EDITOR: Aurora is a large, dynamic city deserving of new leadership that puts the community first. We believe that improving transparency about who – and how – government operates is crucial to achieving this goal, which is why we wholeheartedly support Omar Montgomery for Mayor of Aurora.
For far too long, important decisions about the city’s future have been made without adequate community input. Too often, the first opportunity for the public to weigh in on issues ranging from budgeting to oil and gas permitting are the evening of the vote. This is not generally the case for Council (or lobbyists with vested interests in the outcomes), who oftentimes have months of closed-door discussions about the very same issues. Unfortunately, by the time the public is given the opportunity to participate in the process, it’s too late.
Omar understands that asymmetric access to information undermines the very intent of an open and responsive government. That is why he will open up the process to allow robust community input on the issues that affect them. He will do this by holding monthly town halls to share what is happening in Aurora, as well as get feedback from residents on what issues are most pressing to them. As a community leader and educator, Omar is not afraid of tough conversations and being accountable to his constituents, which is precisely what we need in our mayor.
Omar also understands that Aurora is a big city with big city lobbying and campaign spending. Currently, there is no way to track who is lobbying, what they are lobbying for, or how much they are spending to try to influence votes. Unfortunately, these same lobbyists are often times privy to Council’s closed door discussions because they represent the very clients involved.
This early access to information, combined with zero disclosure requirements, means that lobbying by special interests is alive and well in Aurora. Like Omar, we believe that it’s important to shine a light on these practices so that the people of Aurora are given equal opportunity and access to their local decision-makers, as well as information about who is attempting to influence them.
This is why Omar pledges to disclose any gifts he receives and to publicly publish his calendar – so that Aurorans can see exactly where and with whom he is meeting. He will also, for the first time in Aurora history, support campaign spending disclosures in order to improve transparency about who – and what special interests – are spending to influence our elections.
In short, Omar will put the public – not special interests – first by increasing transparency and making government more accessible to the community it serves. For these reasons (and more!), Omar Montgomery is our choice for mayor of Aurora.
— Aurora City Council members Nicole Johnston, Crystal Murillo and Allison Hiltz, via letters@sentinelcolorado.com