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City Council races are non-partisan. Josh Goldberg and Tim Waters are registered Democrats. Russ Lyman is a registered Libertarian. Of the three candidates for Ward 1, the only one who repeatedly references partisan politics is Josh. In their Letters to the Editor, his supporters do also. At the Longmont Democrats candidate forum in early January, Josh said “I’m a Democrat. I wake up a Democrat and go to bed a Democrat. “ Yet at the League of Women Voters and Sustainability forums this week, Josh opened with, “I am not tied to a political party.” Tim has never made any reference to party affiliation. Russ did not attend either forum.
Much more important than party affiliation are integrity, experience, core values, and vision. A registered Democrat, I volunteered for Roger Lange, a life-long Republican, last fall, because he impressed me in these areas. I support Tim Waters for the same reason. This race appears to be between Tim and Josh. Distinctions between these two relative to their expressed values and vision include the following:
~Affordable Housing: Tim supports reinstating Longmont’s Inclusionary Housing Clause (requiring Developers to provide at least 10% affordable housing or pay cash in lieu). Josh does not.
~Wildlife: Tim supports fiercely defending our 150-foot riparian setback from encroaching and damaging development along our St. Vrain Greenway. Josh does not. Indeed, his employer, Lefthand Brewery has purchased property adjacent to their facility and has been actively lobbying city council and boards with their plans to build an amphitheater well within the 150-foot setback.
~Growth: Tim supports reinstating Quality of Life Benchmarks (including traffic) and advancing green building codes/standards for smart and sustainable growth. Josh’s references to managing growth have been very vague at best.
~Campaign Contributions: Tim’s campaign has been funded completely by people. The only organization that has contributed is the Sierra Club, who has endorsed him. Developers, Lenders, Realtors, Investment Companies and a Law Firm have largely funded Josh’s campaign. Business can contribute up to $610 compared to the $240 limit on individual contributions.
A link to videos of these forums is posted on Tim’s website timwatersforward1.com. Please educate yourself, use your voice and vote. It matters.
Sharon Malloy
Longmont, CO 80501
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