During the past eight years, Wynne Shaw has actively represented Lone Tree by serving as:
· Lone Tree City Council member for eight years, two as mayor pro tem
· Board Chair of DRCOG (Denver Regional Council of Governments)
· Chair of the Regional Transportation Committee
· Chair of the Douglas County Transportation Forum
· Past Chair of the Douglas County Housing Partnership
Her experience and knowledge of local and regional issues and her ability to grasp and quickly understand complex matters and listen to all opinions to find consensus are unparalleled. Wynne has earned the respect of many fellow elected leaders throughout the Denver metropolitan region.
If Wynne is elected mayor, with her eight years of council experience she will be well-equipped to lead the two new council members and two current council members, one of whom will be Marissa. However, if Marissa is elected, because Wynne is term-limited, the city will lose all her council and other experience, and her positions on all the above leadership entities. This will be a huge loss for Lone Tree because over the years, Wynne has helped build the city’s reputation throughout the wider Denver metro region.
To ultimately become DRCOG Chair, a member must show active leadership and then be elected by the 58-member body. DRCOG represents the entire Denver metropolitan area geographically. If not elected mayor, Wynne will be unable to continue as the DRCOG Chair, and the council member who then is appointed as Lone Tree’s new representative will have to begin at square one on that 58-member body. The result will be a loss of visibility for Lone Tree, as Wynne has been a stalwart supporter of our city both within DRCOG and in many other metro area commissions.
If Marissa is elected mayor with only two years of city council experience, she will be ill-prepared to guide three new council members who have never served on city council — two who will be sworn in after the May 7 election, and one who will have to be appointed to fill the council seat she vacates. No matter what some people have argued, to have such an inexperienced mayor and council is not an ideal situation for Lone Tree.
The best outcome for Lone Tree residents will be for Wynne to continue to guide us through the challenging times ahead.
To learn more, visit the city’s website, www.cityoflonetree.com, and type the word “candidates” in the search.
Laurie and Gary Cochrane
Lone Tree