It’s my belief that my first job as an Aurora City Councilman is to do everything possible to keep the neighbors, schools and businesses I represent safe. Here in Aurora, I can’t think of anything more important to that end than to afford our top-notch police and fire departments with every effective resource they need to provide our citizens an environment where it’s safe to work, recreate and raise a family.
And our Aurora first responders have returned the favor – in spades. Both Aurora’s fire and police departments are nationally recognized and staffed with remarkable men and women who put their lives on the line every day. From the support staff right up the top brass, I admire the devotion our first responders give to public service.
We’ve also been blessed in Aurora with hard-working, long serving leadership at the helm of both organizations – in particular former Police Chief Dan Oates and current Aurora Fire Chief Mike Garcia.
Working closely with my colleagues on Council, I was part of several decisions over the years to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fine work AFD and APD perform for us. Here are just a few highlights over the course of my City Council tenure:
• Supported purchase of tens of millions of dollars in new fire engines.
• Supported remodel of many fire stations to provide new space and accommodations – including restrooms for female firefighters.
• Voted to build 3 new fire stations to replace antiquated fire stations in older parts of Aurora.
• Voted for the construction of a $30 million Joint Police/Fire Training Center with no new taxes.
• Supported reorganization of police assignments to get more police officers out of headquarters and into patrol cars.
• Voted to acquire 30,000 square feet of expansion space for Police District II officers with no new taxes.
• Voted to build the Tallyn’s Reach Joint Police/Fire Station complex in the southeast section of Aurora.
• Initiated and voted for the building of Fire Station 11 to provide adequate fire service coverage in southwest Aurora.
• Supported the hiring of hundreds of new police officers and firefighters.
Not only am I proud of the work I’ve completed on behalf of our public safety needs in Aurora, I was recognized with a plaque some years ago from the Aurora Police Association. It says in part “You have made a difference for the men and women of the Aurora Police Department.”
So you can understand why I was surprised and appalled last Friday to receive a call from a friend who told me about the flyer she saw posted on the bulletin board of the Aurora Central Library. The two-sided flyer includes a photo of me with a circle and a red line through it. Next to my face is a headline that screams “Bob LeGare Believes That Having Less (sic) Firefighters And Fire Stations Is Better For Aurora.” And at the bottom: “Bob LaGare (sic) Thinks That Public Safety Is Too Expensive!” Although there’s no part of the flyer that explicitly says who paid for the production and printing of the attack, one side has the Aurora Police Association (APA) logo and the other has the Aurora Firefighters Local 1290 (AFL 1290) logo.
So, the campaign in the At-Large City Council race has taken a disappointing, ugly turn. I was hoping this type of nastiness would not appear in Aurora.
Regardless of what I did to earn their animosity, I’m more than a bit disgusted that both these organizations would stoop so low as to attack me personally this way. Rarely – if ever – in City Council races has any person or organization resorted to such defamation in a race for Aurora City Council.
In addition, we expect the APA and the AFL 1290 to further promote this false information in the days ahead. While I’m an avid supporter of free speech and do not challenge these organizations’ right to share their opinion, their absurd allegations against me as an opponent of public safety are flatly untrue.
I’m happy to say my campaign for re-election will continue on schedule. I am regularly visiting with hundreds of Aurora voters at their homes – many of whom are engaged, inquisitive and up to speed on Aurora issues. By and large, our citizens are happy with their Aurora government and looking forward to voting when the ballots are mailed.
While I have some considerable work to do fighting these false allegations, I’m confident that most voters will make their decisions not based on the cheap tactics of a negative campaign, but on the totality of my record representing the citizens of the great City of Aurora — one which I look back on with satisfaction and pride.
Bob LeGare serves as an At-Large councilman on Aurora City Council. He is running for re-election this November.