Sean McCoy is seeking another term on the Longmont City Council, after serving on the city council from 2007 to 2011, representing Ward 3. This time, the 56-year-old McCoy is seeking one of two at-large seats on the council.
McCoy said he would use his 22 years of teaching experience — 13 at Boulder Valley School District’s Monarch High School — as a vehicle to reach out to residents to find out their biggest concerns about living in Longmont.
“Nobody is as close to the general public than teachers,” said McCoy, who teaches U.S. government, U.S. history and economics.
He has also traveled widely as a teacher, taking trips to China and to former Soviet-bloc countries. “That has given me a more global view of how other people live and those countries function,” McCoy said. “It gives you a unique perspective on what kind of governments truly serve their people. It gives me a fresh perspective on things.”
McCoy said he has served on several city and county boards and commissions including the city’s planning and zoning commission, historic preservation commission, housing and human services advisory board as well as Boulder County’s parks and open space advisory board. He said he has also served on Boulder Valley ‘s district accountability board.
“I don’t know of anybody currently running for the city council that can draw on the experiences that I have,” said McCoy, whose two daughters are graduates of Silver Creek High School.
McCoy said as a city councilmember he would take on Longmont’s strained relationship with the Regional Transportation District and the long-delayed promise to bring passenger rail to Longmont.
Longmont, he noted, has put in over $67 million into RTD’s FasTracks plan and that has spurred frustration among city residents. “Many say it in such a flippant way — ‘Well, we should just sue them,’” McCoy said. “It doesn’t work that way. They don’t have the money to give us. It’s not going to come to us in a check from RTD.”
Other avenues include pursuing federal funds to extend Amtrak passenger rail service to Longmont, he said.
Affordable housing is another important issue. McCoy said. “There are many different levels around affordable housing, maybe apartment complexes that aren’t just built for a big outfit in town,” he said.
McCoy is among six candidates seeking one of two at-large seats on the city council this November, according to the Longmont city clerk. The others are:
- Diane Crist, a business consultant
- Jeremy Dejuan Johnson, insurance agent
- Tallis Salamatian, entrepreneur
- Shiquita Yarbrough, the YWCA of Boulder County’s director of community engagement and equity
- Incumbent Councilmember Aren Rodriguez, real estate appraiser seeking re-election to a second four-year term.
Polly Christensen is one of the current at-large council members but is term limited and can not seek re-election.
The top two vote getters in the at-large contest will win the two at-large seats.
Incumbent Marcia Martin is the lone candidate for Ward II seat on the city council.
Mayoral candidates are:
- Gregory Harris, Linden Street resident
- Current Councilmember — at-large Joan Peck
- Current Ward 1 Councilmember Tim Waters
Waters and Peck are working on their four year terms on the city council. They both won seats in 2019. If either wins the mayor’s race in November, a special election would be held to fill their vacant council seat.
Mayor Brian Bagley is not seeking re-election to a third two-year term as mayor.
