CORRECTION and UPDATE: Mike O Malley actually spent $3,439 on 800 "challenge" coins, not $1,302 as originally reported. When the city responded to the Indy s records request, we overlooked one of
UPDATE: Councilor Mike O Malley says the coins he ordered "were an approved expenditure" from his expense account, and that he handed me one "because you took the time to participate
Colorado Springs City Councilman James “Mike” O’Malley appeared poised for victory Tuesday night in a successful bid to continue representing the city’s sixth district, its northeastern portion.
Unofficial election results released by the city clerk s office showed O’Malley, 60, besting challenger and teacher Dr. Garfield Johnson in the two-way race, garnering 6,040 votes 62.5% of ballots compared with Johnson’s 3,627 votes, or 37.5%
The matchup was one of six district races that could determine the direction of council for the next four years. Only the three at-large seats were not facing re-election. I m ready to get to work, O Malley said Tuesday night, thanking those who supported his campaign.
Theyâre certainly not as sexy as presidential elections, but the truth is, local elections provide the greatest opportunity for your vote to make an impact. Instead of being one in 160 million, your voice and choice are amplified; itâs one among several thousand. The city of Colorado Springs should announce the winners of six Council seats and the outcome of one ballot issue after polls close on Election Day, April 6. Ballots will be mailed March 12, so be on the lookout.Â
As in the country as a whole, there are tough issues facing Colorado Springs voters and the new and veteran elected officials who will hold these Council seats â issues like our affordable housing crisis and homelessness; infrastructure and development; struggling small businesses and COVID relief; the potential legalization of recreational marijuana dispensaries within city limits and, as Council members also serve as the board of Colorado Springs Utilities, preparing for the 2023 closure of Dra
Once this is lost, it can never be recovered, Councilman Bill Murray said of land dedication requirements.
The proposed parkland dedication rules would lower how much land developers must dedicate to the city to 5½ acres per 1,000 residents, down from 7½ acres per 1,000 people. The proposal is part of a slate of changes to an ordinance that governs what land or fees homebuilders must assign to the city when they build new neighborhoods and apartments.
The change is based on the 2000 and 2014 parks master plans that stated the city s goal is to provide 3 acres of community parkland per 1,000 residents and 2½ acres of neighborhood parkland per 1,000 people, said Chris Lieber of NES, a consultant hired by the city to work on the changes. The master plan standards do not include city open space, such as Garden of the Gods, he said. When open space is taken into account, the city provides about 37 acres per 1,000 residents, Lieber said.