2025-10-09 Lafayette City Council Candidate Forum on Business and Community Issues
2025-10-09 Lafayette City Council Candidate Forum
The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum on October 9, 2025, for open city council seats. Ten candidates participated: Saul Dafega, Eric Ryan, Anne Marie Jensen, Mike Watson, Luke Errington, Kyle Bolier, Adam Giunova, Crystal Gallegos, Josh Beryl, and Rob Glenn. The candidates answered questions submitted by local business owners covering small business support, minimum wage, tip credit, permitting processes, inclusive economy, sustainability, and housing affordability. The forum concluded with a lightning round on campaign materials, a bond measure, and sales tax.
Discussion: Role of City Council in Supporting Small Businesses
Candidates emphasized the council's role in creating an environment where small businesses can thrive. Common themes included streamlining permitting and regulation, offering grants and incentives, and improving infrastructure. Kyle Bolier tied housing affordability to business success, while Eric Ryan cautioned against government picking winners and losers. Mike Watson advocated for community values in business selection. Several candidates highlighted the need for efficient processes and accessible resources.
Discussion: Minimum Wage Increase
Opinions varied on raising the local minimum wage. Anne Marie Jensen supported a gradual increase and cited that 85% of Lafayette businesses already pay above minimum wage. Eric Ryan and Crystal Gallegos opposed increases, fearing harm to small businesses. Kyle Bolier proposed benchmarking to affordability indexes. Josh Beryl and Adam Giunova emphasized regional coordination. Mike Watson firmly supported workers, stating he is "on the side of the workers first and foremost."
Discussion: Tip Credit Increase
Most candidates were less familiar with tip credit. Anne Marie Jensen suggested benchmarking it alongside minimum wage. Kyle Bolier questioned the philosophical focus and called for broadening the definition of tips. Crystal Gallegos and Saul Dafega supported increasing the tip credit if minimum wage rises, citing thin margins for restaurants. Rob Glenn emphasized listening to business owners.
Discussion: Collecting Information on Impactful Issues
Candidates agreed on the need for direct engagement with businesses and workers. Proposed methods included town halls, roundtables, and field trips. Anne Marie Jensen stressed extraordinary outreach to low-wage workers, including childcare and interpreters. Crystal Gallegos noted the city already conducted data collection and public engagement in the previous year. Several candidates cited partnerships with the Lafayette Chamber and Latino Chamber as key resources.
Discussion: Licensing and Permitting Processes
Many candidates acknowledged that Lafayette's permitting process is a barrier. Daily Grains Bakery was cited as a case study. Ideas included creating a "roadmap," improving the city website, hiring additional planning staff, and assigning a "shepherd" to guide businesses. Rob Glenn and Crystal Gallegos noted ongoing efforts like the "Vacant to Vibrant" program. Mike Watson cautioned against weakening code that reflects community values.
Discussion: Fostering an Inclusive Local Economy
Candidates stressed reaching immigrant, minority, and family-run businesses. Proposals included bilingual staff, grants and subsidies, and partnerships with the Latino Chamber. Kyle Bolier emphasized protecting immigrant residents from fear of ICE enforcement. Saul Dafega, as a Latino candidate, advocated for equitable access and pointed to the city's contract with the Latino Chamber. Rob Glenn called for hiring a full-time grant writer to find additional resources.
Discussion: Balancing Sustainability and Business Needs
Most candidates saw sustainability and business success as compatible. Ideas included financial support for energy upgrades (PACE program), education on available incentives, and leveraging the city's Climate Action Plan. Anne Marie Jensen warned that federal and state funding may decrease. Mike Watson argued that climate change is an existential crisis and should take precedence over short-term business profits. Kyle Bolier linked sustainability to wildfire preparedness and the Marshall Fire.
Discussion: Housing Affordability
Candidates supported a variety of approaches. Willoughby Corner (400 units) was cited as a successful start but insufficient (900 applications in first eight hours). Anne Marie Jensen called for inclusionary zoning, ADU incentives, and mobile home preservation. Saul Dafega, as a renter, emphasized continuing momentum. Crystal Gallegos stressed teamwork with county and neighboring communities. Mike Watson advocated for more variety in housing types and criticized landlords raising rents. Adam Giunova noted that even "affordable" units at Willoughby Corner are at 60% AMI, still market rate.
