City Hall is off to a fresh start

Although swearing in city council members following an election is mostly a formality, it also can signal a turning point if some new faces join the dais as they did in Commerce City. Three new members, including Commerce City’s new mayor, took the oath of office Monday alongside three returning incumbents after winning election in November.

For the record, as noted in City Hall’s public announcement on its website:

Steve Douglas, a two-term council member from 2011 to 2019, was sworn-in as the city’s 14th mayor. Incumbents Renée M. Chacon (Ward III – special two-year term), Susan Noble (Ward IV), and Craig Kim (at-large) took the oath again and will remain in their respective roles. Rocky Teter, who previously served on City Council from 1995 to 2003, was sworn back in as the representative for Ward II, while Charles Dukes began his first term in the other at-large seat. Mayor Douglas then selected Council member Noble to serve as the city’s mayor pro tem.

What the incumbents and the newcomers have in common is a chance to hit the reset button at City Hall. As we noted here recently, that means all members committing to moving past the sideshows that frequently have distracted the council and bogged it down. New and returning council members alike should be open to the expertise offered by their full-time staff at City Hall, and avoid needless conflict with each other. 

We once again congratulate all those who won their races and wish them the best. Here’s hoping they help the council make a fresh start and move Commerce City forward.