AURORA | Aurora city council candidates began gathering signatures Aug. 7 ahead of this November’s election.
Candidates for the two at-large Aurora City Council seats need 100 signatures to get on the ballot; candidates for ward council members need 50 signatures. They have until Aug. 27 to get the signatures.
There’s a crowded field of candidates for the two at-large council positions: Brad Pierce, PK Kaiser, Maya Wheeler, Barb Cleland, Angela Lawson and Matt Cook.
Pierce was elected to council in 2003, lost his re-election bid in 2011 to Councilwoman Debi Hunter Holen, and was appointed to council as a replacement in April 2012. Pierce is the owner of Aurora-based Bradley Pierce Legal Services.
Kaiser has lived in Aurora for the past 10 years and emigrated from Pakistan. He is an accounting technician. In 2011, he ran for council’s Ward VI position, which currently belongs to Councilman Bob Broom.
Wheeler works as a community outreach liaison for Denver-based Forest St. Compassionate Care Center, and helps families navigate the health care system.
Councilwoman Barb Cleland served as Ward V council member from 1983 to 2003. She’s the director of community relations and legislative issues for Aurora Mental Health.
Lawson has lived in Aurora for 12 years and oversees the lobbyist registration program for the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.
Cook has lived in Aurora for more than 40 years and is a former Aurora Public Schools board president.
In Ward I, Councilwoman Sally Mounier is vying to keep her seat against Eric Busch. Mounier was appointed to council last year, has lived in Aurora for almost 40 years and works for RE/MAX Southeast, a Denver-based brokerage.
Busch has lived in Aurora for seven years and is married to state Rep. Jenise May, D-Aurora. He’s a child welfare specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services.
In Ward II, Councilwoman Renie Peterson is running for re-election against two opponents: William Given and Bernard Celestin. Peterson was elected to council in 2008, and worked for Aurora Public Schools as a family advocate.
Given did not return calls for comment and the city clerk’s office has no information about him.
Celestin has been a member of Aurora’s Civil Service Commission for four years. He is a U.S. Army veteran and a bus driver for the Regional Transportation District.
In Ward III, Councilwoman Marsha Berzins is running for re-election against Chris Gutierrez. Berzins works part-time for an electrical contracting company and was previously a human resource manager and worked in airline customer service.
Gutierrez moved to Aurora 3 years ago from California and works in finance at the University of the Rockies.
Reach reporter Sara Castellanos at 720-449-9036 or sara@aurorasentinel.com.
Go Bernard!