Lightning Round Results
- Campaign materials: Most candidates reported using Lafayette businesses for materials, with some using local print shops or signs.
- Bond measure for City Service Center, Rec Center, and City Hall: Among nine candidates who responded, five expressed support and four opposed.
- Sales tax as a problem for businesses: Responses were evenly split: five candidates viewed sales tax as a problem, five did not.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; the forum was intended for voter information. Candidates expressed a range of positions on key issues. The bond measure for city facilities garnered narrow support among respondents. The sales tax question revealed a divided view. Candidates committed to engaging with business stakeholders and improving permitting processes.
Meeting Transcript
How can you say an answer to anything in Tim? My name's Tommy Wood. I work with Biz West, the business journal of the Boulder Valley in Northern Colorado, and I'm also on the Board of Directors of the Lafayette Chamber. Your concerns can be addressed, and you all can make informed decisions about who you want to govern our city. Uh business owners have been submitting questions for this forum for about a week. Uh all the questions that the candidates are answering have been submitted by business owners from Lafayette. Um any questions that were submitted after 1159 p.m. yesterday will be given to the candidates to answer on their own time. Um so here's how it's gonna work. To start, uh, we're gonna give each candidate about 10 seconds to introduce themselves and state their name and whether they've served in local government before and for how long. Um our question askers, Frank Phillips and Rosa Bell Rice will answer the will ask the questions. Uh every candidate has to answer every question. Uh we can repeat a question, but we will not explain them. Um you each have 30 seconds to, or excuse me, you each have 60 seconds to answer each question. Our timekeeper Devin Price will raise a yellow card when you have 30 seconds left, and a red card when your time is up. At the end, we'll have a lightning round. Well, you'll each have 10 seconds to answer a few yes or no questions. Um that's how it's gonna work. So let's get to it. So, Saul, why don't we start with you and we'll go down the line? Uh start with your name and how long you've been in government. Amazing. Uh well, first off, thank you all for being here, and thank you for having me. My name is Saul Dafega, and I'm a current member of City Council, so I know this seat pretty well. Uh and I'm running for re-election for this year, so that's I I've been in city government through through many different ways. Uh I sent a couple boards of commissions as well as um through my day job. But yes, I'm a current member of city council, and I'm running for re-election. Okay. My name is uh Eric Ryan. I've never been in well, I did run for office in 2023, uh city council, but did not succeed, so I'm trying again. I've never really held a political office, but uh I've done a lot of leadership with my companies, and I'm an independent business owner for Lafayette. My name is Anne Marie Jensen. I've lived in Lafayette for 11 years. Um, in terms of service, I've served on the planning commission, the East Lafayette Advisory Committee, the Livable Lafayette Task Force right now, the land use working group and the WOW Children's Museum Ford. And I have about 35 or 40 years of background as an independent consultant in public policy. Hi, I'm Mike Watson, um, running for city council. Obviously, that's why I'm up here. Um I don't have any any sort of experience with uh with public office yet. Um I'm looking to get started. Uh I like I think most Americans look up at the political system above me, and I don't think that it really represents a whole lot of us. And I don't I can't think of a better place to get started than here in hometown of Lafayette. Thank you. Hi, uh I'm Luke Errington. Uh I've been in Lafayette residence since 2013. Never held political office, but I've been uh volunteering on the Open Space Advisory Board for the last eight years where I'm vice chair currently. I'm on the Urban Renewal Authority for the last seven years and have a background in commercial real estate. Good evening, I'm Kyle Bolier. I have no local government experience other than working for the Parkinson Recreation Department when I was 12 to 18 years old and the city library in my hometown, North Carolina when I was eight, nine, and ten. I I've worked for about 20 years in the federal government, in and around uh FBI State Department uh and USAID. So looking to make a splash uh where I live in lovely Lafayette.
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