Hello,
Sections 3.1. 3. 7, and 3.9 of the City Charter require election by a majority vote (which is 50% +1) of the three offices: the Mayor, the City Clerk and the City Treasurer. This Charter requirement triggered the Runoff Election last year.
The Jefferson County coordinated elections process is not available for Wheat Ridge to use in runoff elections such as
the one that occurred in 2011. Wheat Ridge managed and funded the entire Runoff Election process.
The total cost of the Runoff Election to the Wheat Ridge taxpayers was approx. $37,000. This covered staffing, printing, supplies and ballot mailing costs. This cost also included mailing each voter a postcard informing them of the impending Runoff Election. This equates to an average of $1.74 per mailed ballot.
The Wheat Ridge Election Commission also reported that the cost to the City of Wheat Ridge for the regular November 2011 coordinated General Election was $7,500 and was paid to Jefferson County. So, the coordinated General Election cost Wheat Ridge taxpayers $7,500. The Runoff Election cost Wheat Ridge taxpayers approx. $37,000.
Your elected officials and many citizens were concerned about the cost to the taxpayers, so they asked the Election Commission to consider the runoff experience and make recommendations for the future. The recommendation brought forth to the City Council by the Election Commission was to change the current City Charter language to a single, simple plurality vote with the candidate receiving the highest number of votes winning the office, regardless of the number of candidates in the race.
Wheat Ridge voters will see the following question on their ballots this year:
SHALL THE HOME RULE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF WHEAT
RIDGE,COLORADO, BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE FOR THE
ELECTION OFALL ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE CITY BY THE
GREATEST NUMBER OF VOTES CAST?
YES or NO
I encourage all Wheat Ridge voters to vote “YES” on ballot question 2A and support this pragmatic and cost saving approach recommended by the Wheat Ridge Election Commission. Thank you.
