 | 1356 | 3171 | 42725 |
| Aurora 3C - Council vacancy procedures | No | 12985 | 577 | 981 | 14543 |
| Aurora 3D - City manager residency | Yes | 9870 | 363 | 783 | 11016 |
| Aurora 3D - City manager residency | No | 42392 | 1609 | 3421 | 47422 |
| Aurora 3E - Holding multiple public offices | Yes | 9475 | 259 | 833 | 10567 |
| Aurora 3E - Holding multiple public offices | No | 42421 | 1706 | 3355 | 47482 |
| Aurora 3F - Term limits for council members | Yes | 25926 | 922 | 2245 | 29093 |
| Aurora 3F - Term limits for council members | No | 24865 | 969 | 1876 | 27710 |
| Special District DDA-A | Yes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 |
| Special District DDA-A | No | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Special District DDA-B | Yes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
| Special District DDA-B | No | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
New plan for East Colfax Corridor gets convincing voter approval
Voters supported the creation of a new economic tool in a special election on Nov. 4 to revitalize a key segment of East Colfax Avenue, a project that will now move onto the next chapter, according to a city statement.
The vast majority of residents, business owners and property owners along East Colfax between Yosemite Street and Oswego streets who voted, threw their support behind the creation of a Downtown Development Authority, known as a DDA, that is intended to supercharge efforts, including to improve safety, housing affordability and business opportunities in the small walkable neighborhood, the statement said.
“The authority, known as a DDA, is a governmental entity separate from the city and defined by state statute,” the statement said. “The DDA will be led by a board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by a majority of the city council to oversee the implementation of DDA programs.”
The DDA will use tax-increment financing to fund work along the East Colfax corridor, with a focus on safety, infrastructure, small-business support, housing and economic development, as outlined in the Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan.
The tax increment financing will not create new taxes, but it will instead raise funding by reinvesting the growth in sales and property tax revenue as activity in the DDA area increases over time. So it will take the increased profit from sales and property taxes going forward and collect them into its own fund to revitalize the area.
The boundaries of the East Colfax DDA stretch from Yosemite Street on the western end, to East 16th Avenue to the north, to the Fitzsimons Urban Renewal Area to the east, and to East 14th Avenue to the south, the statement said.
Now that voters within those boundaries have supported this approach, the mayor and city council will be for the authority’s board. Board members will include one city council member and between four and ten members. Those members must be residents, landowners or business lessees within the authority’s boundaries, according to the statement.
“Information will be provided later this year about the city’s application and appointment process for DDA board members,” the statement said.
Over the last year, a draft Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan was developed as a long-term roadmap for revitalizing East Colfax and the surrounding areas of Northwest Aurora, the statement said.
“Grounded in community input, this plan lays out a shared vision for the next 10 to 20 years and outlines practical steps to achieve it,” the statement said.
This draft plan also sets the stage for creating the Downtown Development Authority and a nonprofit Community Development Corporation (CDC), which was chosen by community members and city council last year to complement the DDA.
“Together, these organizations would help create public improvements, support local businesses, and protect the area’s character while promoting economic growth that benefits everyone,” the statement said.
The CDC has a larger boundary area than the DDA and can operate beyond the DDA’s boundaries. It would focus on housing, economic development, advocacy and coordination around area-wide issues. It would be governed by a community-based board and funded through grants, philanthropy, a self-sustaining real estate strategy, and not through the DDA’s tax increment revenue.
The DDA would only start to accumulate “increment tax” revenue over the coming year.
For details about the process and to review the draft version of the Colfax Community Vision & Action plan, visit engageaurora.org/colfaxplan.
State Ballot Questions
2025 Statewide Ballot Questions
| Statewide Ballot Question | Arapahoe County | Douglas County | Adams County | Statewide | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prop LL | Yes | 88388 | 70081 | 56293 | 919372 |
| Prop LL | No | 41978 | 57221 | 25986 | 502512 |
| Prop MM | Yes | 79988 | 61018 | 49981 | 828425 |
| Prop MM | No | 50056 | 66314 | 32468 | 598293 |
Unfortunately, the people who are involved in government have little understanding of the issues that they deal with. You see the same tired arguments without any real effort to find answers. You don’t find answers when you only involve people who are passionate but know little. You don’t find answers when you are afraid to have open discussion with everyone, especially those who have expertise that you don’t want to hear. You don’t find answers when you won’t admit the mistakes that have been made or the fact that you only want politically correct information. You don’t find answers when you have a preconceived notion based upon emotion and not reason or experience. For instance, you can continue to say that you want the officers to have more bias training when they have had plenty and none of the evidence shows that racial bias has anything to to with the recent shootings of black men. To an experienced officer and a trainer of police officers, the incidents scream a lack of proper, adequate, consistent and regular training in use of force. When your SWAT team does not know how to tactically approach a suspect and give appropriate commands, it says alot about police leadership. You can beat the whole racially misguided Attorney General Consent Decree thing to death and not change a thing. It has nothing to do with nice policies. In fact, the State legislature and Attorney General Wise have made it all worse. By passing legislation that drove thousands of officers out of law enforcement, they made the close personal contact that develops better community relationships impossible. Now, we have given law enforcement leaders excuse for why they can’t do good police work They can say that they are so short of personnel that they don’t have time for training. They can keep programs like PAR and foot patrol from being effective due to the lack of people. The consent decree is a joke that can be easily demonstrated by the lack of investigation into gross misconduct in the investigation of the “pistol whipper” and the effort to keep you from seeing the video that showed what really happened. As long as you keep going with the tired racial idea where it doesn’t exist or exists in small pockets that any good leader should deal with, you will have little success. There is a societal problem with young black men and some women with involvement in crime or anger issues. They are killing each other at an alarming rate. The police have no choice but to be involved physically. When you put scared and poorly trained officers in situations where they feel threatened, you will have bad results. Either really look for answers or shut up and live with it.