Wellington Board of Trustees election: Q&A with candidate Ed Cannon
The Coloradoan sent all Wellington candidates questions to learn more about their priorities and why they're running for office. Below are Ed Cannon's answers, which have been edited for AP style, length and clarity. You can find the other candidates' questionnaires and more coverage ahead of the election here.
Name: Ed Cannon
Race: Wellington Board of Trustees
Question: What makes you qualified to hold a town board seat in Wellington?
Answer: I value fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency and outstanding community service, and trustees need to make these values their top priority. As a retired city manager, I am highly experienced in all aspects of municipal government, including budgeting, grant writing and administration, planning and development, economic development, public utilities and special district formation and administration. As the former Wellington town administrator, I understand our community’s needs and potential, and I have the knowledge and experience to shape policy to achieve that potential. I have a deep understanding of Colorado water laws and state statutes, and I know how to leverage that experience and knowledge to best meet the needs of our residents.
Q: What are your top three priorities if elected and why?
A:
Resolve Wellington’s water issues – We need to get costs under control and find an alternative water source to ensure a sustainable future.
Grow commercial businesses – Wellington households are spending over $150 million each year for goods and services outside of Wellington. If we can bring in new commercial businesses to capture at least half of that amount, it would generate an additional $7 million in sales tax revenues each year. Wellington needs commercial business to provide jobs, expand available goods and services to our community, and generate sales and commercial property taxes to support or expand town services.
Build a recreation center – Residents have been demanding a recreation center for years, but the town has done nothing in the way of exploring the feasibility or even developing basic plans, cost estimates or site evaluations. We need to begin these processes so that we have a shovel-ready project when funding is available.
Q: What are the top three challenges facing Wellington and what would you do about them?
A:
Lack of trust in Wellington’s government - Our current board is too divided, creating a win/lose roadblock for effective governance. As trustee, I will work for all residents and encourage my fellow trustees to do the same. I also pledge to understand opposing positions so that we can write inclusive legislation to better meet the needs of all residents.
Lack of visionary leadership - There are many examples of Wellington’s past elected leaders being reactive versus proactive, and the town has suffered because of this lack of vision. I will work with board members to provide that vision and write effective legislation to ensure that vision is achieved.
Transportation - As we continue to grow, we need to work with Fort Collins to expand bus service to Wellington. We need to work with CDOT to build a new interchange at Cleveland Avenue and I-25 and a second interchange at CR58 and I-25. We need better access across I-25 for pedestrians on the east side of town. We need a trail system that connects all parts of town. I have extensive experience in intergovernmental collaboration, and I will use that experience to improve transportation in Wellington.
Q: Wellington’s population is expected to double in the next 20 years. What should the town be doing to prepare for this growth?
A: We need to be more proactive and stop focusing on the past or maintaining the status quo. Our ordinances, strategic plans, priorities and budgets need to be focused on laying the groundwork to meet the needs of a growing community. We need to source new water and create sustainable revenues to support a community of 30,000. We need the expanded powers and authorities that home rule can provide so that we can meet those needs.
Q: Some current Wellington trustees have said there is a lack of trust among the board that makes it difficult to govern. How would you address that?
A: There is certainly a lack of trust among our elected officials, as evidenced by the numerous 4-3 votes on town issues. This inability to agree and long debates on non-municipal matters is dissolving trust within the community. I am a collaborative leader, and I will work to rebuild trust within the community and work to pass legislation that all trustees can agree with.
Q: The water and wastewater treatment plants that will help meet the town’s future growth needs are opening later in the year. How do you see the plants affecting water rates residents are paying now and going into the future?
A: The high water rates our residents are currently paying are due to the North Poudre Irrigation contract, not the plant expansions. We need to renegotiate the terms of the North Poudre contract to get costs under control and source new water to reduce our reliance on contract water. Since the water plant expansion partially benefits existing residents, a small portion of those costs will be paid by residents, with the bulk of the costs borne by developers through impact fees. We need to examine our fee structure to ensure impact fees bear the true cost of the expansions, and restructure water dedications and “cash-in-lieu” rates to help secure new water.
Q: Other items you’d like to discuss that weren’t mentioned in the questionnaire?
A: Wellington needs to become a home rule community. Our challenges are unique to Wellington, and we need the flexibility to meet those challenges instead of Denver telling us what we can or cannot do as a statutory town.
Wellington also needs to explore creating a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to encourage business growth and development along Cleveland Avenue. We have a fantastic Main Streets organization, but Main Streets cannot provide the funds necessary to address vacant lots, inadequate infrastructure and empty buildings. A DDA can provide a sustainable funding mechanism to meet those needs.
More about Ed Cannon
Occupation: Retired City Manager
Have you held elected office before? No
If you have a college degree, where did you attend school and what did you study?
Community College of the Air Force – associate degree in airway science
Montevallo University, Montevallo, Alabama – bachelor’s degree in political science
Northern Illinois University – master’s degree in public administration
Length of time in town? Seven years
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Wellington Board of Trustees election: Q&A with candidate Ed Cannon
