How this works: These are summaries of all the Town of Erie candidates and measures on Boulder and Weld County ballots. Below each summary, find a link the full writeup.
The entire Erie Town Council is up for election this year, due to adoption of a Home Rule Charter in 2023 that created three election districts.
Jump to summaries for:
Candidates
Mayor
Justin Brooks
Incumbent (2022-2024)
Priorities
- Affordability for seniors and families
- Strengthening and diversifying the local economy
- Bringing Erie its first central grocery store
Other things to note:
- Brooks “won’t approve oil and gas permits” and has voted against development on former drilling sites.
- He advocated for Erie’s first permanently affordable housing development in 25 years and issued building permits for 35 affordable housing units, nearly doubling Erie’s affordable housing availability.
Read Brooks’ full candidate profile
Andrew Moore
Six years as Erie mayor (2004-2010), four years as director and board chair of the conservation nonprofit Resource Central, two years as chief information officer (CIO) of Colorado School of Mines, former CIO of Boulder Valley School District.
Priorities
- Intelligent, sustainable growth
- Collaborative decision-making
- Transparent fiscal accountability
Other things to note:
- Moore plans to “reexamine the cost of growth to ensure it pays its way,” saying “the development impact fees are not adequate to cover growth costs.”
- In his first tenure as mayor, Moore created Erie’s “rainy-day” fund, reserves for employee retention during economic downturn. Council voted to dissolve the fund in 2023.
- Moore says he “won’t let oil and gas in your backyard.” While serving as mayor, he approved a number of permits for oil and gas prior to the passage of SB181.
- He identifies as an Independent, and describes himself as a “non-partisan leader” on his website.
Read Moore’s full candidate profile
District 1
John Mortellaro
Editor’s note: Candidate did not respond to our survey, this information is taken from his campaign website
Priorities
- Intelligent growth
- Fiscal responsibility
- Public safety
Other things to note:
- Mortellaro led the opposition to a high-density residential rezoning on 111th and Arapahoe, successfully stopping the development.
Andrew Sawusch
Incumbent (2022-2024)
Priorities
- Fiscal responsibility
- Manageable growth and sustainable infrastructure
- Economic vitality
Other things to note:
- Sawusch has voted “no” on previous annual budgets, and “would like to see a council seated which prioritizes fiscal responsibility and our future needs.”
- In response to a question about whether or not Sawusch supports government interventions for human-caused climate change, his answer was “depends.” Sawusch wants “more attention to plugged and abandoned wells.”
- According to his website, Sawusch’s position on oil and gas “is that I am not for, nor against” it, and “if oil and gas operations are going to be done in our community, it should only be within an area where there currently is not, nor will there be in the future, a current or planned development, or any other environmentally sensitive area.
Read Sawusch’s full candidate profile
Anil Pesaramelli
Editor’s note: Candidate did not respond to our survey, this information is taken from his campaign website
Priorities
- Smart growth
- Affordable housing
- Our planet
Other things to note:
- According to his website, Pesaramelli’s endorsements include Erie mayor Justin Brooks, Lafayette mayor JD Mangat, Colorado state representative Junie Joseph, and former Colorado senator Mike Foote (D).
- Pesaramelli plans to advocate for “clean energy technologies, while creating incentives for businesses and individuals to embrace sustainable practices,” according to the priorities listed on his website.
Richard Garcia
Editor’s note: Candidate did not respond to our survey and BW staff could not identify a campaign website. Information on his priorities was taken from 411vote.org
Priorities
- Affordable housing
- Environment and safety
- Smart growth
Other things to note:
- Garcia established the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition in 1980 with the goal to increase equity in education and give Latino parents tools to support and advocate for their children’s education.
District 2
Dan Hoback
Editor’s note: Dan Hoback did not respond to our survey. Boulder Weekly was unable to find his campaign website. Information on his priorities was taken from 411vote.org.
Incumbent (2022-2024), appointed unanimously after sitting member Christiaan van Woudenberg resigned.
Priorities
- Continuing commercial development
- Preserving town character, open space and trails
- Managing inevitable growth
Other things to note:
- Hoback finished fourth in Erie’s Town Council race in 2022. Council voted unanimously to appoint him after sitting member Christiaan van Woudenberg resigned.
Brandon M. Bell
Incumbent (2023-2024), Erie Board of Trustees (2020-2023)
Priorities
- Bringing the general fund spending in line with revenues
- Moving the landfill entrance off County Road 5 to a safer location
- Empowering our police to improve public safety and reduce property crimes
Other things to note:
- Bell helped lead efforts to re-establish a revenue-sharing model with Weld County for the town’s Urban Renewal Authority area for development along I-25
- He believes deed-restricted, owner-occupied housing “is not a good solution” to affordability in Erie and would concentrate on reduced rates for rental properties instead.
