Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Decision Appears Made - It's Going to Ballot
Even though Lakewood City Council hasn’t made any official decisions, it appears Council has unofficially decided they will send the zoning referendum to the ballot. Issue committees have been made and official campaigns started. Former City Councilor Sophia Mayott-Guerrero is leading the campaign against the citizens’ referendum and is already collecting donations. That committee has announced the referendum is on the ballot. A special election would be scheduled for March.
Now that the citizen-initiated referendum has cleared all hurdles, Lakewood City Council has to decide whether to repeal the zoning ordinances themselves or send the measure to a ballot vote. The official vote will be held January 26, 2026.
Since the decision on whether it is a ballot question or not has not yet been answered, the City Clerk said an issue committee (used to report campaign finances) was unnecessary.
However, since December 22, there are now three registered issue committees for this issue:
Lakewood Citizens Alliance – This issues committee supports the right of Lakewood residents to participate in their local government through ballot issues and citizen-initiated measures.
Make Lakewood Livable – The Committee supports affordable housing and all the other economic, environmental, and social benefits of Zoning Reform.
- People before Profits – To support referenda and initiatives that promote transparency and oppose corporate take-over.
No Ballot Resolution Yet
Lakewood did not post a preview of a ballot resolution. Instead, they did a first reading of an ordinance to repeal the referendum. Although the option to go to ballot was mentioned in the staff memo, people reading the meeting agenda would have thought City Council was only considering repealing the zoning, because that was all that was directly listed.
Pro-Zoning group already campaigning
Make Lakewood Livable have announced the zoning IS ON THE BALLOT.
How do they know the matter has been decided? At the last ward 1 meeting, Councilor Shahrezaei said she would vote for it to go to ballot, but not all councilors have made public statements. No one made a position statement in the January 12 meeting.
They are so certain about this that they are already collecting donations. Apparently, they discount the thousands of people who signed the referendum petition as a small minority.
The campaign against the resident-led referendums is being managed by former City Councilor Sophia Mayott-Guerrero.
Is there support for a referendum?
The rhetoric has already been heated, with Council Member Roger Low re-trying the protest against the referendums. Low repeated all the same questions that had already been formally asked and answered in the hearing. Most of the questions centered on alleged technical violations, rather than proof that signatures were faked.
Nonetheless, there seems to be general disbelief among City Council that people could really be against the new zoning.
The decision to pass the final zoning ordinance was an 8-3 vote. For a Council that usually votes unanimously, the split vote was a huge red flag that resident pushback was reaching extreme levels.
Lakewood Citizens Alliance
Lakewood Citizens Alliance was the last group to form an issue committee. This group is an outgrowth of Lakewood Is For Everyone, which started the referendum. They are also collecting donations already.
Now the race will be on to see if the grassroots effort can campaign against the city machine.
