I had a hard time writing this article. As a local elected official, I’m struggling with what feels most important, most relevant at this point in time. In a year characterized by a seemingly endless stream of breaking national and international news headlines fueling a sense of disruption and uncertainty, the hot political issues in Wheat Ridge are whether to allow roosters and when will the @#$%&*! Wadsworth construction EVER end. We just adopted the new City Plan and we are working to address some bigger issues like storm water infrastructure and replacing the beloved Anderson Pool.
It just feels so… normal. In fact, it’s easy to imagine Wheat Ridge tackling nearly identical issues 20 years or even 50 years ago. Why? Because this is what local government does in our city. It solves local problems with almost entirely local dollars. There are no agendas driven by political parties or special interest caucuses. Things get done by people who are in relationship with one another because they shop at the same grocery store, see each other at schools and parks, share place-based digital communities, and hold each other accountable at the ballot box and in council chambers.
But in the face of the practical cadence of our local government function, I’m encountering a shared sense of unease and agitation with big “G”, Government. On Wednesday mornings, I walk with my friend and neighbor Kelly. She recently expressed concern over people understanding the distinction between local government and the state of national politics. In contrast to the shared spaces and places of Wheat Ridge civic life, it’s easy to lose agency in the drama of state and national politics; although both arenas have a very real impact on our lives.
I’m going to be honest that the visible culture of political violence has made me feel less safe as an elected official. Erosion of civic safety is an erosion of freedom of speech and an erosion of democracy where it’s most accessible: in our city hall. It’s incumbent on each of us to ensure our neighbors – no matter their political identity or whether they agree with you about roosters – feel safe engaging in civic life. When we pass each other on the Clear Creek Trail or when we gather around the Green at 38 fireplace or when we meet for German dancing at the Grange, we are peacefully co-existing across differences in civic spaces. I hope we can continue to value a sense of belonging wherever you might find it.
The thing that feels most important to me right now is keeping the distinction between Big G Government and Wheat Ridge city government so that people on all sides of a local issue feel safe enough to show up in 10 or 20 years at city council and have the freedom to share their point of view and to know they’ve been heard. With any luck, it could be a topic like roosters.