- Believes funding for the expansion of the Erie Police Department should be bonded, and put to a citizen’s vote.
Read Bell’s full candidate profile
Dan Maloit
Father, experience in management and sales, worked on large diplomatic projects while serving in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maloit also ran for Colorado State Board of Education in 2022.
Priorities
- Plowing residential streets
- Improved community events
- Cutting wasteful spending
Other things to note:
- Maloit supports diversifying the types of housing in Erie; however he doesn’t “think that it’s the town’s place to subsidize one type of housing or the other.”
- He believes Erie should “probably” have regulations to improve energy efficiency in homes, adding “Do some of [the regulations] go overboard? Probably.”
Read Maloit’s full candidate profile
Ben Hemphill
Town of Erie Planning Commissioner, Town of Erie Home Rule Charter commissioner, Town of Erie Sustainability Advisory board chair, PE Mechanical Engineer
Priorities
- Promoting responsible growth
- Encouraging multi-modal transportationEnsuring long-term financial success
Other things to note:
- His approach to planned growth in Erie is “strict adherence to the new Comprehensive Plan, which focuses on sustainability, environmental stewardship and smart zoning.”
- Hemphill’s plan for meeting affordable housing needs includes requiring “a percentage of new housing developments to be designated as affordable,” as well as leveraging state and federal grants to take pressure off the local budget.
Read Hemphill’s full candidate profile
District 3 (Weld County ballots only)
Brian O’Connor
Editor’s note: O’Connor did not respond to our survey. This information is taken from his campaign website.
Home Rule Charter commissioner (2022-2023), appointed to the Erie Tree Advisory Board member
Priorities
- Improving existing traffic inconsistencies
- Re-establishing the “rainy day” fund
- Provide more support for the Erie Historical Society
Other things to note:
- According to his website, O’Connor hopes to “minimize the impact to the pocketbooks of fellow residents for major capital expenditures, including replacement of our aging roads.”
- He would use a new “rainy day” fund for “unforeseen major repairs or asset replacements” in addition to employee retention during economic downturn. Erie Town Council voted to dissolve their rainy-day fund in 2023.
Travis Pinz
Pinz did not provide an answer to our question about relevant experience. On his campaign website, he describes himself as a stay-at-home dad, Erie homeowner and small business founder.
Priorities
- Growth
- Budget
- Infrastructure
Other things to note:
- Pinz does not support government intervention to create affordable housing. “The free market will resolve this.”
- He wants to focus commercial development on the outskirts of Erie, allowing “central Erie to maintain its small-town feel while benefiting from increased economic activity,” according to his website.
Read Pinz’ full candidate profile
Emily Baer
Incumbent (2022-2024)
Priorities
- Lead with compassion and connection
- Road safety improvements for all users; connectivity and access
- Advocating for Youth Council
Other things to note:
- Baer sees “developing an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Affordable Housing requirement for new development” as important tools for making Erie more affordable for essential workers.
- She helped rewrite Erie’s Chapter 12 Oil and Gas Regulations after the passage of SB19-181, which placed heavier restrictions on oil and gas developers, including increased set-back distances of 2,000 feet for new wells, also stating that the “work to protect people from the impacts of oil and gas operations did not end” with the passage of SB181.
Read Baer’s full candidate profile
Ballot issues
Town of Erie Ballot Issue 3C: Marijuana excise tax
Should Erie allow cannabis sales and dispensaries?
- If passed, this measure would lift Erie’s prohibition on marijuana sales and impose a 5% excise tax on those sales. City council would decide how to spend the revenue.Those funds would be allocated by city council.
- Only two stores could open, so revenues are expected to be modest.
- There would be strict regulations on where dispensaries could operate. That, combined with the lack of available commercial space in town makes some industry leaders worry it could be virtually impossible for businesses to move into town even if the ban is lifted
- 63% of residents are supportive of ending the ban, according to a 2023 survey
Read the full explainer
Regional Transportation District Ballot Issue 7B (Weld County ballots only)
Should Erie join the Regional Transportation District for the cost of an additional 1% sales tax?
- This measure would make Erie part of RTD, giving the town access to RTD services, including potential extension of the JUMP line to Erie High School, and additional regional funding opportunities and programs.
- Taxes would increase by 1 cent per $1 purchase, or $1 per $100 purchase.
- Tax increases would be limited to purchases made in the Weld County portions of Erie; properties in Boulder County already belong to RTD and pay this tax.