Aurora City Council Meeting – June 22, 2026

The Aurora City Council met on June 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to consider a wide range of items including the approval of minutes, consent calendar, several ballot measures for the November 2026 election, detention facility oversight ordinances, a budget supplemental, and appointments. The meeting featured extensive public comment, primarily from community members demanding accountability for police violence and the firing of Police Chief Todd Chamberlain. After deliberation, the council passed most items, often with divided votes on issues related to police funding, public defender staffing, and detention facility oversight.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of June 8, 2026: Approved as amended (friendly amendment by Mayor Pro Tem Coombs to correct vote order on a previous ordinance).
• Agenda: Adopted.
• Consent Calendar on Motions (Items 10C1–10C3): Adopted unanimously.
• Consent Calendar on Resolutions and Ordinances (Items 11A1–11A4, 11A6–11A10, 11B1–11B6, 11B10): Adopted unanimously, with Items 11A5, 11A11, 11B7, 11B8, and 11B9 pulled for separate consideration.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Police Accountability and Chief Todd Chamberlain: Dozens of speakers, including family members of those killed by Aurora Police (e.g., Kylan Lewis, Jordell Richardson), called for the firing of Chief Todd Chamberlain and criticized the city manager Jason Batcher. Speakers described systemic racism, excessive force, and lack of accountability. Many opposed additional funding for APD.
• Rental Registry (Item 11A7): Multiple speakers (e.g., Dre Chiriboga, Doug Evans, Gia Nayas) supported a rental registry and licensing program to hold landlords accountable, citing unsafe conditions and need for enforcement. Some speakers urged including property owners and real estate stakeholders in the process.
• Detention Facility Oversight (Items 14A & 14B): Advocates (including State Representative Nikita Rix) spoke in favor of ordinances requiring habitability inspections and communicable disease reporting at detention facilities, especially the GEO Group ICE facility. They cited deaths and poor conditions.
• Ballot Measures (Items 11B7, 11B8, 11B9): Several speakers (e.g., Jeff Brown, Medine Schaffner, Cassandra Hill) opposed the three tax and bond measures, arguing they lacked binding project lists, would fund police without accountability, and were developed without adequate community trust. Some supported transportation improvements but wanted clearer guardrails.
• Other Topics: A speaker raised security issues regarding plastic water bottle bans; another praised Aurora Fest and interactions with councilmembers; others discussed the Aurora Works Initiative, the SAVE program, and ambulance fee increases.

Discussion Items

• Item 11A5 – Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant: Staff presented a $325,411 grant (Aurora’s share $304,039) for police equipment. Approved unanimously.
• Item 11A11 – Aurora Family Plan Initiative (Resolution): Sponsored by Councilmember Jackson, this resolution directs the city manager to create a working group to evaluate services for families. Councilmember Bergen requested a fiscal note; Jackson stated existing staff would absorb the work. After debate over process, the resolution passed 7–3 (Bergen, Hancock, Lawson opposed).
• Items 11B7, 11B8, 11B9 – Ballot Measures (Community Facilities, Public Safety, Transportation): Deputy City Manager Laura Perry presented three proposed ordinances to be placed on the November 2026 ballot, each authorizing a sales tax increase and revenue bonds. The measures fund specific Tier 1 projects listed in prior council resolutions, with an oversight committee to be formed. Questions focused on whether future councils could redirect funds. The city attorney clarified that the listed projects are binding, but excess sales tax revenue could be repurposed by a future council. All three measures passed: 11B7 (unanimous), 11B8 (9–1, Jackson opposed), 11B9 (unanimous).
• Item 14A – Detention Facility Inspections (Ordinance): Final reading. Requires periodic habitability inspections of all detention facilities in Aurora. Passed 6–4 (Bergen, Gardner, Hancock, Lawson opposed).
• Item 14B – Detention Facility Disease Notification (Ordinance): Requires facilities to report communicable diseases to Aurora Fire within 48 hours. Passed 6–4 (same opposition).
• Item 14C – 2026 Spring Budget Supplemental: The ordinance included adjustments for FY2025 and FY2026. Councilmember Bergen had previously moved to delay transferring three public defender FTEs from non-departmental to the public defender’s budget until fall budget talks. An amendment to undo that delay (i.e., include the transfer) passed 6–4 (Bergen, Gardner, Hancock, Lawson opposed). The main motion then passed 7–2 (Hancock and Lawson opposed).
• Item 17A – Downtown Development Authority Board Appointments: Nine members appointed to the inaugural DDA board on staggered terms. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Votes on Ballot Measures: The council approved three ordinances (11B7, 11B8, 11B9) to place sales tax and bond questions on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Each measure would increase the sales and use tax by 0.064% for 30 years: for community facilities ($47M+ bonds), public safety ($53M+ bonds), and transportation ($41M+ bonds).
• Detention Facility Oversight Passed: Both ordinances (14A and 14B) passed, requiring inspections and disease reporting at all detention facilities, including the GEO Group ICE facility.
• Public Defender Staffing: The council voted to immediately transfer three FTEs from non-departmental to the public defender's budget, reversing a prior delay. The funds were already being used for variable-hour employees.
• Family Plan Initiative Approved: The resolution creating the Aurora Family Plan working group passed despite concerns over fiscal impact and committee process.
• DDA Board Seated: Nine members appointed to the new Downtown Development Authority board for terms beginning June 22, 2026.
• No Action on Police Chief: Multiple public comments demanded the firing of Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, but the council took no formal action on the matter.