HD29 vacancy; Adam Barajas appointed as newest Westminster City Councilor
...And other updates
Agenda
City Council vacancy update
Other Important Updates
Westminster City Council appoints Adam Barajas to fill vacancy
After weeks of us operating with only 6 members, Westminster City Council finally filled its vacant 7th seat last Saturday, December 13. On a 4-2 vote, community servant Adam Barajas was appointed through the charter-mandated appointment process and Council Rules 7.23, which dictate vacancies must be filled within 30 days by a majority vote (4 or more) of the remaining council members using a structured interview and roll call voting process.
We reviewed applications from 20 applicants and interviewed 7 of them Saturday morning. They were all spectacular in different ways. After public interviews, council voted in rounds with candidates receiving no votes eliminated and the pool resetting after 5 rounds if no majority was reached. Each councilor had the opportunity to ask 2 questions for each candidate. The two questions that I asked every candidate were:
Westminster residents sent a clear mandate in the recent election to make affordability our top priority. What concrete steps would you take on Council to advance affordability, and how will you work collaboratively with Council and the community to deliver visible results for residents?
Tell us about a time you helped a divided group find common ground. What specific strategies did you use, and how would you apply those strategies on this Council to rebuild trust among its members moving forward?
As you all know, I will use every avenue at my disposal to tackle the affordability crisis, and this City Council vacancy process was the first step in delivering on that promise. All 7 finalists offered thoughtful responses to my affordability question, reflecting the depth of talent in our community. Two candidates stood out in particular with amazing answers: Kat Mullane and Adam Barajas.
Adam earned my support based on his clear focus on lowering costs with ideas around increasing competition for goods and services, third use and free cost opportunities, investing in public transit and walkability, expanding multi-use zoning, and a commitment to steering away from regressive taxation. He ultimately earned the required majority and was appointed to serve the remainder of the unexpired 2-year term.
I am extremely proud of Adam, because he is a dear friend and longtime community servant. His background spans education and finance, including work as a classroom teacher, financial analyst, and graduate of the University of Notre Dame’s Master of Education program. Adam brings an analytical, empathetic, and people centered approach to governance, along with essential representation for our Adams County Latino community, which makes up roughly a quarter of Westminster’s population.
Adam will be sworn-in tonight at 7PM at Westminster City Hall. With Council now whole, we are positioned to deliver serious, people focused policy in 2026.
Other Important Updates
Shannon Bird has resigned as State Representative for House District 29 (HD29) so we will soon convene a meeting of the HD29 Central Committee to fill the vacancy for the remaining portion of her term (i.e. the 2026 legislative session). As Chair of HD29 I plan on running a very transparent and fair process. Dates for the vacancy vote are not yet finalized (it will likely be on Jan 11) but will be shared very soon! We will need 50% quorum, so make sure you stay attentive. Reply to this email if you don’t think I have yours yet: obiezeadi@gmail.com. The official call for the vacancy with details will be sent by email to the HD29 distribution list soon. There will be no proxies allowed.
Who can run for the HD29 vacancy? To qualify, you must be at least 25 years old, a US citizen, a Colorado resident, and have lived in House District 29 for at least 12 months. As Chair of HD29, if you are considering running for this State Rep vacancy, please reply to this email so I can include you in the official call when it is issued. Only one candidate has stepped forward so far, and I encourage anyone else who meets the requirements and is ready to serve in the 2026 legislative session to do the same so the committee can fairly evaluate all qualified applicants.
My statement about self-care for the Holiday season: “This holiday, remember the people around your table matter more than winning an argument, doom scrolling is not the same as being informed, and slowing down to be present is how we protect our peace so we can fix what is broken and build what comes next.”
Faith Winter: 💔On December 1, City Council approved my request to draft and present a Proclamation honoring the life and legacy of Faith Winter. It will be read after the holidays once her close ones are ready to be in attendance. On December 5, the political world attended Faith’s memorial at the State Capitol. Her Celebration of Life was held the following day at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster. If you missed the memorial you can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17JSXartHY/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Community engagement the last couple of weeks:
About Obi Ezeadi
Obi Ezeadi is a first-generation American, first responder (EMT) and City Councilor who champions economic, democratic, and personal freedoms for all of Westminster. He was recently re-elected to Westminster City Council with a record-breaking vote total and is prioritizing affordability in this final term. In his first 4 years, Obi came in as an outsider and delivered:
Expanded open space and parks
Expanded housing options (condos, townhomes, housing people can afford)
Made water more affordable and secured clean water for generations
Increased Mental health support
First-ever gun violence proclamation
First-ever Collective Bargaining Agreements for Fire and Police
Led the establishment of free transport service for seniors & disabled residents
Drove police vacancies down from a region-worst 13% to an area-leading 1%
Cut car thefts by 50%
Invested to solve unhoused crisis
Elevated transparency and accountability with our residents