2023 election: City Council candidates share ideas at Longmont Public Media debates

Oct. 7—Candidates for Longmont's contested municipal election races answered questions and gave their pitches to the public during live debates Saturday.

Held at Longmont Public Media in downtown Longmont, the debates were open to both in-person and remote audiences. Candidates sat side by side as they addressed questions from constituents and rebutted responses from their peers.

Ward 1, which covers the northeast and Weld County portions of the city, is uncontested this year, as current representative Tim Waters is not running for reelection this year. On Saturday, the three Ward 1 candidates discussed their opinions on topics ranging from public safety to parking meters to camping bans.

Candidate Harrison Earl shared his support for a shelter for street homeless individuals, more affordable housing and densifying certain neighborhoods.

"That doesn't mean putting up big apartment buildings or complexes in the middle of single-family neighborhoods," Earl said. "... It means things that help preserve the character of neighborhoods while also bringing down the cost of housing and making it affordable to live here."

Several questions concerned the role the City Council should play in the Longmont community, which candidate Diane Crist tied into her experience as a business owner and consultant.

"I believe that government is a servant, not a master," Crist said. "And as councilmembers, we're here to administrate taxpayer intent and dollars in ways that represent the citizens of Longmont."

Candidate Nia Wassink stressed community-based solutions as the way to move Longmont forward, and shared her support for initiatives that help residents "not just live, but thrive."

"The really important role of our city government is to ensure that all of that is done with an equitable lens," Wassink said.

During the debate for Ward 3, which covers the northwest portion of the city, candidate Spencer Adams cited the sense of community he's felt in Longmont as his reason for running for City Council.

"When I moved to this town, which was only a year ago, I absolutely just fell in love with it," Adams said. "... I see myself having a huge future here, and I wanted to have a part in that future."

Many questions touched on environmental topics, including policies on climate change and zero-waste efforts. Candidate Ron Gallegos discussed how his cattle ranching background would play a role if elected.

"You have to be sensitive to grazing, water conservation, soil erosion, the kind of pesticides you put on the land," Gallegos said. "I think that kind of background will help me be sensitive about some of the decisions and policies we make on Council that affect our community as well as our environment."

Gallegos also expressed his desire to bring more of a business presence to the City Council, and candidate Gary Hodges joined Gallegos in emphasizing the importance of Longmont businesses.

"I'm really worried about the empty storefronts I see on North Main," Hodges said. ... If we want a vibrant and prosperous city, we have to do everything we can to nurture the golden goose, which is our business community."

Hodges, Gallegos and Adams all said they would not approve of extending detection equipment for concealed weapons to more Longmont buildings. Susie Hidalgo-Fahring, the incumbent for Ward 3, shared that she would, drawing on her experience with gun violence precautions as a St. Vrain Valley School District educator.

"Our youth should not have to live with that stress," Councilwoman Hidalgo-Fahring said. "We really have to work to keep our community safe."

Saturday's debates also featured candidates in the mayoral and at-large races. The Times-Call recently covered forums for those races hosted by the Longmont Area Democrats to ensure fair space for all candidates.

All four of Saturday's debates can be viewed on the LPM YouTube channel, youtube.com/@longmontpublicmedia. This year's election is scheduled for Nov. 7.