Edgewater mayoral candidate John Beltrone
This weekend we will be spotlighting the candidates for Edgewater Mayor and City Council. There is only one candidate for Edgewater Mayor, current City Councilmember John Beltrone. There are four candidates for four seats on Edgewater City Council. The City Council candidate with the least number of votes will finish the last two years of former Councilmember Micha Rosenoer’s term on Council.
You can read the candidate spotlights as they are released here.
Today we are spotlighting the only candidate for Edgewater Mayor, current Edgewater City Councilmember, John Beltrone.
Your Occupation:
I work in the Finance Office at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and serve on Edgewater’s City Council.
What do you love about Edgewater?
I love Edgewater’s access to nature, proximity to services, and welcoming community. Our location next to Sloan’s Lake and between the mountains and Downtown Denver is an inherent advantage the city will always have, but it’s the ongoing community effort that makes Edgewater special. People here talk, meet their neighbors, volunteer, and participate.
What do you view as the role of the Edgewater Mayor?
The role of the mayor is to listen and lead. The mayor needs to be a resource and advocate for residents and businesses and an ambassador for the City of Edgewater to the region. The mayor also has the important job of ensuring civility at public meetings and empowering City Council to be effective.
It is important to note that Edgewater is fortunate to have a strong city manager form of government. This allows the mayor and city council to provide direction and oversight to the city while leaving the day-to-day management of city operations to career professionals.
Which of Edgewater’s recent legislative actions is your least favorite? Which is your favorite?
I voted against Ordinance 2021-02, which allowed a retail marijuana business to obtain an additional license to sell medical marijuana. While I support legalization, six dispensaries in Edgewater is too many, and I am opposed to further marijuana expansion.
More importantly, though, I was most disappointed that we had to delay our Comprehensive Plan refresh due to the pandemic. The Comprehensive Plan articulates Edgewater’s overall vision established by the community, and so much has changed since the last Comprehensive Plan was written in 2013. The pandemic has reshaped our economy and the place many of us work. We have significantly different challenges (especially with affordability) but also opportunities as we are in a much better financial position to act. I look forward to refreshing the Comprehensive Plan in 2022 and welcome all to participate.
My favorite legislative action is something I don’t think gets enough attention. In 2020, City Council passed an ordinance creating the administrative enforcement program. This program empowers our code enforcement officer to enforce certain code provisions without burdening our police officers or going through the courts. Initially the program was limited to weeds and tree limbs. Because of the success, City Council has expanded this program twice to include snow removal, junk vehicles, and garbage on property. Credit goes to city staff for bringing this simple yet common sense solution forward to help make our community safer and cleaner.
What role can Edgewater City Council and Mayor play in supporting current small businesses and attracting new ones?
I was proud that the city was able to provide over $400,000 of direct support to those businesses most impacted by the challenges of COVID-19. Providing this type of support is important but is only possible if the city continues to maintain its strong financial position. Developing infrastructure that drives foot traffic to businesses is another role. Too often we see businesses cherished by the community close, but investments like the 25th Avenue Streetscape Project will help ensure businesses thrive in the future. Finally, as mayor, I will celebrate business openings and take time to understand the reasons for any business closings.
Why should Edgewater residents vote for you?
City Council met regularly (remotely) during the worst of the pandemic to make sure we continued to make improvements in infrastructure, sustainability, and city services while caring for our residents and businesses impacted by COVID-19. I am proud of what we have accomplished over the four years I’ve been on the council, and I want to keep doing all I can to help the community I care so deeply about.
To learn more, please visit my website and feel free to contact me with questions or concerns at John.Beltrone@gmail.com or 720-634-6077.
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
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