The Great Compromise: Part 4 of getting Geographic Wards in Westminster
Also visuals from Annual Volunteer Dinner and Public Safety Town hall
If you missed it, see my previous newsletter:
Before we jump in: throughout the Wards update below, I will sprinkle in visuals from several events from around Westminster: Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, our City Council Town Hall focused on public safety, and meeting with Stratford Lakes HOA.
If you need to catch up on our journey of changing Westminster from all at-large to a Wards system, go read my previous updates:
Part 1: Geographic Wards in Westminster (Part 1)
Part 2: Geographic Wards in Westminster (Part 2)
Part 3: Geographic Wards in Westminster (Part 3)
Everything has changed.
Again.
In my last update, this was our previous status by August 12:
REJECTED (4-3 vote): Three Wards (two Councillors from each Ward and one Mayor at-large).
ACCEPTED (5-2 vote): Three wards (two Councilors from each Ward PLUS two Councillors at-large, and one Mayor at-large); this grows our Council from 7 total to 9 total.
Well, the only certainty in life is change.
The week after that vote, my thoughts continued to focus on the lack of equity in the southern part of the city—historically underrepresented areas—and the need for a more balanced distribution of resources and attention across the entire city.
I thought hard about that area’s need for undergrounding utilities and comprehensive infrastructure upgrades, grocery stores, increased police presence, community beautification projects, and homes people can afford.
As these thoughts swirled through my mind, the risk of discordant tribalism seemed less significant compared to the risk of ongoing underrepresentation of the disproportionately Black and Brown, low-income, and elderly populations in the southern part of the city and other underrepresented areas.
I also felt we were aiming too big, too soon. If we had pushed forward with a ballot question that asked voters to change our electoral structure to wards and increase the council size from 7 to 9, then we’d risk the ballot question failing by tackling too much at once.
First, I contacted our City Attorney and learned that, according to Robert’s Rules of Order, one of the four Councilors who voted against the original proposal (Three Wards with two Councilors each, no at-large, and a Mayor) could move to reconsider it at the very next city council session on August 19.
So, on the afternoon of August 19, 2024, I sent the following email to my City Council colleagues:
“Sharing so no surprises: I’m planning to ask tonight if any member of the 4-person majority would reconsider their vote from last week so that we may vote one last time for the all-wards option that I personally believe may bring overdue equity to the south of the city.”
On the evening of August 19, City Council convened and we landed on a great compromise:
Split the question into two.
Step 1: The first question on the November 2024 ballot will propose moving to all-wards with no at-large councilors and a Mayor (7 total members).
Step 2: If voters approve that, we will then propose another ballot question in the 2025 election, asking if we should add two at-large councilors (increasing the Council from 7 to 9 members).
We voted 5-2 on the First Reading of Step 1, with the final Second Reading vote scheduled for this Monday.
What a wild ride!
Thank you to all the residents who have remained engaged on this important issue. I look forward to hopefully bringing you good news about the wards after the November election.
Keep reaching out and staying in touch. You will be heard.
Yours in service and hope,
Obi Ezeadi
“Government Unpacked” is a fact-based newsletter delivering deep dives on politics, history, and civics from a Colorado policymaker to help you unpack government and find your purpose to change the world.
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Click: Important Westminster Events and Projects
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