Aurora woman says city budget ‘is at a crisis point’
Voters in Aurora’s second ward will have two choices when they go to the polls in the pending General Election, with both filing as write-in candidates.
Esther Bergen added her name to the conversation Monday when she threw her hat in the ring by filing the necessary paperwork with the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office. Also filing as a write-in for the second ward is Nancy Lohrmeyer, a sitting member of the Aurora City Council who missed the initial filing deadline due to a trip out of the country and later filed to run as a write-in candidate.
Hamilton County Election Commissioner Jill DeMers confirmed Monday’s filing, noting that candidates have until Oct. 30 to seek election as a write-in candidate. The election will be decided by a simple majority vote.
Bergen was one of many local residents who attended two public hearings last week regarding the city’s budget. Later in the week, she said she decided to run for city council in hopes of making a difference. Bergen and her husband, Craig, who co-own Bergen Service & Repair on 16th Street, have lived in Aurora since 2007.
“It is becoming increasingly clear to local taxpayers that the city of Aurora is at a crisis point financially, with spending far outpacing revenue,” Bergen said. “I am running for a seat on the city council so that I can promote open communication between city government and Aurora citizens, and also because I believe that I can help to bring spending under control.
“I don’t claim to have all the answers,” she added, “but commit, if elected, to work diligently to find ways to get us back on a stable, sustainable path. We can’t just keep doing the same thing, hoping it will be better next year. It’s time for transparent discussion, evaluation, planning and decisive action.”
The News-Register is planning to publish candidate profiles in next week’s edition for those seeking election in all three city wards. Lohrmeyer and Bergen are both seeking election to a seat representing Ward 2, while incumbent Wayne Roblee is unopposed in his bid to be re-elected in Ward 1 and incumbent Mark Dunn is unopposed in his bid for another three-year term representing Ward 3.