The past several months have been tense for members of the Montrose City Council. Just yesterday, member Dave Frank resigned, saying, “The stress and conflict of being a Council member take a toll on both our public and personal lives.”
Some of this tension stems from different opinions on a slate of ballot measures that, if passed, would make significant changes to the city charter. Councilmember J. David Reed pushed for the council to assemble a charter review commission that would have allowed citizens to review and recommend amendments to the charter. Getting ballot measures properly drafted, reviewed, and filed with the county is a lengthy process, and assembling a commission would have taken too long to get these measures on the ballot. Councilors Adam Woodden and Ed Ulibarri joined Mayor Badagliacco in voting against the formation of a citizens’ commission.
So, Montrose city voters will have to vote for or against a few measures proposed by city council.
The first would move municipal elections from April to November. Spring elections are referred to as off-season elections, while elections held in November in conjunction with wider races, are referred to as on-season. Election experts say that the primary benefit of off-season elections, which is Montrose’s current practice, is that it allows voters to focus on local issues and local candidates. When local elections are held in the Spring, voters are less distracted by state or federal races– which usually get more attention. There are two primary benefits of on-season elections. The first is larger turnout. When more races are on the ballot, and the election gets more attention, turnout increases significantly. In turn, those who cast a ballot are likely more representative of the electorate than the few who show up for April elections. On-season elections also save money, because adding municipal candidates to the November ballot is much cheaper than running a separate election.
The second would institute eight-year lifetime term limits for councilors. Council member J. David Reed said he felt that the amendment is aimed at fixing a problem that doesn't exist.
Mayor Badagliacco, however, says the measure is intended to encourage periodic turnover and create opportunities for new leaders.
City council has also proposed ballot measures that would change the city charter back to its pre-2014 structure, which would give city council say over the hiring and firing of the police chief and city clerk. Right now, that decision is solely at the discretion of the City Manager. Council member Adam Wooden framed his support for the measure, saying "having the people be able to elect the City Council to have a say in the hiring or firing, I think, brings that accountability closer to the public."
Not everyone sees it that way. During public comment, resident Cliff Farr said he saw the potentially amendment as "government overreach."
Council members have had heated debates over these ballot measures, with Badagliacco, Ulibarri, and Wooden typically in the majority and Reed and Frank issuing strong dissent.
Immediately after Frank’s resignation was made public yesterday, J. David Reed and MJB put out a joint statement saying that they were committed to working together and finding common ground, in order to better serve Montrose. The statement says that, quote, “Following the November election and consideration of the proposed amendments, we will jointly ask the City Council to establish a citizens’ charter review commission. The commission should broadly represent the community, examine the charter as a whole, invite meaningful public participation, and recommend whether additional changes would serve the long-term interests of Montrose. Whatever recommendations it may make, if any, and whether the Council and voters ultimately accept or reject them, the process itself can provide a constructive opportunity for citizens with different perspectives to work together on the future of their city government.”
Though tensions have been steadily rising over the summer, Badagliacco and Reed seem to be ready to turn a new leaf, and present a united front heading into the fall.
