[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: RE: Potential Charter Change to Increase to Number of Electors Required to Qualify a Candidate for City Council

[kohls at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Appelbaum, Matt

Out of curiosity I did a quick search to see what other cities' rules are regarding nominating petitions.  Most don't appear to specify a number, but they seem (as best as I can tell) to rely on state statute, which specifies that 25 signatures are needed.  Lafayette and Fort Collins also specify 25.  Longmont requires 50 for at-large seats.  Aurora requires 100 for at-large seats.  But -- and this is very important -- in every case the petition(s) can be circulated; only in Boulder must signers schlep down to city hall.
--Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: Cowles, Macon 
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2011 11:07 AM
To: HOTLINE
Subject: Potential Charter Change to Increase to Number of Electors Required to Qualify a Candidate for City Council

Here are a few reasons that I propose a ballot initiative that would increase the number of electors needed to qualify someone to run for City Council.

The Charter requires the signatures of 25 electors to qualify a person to run as a candidate for City Council. This was the requirement established in Article III, Section 26 of the first City Charter in 1917, when the population of Boulder was one-tenth of what it is today.

The population of Boulder was:

1910    9,535
1920    11,006
1950    19,999
1960    37,718
2011    100,000+

The reason for increasing the number of Electors required to qualify a candidate for City Council is that our population has grown enormously since the number 25 has chosen. 25 is such a small number that anyone can achieve it, and it seems to many people that there ought to be a deeper connection between the candidate and some core constituency-any core constituency-before Anyone's name appears on the ballot.

"Colorful" candidates, to use the Camera's phrasing, would still be able to qualify to run for office. But even the colorful candidates would have to take the important preliminary step of demonstrating to the satisfaction of a reasonable number of people that they had views that should be considered by the wider electorate. Increasing the number of electors to 75 in order to qualify a candidate would be an important demonstration of interest, commitment to service and support. 

Macon Cowles
Boulder City Councilor