Petitions turned in, strong-mayor proposal one step closer to ballot
Colorado Springs voters may decide in November whether the mayor should have broad new powers as the city’s chief executive officer under a different system of government.
A group proposing a charter change to switch Colorado Springs to a strong-mayor form of government on Tuesday turned in 36,305 signatures.
The group, which spent about $236,000 over the last year, needed 25,091 signatures from registered city voters to get the initiative on the ballot.
The City Clerk’s Office has 15 business days to verify the signatures, said Deputy City Clerk Cindy Conway, adding that 10 temporary workers will help starting today.
Even though the initiative isn’t officially on the ballot, opposition is mounting.
“There is probably a little stronger sentiment in the community than has been heard from,” said former City Manager Lorne Kramer, who also served as the city’s police chief.
“I have met with some other groups, such as the League of Women Voters, several other groups that have expressed interest of wanting to at least have the other side heard as voters make up their mind,” he said.
Before turning in 10 boxes of petitions, supporters touted the benefits of a strong-mayor form of government.
“It won’t solve everything, but it’s an important first step,” former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a campaign co-chair, said during a news conference on the steps of City Hall.
“Our community has been asking for accountable leadership long enough,” he said.
The city’s longstanding council-manager form of government in which the City Council appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day operations is “bureaucratic, costly and outdated,” said former Councilwoman Mary Ellen McNally, also a campaign co-chair.
“What we need for our city to thrive is strong leadership and a commitment to action,” she said. “Instead, we have part-time elected leaders, a figurehead mayor and a transient, overpaid city manager.”
The group, which is calling the campaign the Mayor Project, plans to raise “several hundred thousand dollars” to promote the initiative, Director Kevin Walker said.
“Obviously, we have a lot of work to do,” he said. “We have fundraising to do. We have to continue to get our message out.”
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