Brighton City Council Reorganization Meeting - January 6, 2026
Brighton City Council Reorganization Meeting - January 6, 2026
The Brighton City Council met on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 1:30 PM for its reorganization meeting. The meeting included the swearing-in of new and re-elected council members, the election of a Mayor Pro Tem, and remarks from council members and the mayor.
Swearing-In Ceremony
- Judge Johnny Barajas administered the oath of office.
- New members: Melinda Carbajal (Ward 3) and Iriannon Collins (Ward 1).
- Re-elected members: Mayor Gregory Mills, Councilmember Peter Padilla (Ward 4), and Councilmember Tadeo.
- All were sworn in and took their seats.
Roll Call and Agenda Approval
- Roll call showed all nine council members present: Mayor Mills, Councilmembers Carbajal, Collins, Fiddler, Green, Padilla, Snyder, Tadeo, and Wirth.
- Motion by Councilmember Tadeo, seconded by Councilmember Wirth, to approve the regular agenda. Passed 9-0.
Election of Mayor Pro Tem
- Three council members expressed interest: Councilmembers Wirth, Padilla, and Green.
- The first two rounds of voting did not produce a majority (five votes). Vote counts after the second round: Padilla 4, Wirth 3, Green 2.
- After each candidate gave brief remarks, a third round was held. Councilmember Padilla received a clear majority and was declared Mayor Pro Tem.
- Councilmember Padilla was then sworn in as Mayor Pro Tem by Judge Barajas.
Remarks from Council Members
- Councilmember Collins: Thanked attendees, expressed excitement to begin working with the council.
- Councilmember Carbajal: Thanked her family and the community for their trust; acknowledged predecessor Jan Pulowski.
- Councilmember Tadeo: Expressed honor at being re-elected and looked forward to continuing service.
- Mayor Mills: Thanked all candidates, staff, and family. Highlighted recent city achievements (new municipal service center, water treatment plant, rec center expansion, Bridge Street improvements, new employers, hospital expansion). Called for respectful disagreement and optimism for Brighton's future. Noted that the city is approaching 50,000 residents and is among the 20 largest in Colorado.
Key Outcomes
- New council members Melinda Carbajal (Ward 3) and Iriannon Collins (Ward 1) formally seated.
- Re-elected members Mayor Gregory Mills, Councilmember Peter Padilla (Ward 4), and Councilmember Tadeo sworn in.
- Regular meeting agenda approved unanimously (9-0).
- Peter Padilla elected Mayor Pro Tem after three rounds of voting and sworn in.
- The next meeting was announced: a special city council meeting followed by a study session at Brighton City Hall the following week.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, welcome back. Call to order our city council meeting for Tuesday, January 6, 2026. First order of business is the swear-in our brand new city council. And so we'd like to invite Judge Johnny Barajas. I'm sorry if I butcher that. To come on over. I think we have you down here with the Oh, right here. Got it. Okay. And we will start since uh future Councilmember uh Carvajal is there, we'll just start with her. Okay. All right. Happy new year. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Okay. This is going to be short and sweet. All right. You can raise your right hand, please. And repeat after me. I'm Melinda Carbajall. I'm Melinda Carbajal. Do swear. Do swear. That I will support. That I will support. The Constitution. The Constitution. Of the United States. Of the United States. The Constitution. The Constitution. Of the State of Colorado. Of the State of Colorado. And the laws. And the laws. Of the State of Colorado. Of the State of Colorado. And we'll faithfully perform. And we'll faithfully perform. The duties of the office. The duties of the office. Award three council member. Of Ward 3 Council Member. Upon which I am about to enter to the best of my ability. Upon which I'm about to enter to the best of my ability. Congratulations. Thank you so much, sir. Congratulations.
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