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
Casey Bradley Gent
If youâre a one-issue voter and that issue is letting voters decide if Colorado Springs should allow recreational marijuana shops, youâre in luck.
That question gets a thumbs up from candidates in five of six Colorado Springs City Council races on the April 6 ballot. Neither of the candidates in eastern District 6 responded to the
Indyâs candidate questionnaire.
The 19 candidates in the other five districts split almost evenly, 10 to 9, on whether to give voters a whack at allowing retail pot stores.
The current Council turned away a ballot measure proposal last year citing confusion over details of how it would be implemented. The marijuana industry itself has never attempted to collect the thousands of signatures needed for a citizen-driven ballot initiative, which, if their petitions were found sufficient, would take the choice out of Councilâs hands.Â
The city election is taking place during the pandemic. Jon Lamson
This article was produced as part of a journalism class at Colorado College, taught by Corey Hutchins. The students are Amelia Allen, Esteban Candelaria, Jon Lamson, Arlo Metzger, Will Taylor, Frances Thyer and Peyton Wright.
As the race for six seats on the Colorado Springs City Council heats up, tens of thousands of dollars are already sloshing around the campaign coffers of the nearly two dozen candidates running in the April 6 elections.Â
The campaign donations show who has broad or limited support, illuminate potential coalitions among candidates who are giving to each other, and also show how much money some are willing to shell out of their own pockets to try and win a seat in city government.Â