In the upcoming general election, Cherry Hills Village residents will have the opportunity to vote for candidates for mayor and three city council positions. A diverse group of citizens, united in their mission to identify and support qualified candidates for those positions, formally registered with the Village as Cherry Hills Concerned Citizens in August. The committee, chaired by 46 year resident Charles “Buck” Frederickson, benefits from the collective wisdom and first hand experience of three former mayors: Joan Duncan (1984-1998), Jeff Welborn (1998-2002) and Mike Wozniak (2006-2012). According to Frederickson, “Our Village continues to grapple with challenges unique to living in a semi-rural community surrounded by increasing density and development. We do not need more notoriety; we need more action. We need a change in leadership.”
The committee identified characteristics and experience sought in qualified candidates for mayor and city council. The primary qualification is an established track record of positive results on Village boards, commissions or committees. Debbie Welles, a 28 year resident and active on several Village committees notes, “Cherry Hills Village benefits from the thousands of volunteer hours offered by residents every year. Citizens are typically involved by serving on government boards, however, some have conducted grass-roots research of local issues and then developed committees to address those concerns. Cherry Hills Land Preserve and Quincy Farms Visioning Committee are examples of how residents get involved and make a difference.”
The committee believes effective public service requires a special mindset. The volunteer positions of mayor and city council representative are difficult jobs. Qualified candidates need to be willing to actively seek resident input, balance the short and long term needs of the whole community, identify creative solutions to problems and work collaboratively with staff and surrounding communities. As a 25 year resident and committee member, Lynn Hornbrook notes, “candidates seeking to solve one issue or primarily build their resume will find the job far more difficult than they imagined.”
The committee is supporting Laura Christman for the mayoral position. Welles explains, ”Laura brings a wealth of professional and local experience to the position. Her transition with city staff will be seamless and her advocacy on the part of residents will be tireless.” The committee also supports the following candidates for City Council: Earl Hoellen (District 2), and Mike Gallagher, (District 4) for the two open positions and the election to a second term for Katy Brown (District 6). These candidates have earned endorsements from more than two dozen Village leaders.
The committee developed a website to provide information about the candidates and to announce neighborhood “meet the candidate” events: www.cherryhillsconcernedcitizens.com. Residents are encouraged to attend those events.