How the city is run · 2026
2026 · How the city is run. This issue in: 2026
People on the 2026 ballot who answered this cycle’s question. Answers from earlier years stay on those years' pages.
The mayor has a unique role in building consensus and setting council priorities. How would you use that leadership role to bring council, city staff, and the business community together around a clear economic strategy and hold the city accountable for measurable progress?
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2026 | Boulder City Council Candidate Forum (Boulder Chamber, YouTube)
Taishya Adams
Boulder Chamber forum · August 26, 2026
we need to better engage our borders and our commissions in the work that we're doing, as well as in addition to our businesses and recognizing that all of our businesses are not the same.
Transcript note: 'borders' = boards (Whisper).
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 28:10 · 2026 | Boulder City Council Candidate Forum (Boulder Chamber, YouTube)
Aaron Brockett
Boulder Chamber forum · August 26, 2026
Start with what staff is recommending. It's not always the direction we should go. Work with the colleagues. Work with the community.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 30:52 · 2026 | Boulder City Council Candidate Forum (Boulder Chamber, YouTube)
Fred Smith
Boulder Chamber forum · August 26, 2026
I think the city of Boulder is too strict on codes.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 31:16 · 2026 | Boulder City Council Candidate Forum (Boulder Chamber, YouTube)
Aquiles La Grave
Boulder Chamber forum · August 26, 2026
What we have is not a failure of values. Everybody here has incredible values. It's a failure of delivery.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 32:39 · 2026 | Boulder City Council Candidate Forum (Boulder Chamber, YouTube)
15 on this ballot are not in the source for this question. Silence is not a no.
A citizen group has developed a proposal for the city to hire a performance auditor, different from a financial auditor, and to fund a small department to support that auditor; this auditor would report to city council, with an audit committee in the 2027 budget. Do you support this or think it is necessary?
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City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Taishya Adams
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
I would also recommend a director of research and evaluation,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:05:19 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Aaron Brockett
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
the good news is that the city actually hired a performance auditor a few months ago,
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: Speaker references council financial strategies committee; sequence-based.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:04:28 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Rachel Rose Isaacson
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
it's not only going to help us evaluate whether our programs are efficiently achieving goals
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:02:34 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Ryan Jamieson
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
what you'd want to be able to create is an audit committee
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:09:09 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
15 on this ballot are not in the source for this question. Silence is not a no.
Given the strong city manager / weak mayor structure of our city's government, how would you approach your role as mayor to set the council's overall objectives?
forum
City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Taishya Adams
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
I would recommend that we move to a quarterly and have specific milestones and reporting
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:23:34 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Aaron Brockett
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
I worked closely with all of our colleagues to shape a vision for where our community can go
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:25:44 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
Aquiles La Grave
PLAN / Open Boulder / Better Boulder forum · September 2, 2026
we must demand a governing vision and we must measure against that governing vision again and again.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:25:00 · City of Boulder Colorado Candidate-Forum - 090226 (greenlight studios, YouTube)
16 on this ballot are not in the source for this question. Silence is not a no.
If elected mayor, how would you use your leadership role to help ensure that adopted plans are translated into action and that major projects are delivered responsibly and within budget?
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Lisa Ann Jacobs
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
That means firing city of Boulder workers who are slow, ineffective, and not doing their jobs.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 9:48 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
Taishya Adams
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
We are going to have more extreme heat. We are going to have more wildfires. And arts plays a critical role in not only communication and education, but climate grief.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 8:27 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
Aaron Brockett
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
As we have a dashboard that tracks with each one of them how they're going, what percent are they complete and what steps are coming next. I'd like to see us do that with other major plans.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 5:56 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
Jameson Goldstein
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
It's a $350 million project that's going to house about 300 employees, so over a million dollars per employee.
Transcript note: Referring to Alpine-Balsam.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 11:59 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
Jameson Goldstein
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
I think the best way that we can do this is by bringing in an independent auditor.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 12:22 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
Fred Smith
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
I'm a super majority guy. I think in big decisions you should have a two-thirds majority for them to pass.
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: Fifth in moderator's announced order (after Jacobs); not re-named.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 10:37 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
Aquiles La Grave
Arts and culture forum · September 15, 2026
we need to rethink in changing the measurement rubric for the city manager and we need a city auditor.
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: Moderator's announced order put La Grave second; intro garbled.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 7:24 · (Pt 3/5) 2026 City Council Candidates Forum on Arts and Culture (Boulder County Arts Alliance, YouTube)
13 on this ballot are not in the source for this question. Silence is not a no.
Do you agree or disagree that our city council is adequately representative of the social, political and economic interests of Boulder? Would you support a study session on proportional representation?
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Yes
Sam Fuqua
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Yes on a study session on proportional representation, in their words below.
I would support a study session on this issue
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:20:46 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Rachel Rose Isaacson
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Yes on a study session on proportional representation, in their words below.
I do support us having a study session
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:13:29 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Lee Gilbert
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Well, clearly the council is not representative of the people.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:19:48 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Ryan Schuchard
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
But I don't know about proportional representation.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:21:48 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Jamillah Richmond
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
So we do need to have more representation, more diversity
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:23:00 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Benita Duran
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
I think our public engagement needs a refresh and a fix.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:23:55 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Rachel Rose Isaacson
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
I do not think that there's proportionate representation on council currently.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:12:52 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Dave Martus
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
So overall, I think we're representing the community very well.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:14:02 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Scott Rendleman
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
No yes/no label: Interested in hearing more; not a yes or no.
In terms of a study session, I'd be interested in hearing more about whether that would make sense
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:14:58 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Jill Grano
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
No yes/no label: Not sure a study session solves it; not a yes or no.
We don't have proportional representation. I think the question is, what do we do about that? I'm not sure that a study session solves that
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:15:34 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Ryan Jamieson
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
I also don't think that we need to strive for proportionality across the board
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:17:08 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Lynn Segal
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
I don't think people are being represented.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:17:37 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Tina Marquis
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
No yes/no label: 'Open to' a study session; not labelled.
I am open to a study session on that specific methodology.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:18:50 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
7 on this ballot are not in the source for this question. Silence is not a no.
What are the unique roles of the Boulder mayor that make the job different from being a city council member?
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Lisa Ann Jacobs
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Instead, our Mayor and City Councillors are going into executive sessions without giving notice.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:20:05 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Taishya Adams
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
being able to be at the table every week to determine what our city's agenda is going to be
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:14:27 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Aaron Brockett
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Also, convening is an important, incredibly important part of the role.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:16:05 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Jameson Goldstein
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Because right now the people of Boulder don't feel like they're heard.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:17:13 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Fred Smith
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Why wouldn't you want 19 and 20 year olds in the bars?
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:18:30 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Aquiles La Grave
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
I believe the Mayor has a sacred apolitical duty to ensure that all members of Council succeed.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:18:38 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
Aquiles La Grave
League of Women Voters forum · September 26, 2026
Failure in Boulder should never be an orphan, and it should be the Mayor who stands in that space.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:19:33 · September 26, 2026 League of Women Voters of Boulder County Candidate Forum (City of Boulder, YouTube)
13 on this ballot are not in the source for this question. Silence is not a no.