We, the undersigned members of the Loveland community, call on the Loveland City Council majority to cease its criminal prosecution of the council minority.
We strongly oppose the ongoing politicization of our local city council. Retribution to settle political scores is damaging the reputation and welfare of Loveland. Our financial stability is in jeopardy, and the future of our community is at stake. And we must take action to protect the minority of Council members from tyranny of the majority.
We believe the harms of the council majority’s prosecutorial effort far outweigh the benefits, especially considering the very real challenges facing our city today. This legal dispute consumes valuable meeting time - and distracts from important and urgent city business, including an escalating multi-million-dollar city budget shortfall.
This dispute only amplifies the current divisions on our City Council. It sows distrust among council members, encourages strife within our Loveland community, and discourages the necessary dialogue and collaboration that we deserve from our elected officials.
Loveland has very real challenges that need our attention, including:
-An annual budget shortfall of $13 million that threatens our quality of life and the wonderful Loveland we know today.
-An affordable housing crisis–we are nearly 10,000 units short of necessary housing to house our residents, and the number of people experiencing homelessness only continues to grow in Loveland.
-Ongoing public safety challenges–ensuring adequate traffic patrols, maintaining a sense of security downtown, and promoting safety and cleanliness throughout the city.
Council’s efforts to criminally prosecute its own members cast a growing shadow on our city’s public image. Instead of escalating the drama and increasing the stakes with each passing week, we call for the entire Council to work toward ending the dysfunction that has come to define the Loveland City Council.
We appeal to each Council member’s spirit of service and desire to lead for the common good. Please call off the criminal prosecution of the minority and commit to working together for the good of the City of Loveland.
