Wheat Ridge’s ‘Strong mayor’ proposal up against the clock

A group aiming to change the structure of Wheat Ridge city hall via the local ballot box is retracing its steps after coming up short on the petition signatures needed to place its proposal before voters. City Clerk Michael Snow announced the deficit late last week, and under state law proponents have about two weeks to collect the roughly 600 additional signatures required to make the ballot.

The twin ballot measures (short about 300 scribbles each) would grant new powers to the mayor, who already holds an uncommon limited veto over the city council. Most Colorado cities are structured as either “council-manager” or “strong mayor” forms of government, the main difference being whether a hired professional or an elected politician holds day-to-day responsibility for running the show. Wheat Ridge, a bedroom community just west of downtown Denver, by and large falls into the former category. The proposed charter changes would mean a single person - the mayor - would be responsible for hiring and firing a city manager rather than the council.    – More –