Aurora has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. With new neighborhoods, transit corridors and shifting demographics come tough land-use choices: where to build housing, protect open space, manage traffic, and preserve neighborhood character. We understand our communities better than distant state bureaucrats ever could. That’s what home rule is meant to guarantee. But today, Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado legislature are challenging that guarantee – not with persuasion, but with edicts and threats of financial punishment.
Aurora can’t stand silent.
Colorado’s Constitution enshrines home rule in Article XX, Section 6, which grants municipalities the right to govern “matters of local concern,” including planning, zoning, and land use. That means Aurora’s City Council, staff experts, and residents – not the State Capitol – should decide how our city grows. Local decision-making isn’t just symbolic; it’s practical. Aurora’s land, infrastructure, transit access, utilities, and neighborhoods all interlock uniquely. One-size mandates from the Capitol can’t account for those nuances…