Why I'm Running

Our Town's future success depends on leaders who are willing to stand up for the Erie residents - individuals willing to ask the tough questions and challenge the status-quo, individuals who are Forward Thinking for Erie's Future!

My Priority Items

Erie quickly moved from "the best kept secret" to "the gem of North Metro Denver", becoming a destination others have wanted to call home. Due to our rapidly-growing community, Erie has faced many issues which are all central to growth management.

The Town has grown faster than ever before, moving from a population of just over 6,000 residents in 2000, to 30,000 in 2020,  and now a staggering population of over 42,000 residents as of 2026. From 2015 to 2020, and then again 2020-2025, the Town will grew nearly 40%. Understanding the actual growth rate is important, because the town has historically only forecast and planned for a 15% rate over these same periods of time. Whether it be the lifespan of a roadway, or capacity of our water and sewer enterprises – these infrastructure pieces have become strained due to our Town's rapid growth. 


Additionally, our Town's resources have become limited over this time period. Most notably, water for new development has had to be restricted due to lack of availability. This now puts many of these projects Town wide - residential, commercial, and otherwise - into a questionable position as to if or when they will actually happen.


In order to become forward thinking, we must first restore our confidence in the Town by beginning with understanding the facts: What is our current population? What will our population be based on key intervals or years into the future? What is the capacity for our infrastructure and resources? When, and specifically where, will our capacity levels be met at these times? From these questions, we can begin to think towards the future, always staying one step ahead as Erie continues to grow.

Sustainable Infrastructure
& Resources

Sustainable Infrastructure
& Resources

The Town has grown faster than ever before, moving from a population of just over 6,000 residents in 2000, to 30,000 in 2020,  and now a staggering population of over 42,000 residents as of 2026. From 2015 to 2020, and then again 2020-2025, the Town will grew nearly 40%. Understanding the actual growth rate is important, because the town has historically only forecast and planned for a 15% rate over these same periods of time. Whether it be the lifespan of a roadway, or capacity of our water and sewer enterprises – these infrastructure pieces have become strained due to our Town's rapid growth. 


Additionally, our Town's resources have become limited over this time period. Most notably, water for new development has had to be restricted due to lack of availability. This now puts many of these projects Town wide - residential, commercial, and otherwise - into a questionable position as to if or when they will actually happen.


In order to become forward thinking, we must first restore our confidence in the Town by beginning with understanding the facts: What is our current population? What will our population be based on key intervals or years into the future? What is the capacity for our infrastructure and resources? When, and specifically where, will our capacity levels be met at these times? From these questions, we can begin to think towards the future, always staying one step ahead as Erie continues to grow.

Financial Resiliency

Due to the Town's rapid growth and the current economic environment, we have seen that specific fund accounts have been significantly reduced or depleted, compared to years past. One in particular, the Capital Improvement Fund - the account used to pay for all street maintenance and other capital needs - will be exhausted in 2028. Each year after, we will be in a "pay as you go" situation - where the only funds available for these projects will be from excess revenues generated in the year prior. While that may seem fine, the projected excess revenues will not even cover the $4.5 million required for street maintenance.


Taking into account the reduction in revenues that the Town has experienced due to development slowing, and now the water allocations also reducing the number of developments that can come online in any given year, all of these factors have become the dominoes that I discussed in 2024.


In order to become forward thinking, we must restore our confidence in the Town by starting with those who are the elected stewards of our Town's finances: the Town Council. Our Town's leadership must contain individuals who understand the Town's budgets and finances, who review them thoroughly - as well as those who provide scrutiny, ask questions, and request clarification on these items (and others) from Staff. The Council must be the ones who are held accountable for our Town's financial resources, providing residents with transparency and by monitoring our Town's financial activities on a regular basis.

Resident-First Governance & Transparency

It is the job of an elected official to show up and speak for all residents they represent, not just some of them. At times, this means doing what is best for the community - not what you personally might think is best. As I have personally experienced and learned in my roles while serving the Town and its residents, this doesn't just mean reviewing all of the materials available for a given item. It means listening to the residents and what they have to say - not just acting like you are listening, but really hearing them.


I have also learned that openness, honesty, and transparency is paramount for building trust. Especially when it comes to governance. Because without it, you have the potential to erode and divide, instead of building and bridging the culture of the community.


In order to become forward thinking, trust in our local government must be brought back. The small-town feel we all know and love in Erie must be held onto, where residents feel like they know their elected officials. This means their elected officials need to be approachable, able to sit down to have a conversation. It means overcommunicating so everyone is on the same page ahead of time, instead of only providing communications after the fact because we are one-step behind. And most importantly, our elected officials must be willing to tell the public where we really stand - no matter how difficult it may be to hear or say.

It is the job of an elected official to show up and speak for all residents they represent, not just some of them. At times, this means doing what is best for the community - not what you personally might think is best. As I have personally experienced and learned in my roles while serving the Town and its residents, this doesn't just mean reviewing all of the materials available for a given item. It means listening to the residents and what they have to say - not just acting like you are listening, but really hearing them.


I have also learned that openness, honesty, and transparency is paramount for building trust. Especially when it comes to governance. Because without it, you have the potential to erode and divide, instead of building and bridging the culture of the community.


In order to become forward thinking, trust in our local government must be brought back. The small-town feel we all know and love in Erie must be held onto, where residents feel like they know their elected officials. This means their elected officials need to be approachable, able to sit down to have a conversation. It means overcommunicating so everyone is on the same page ahead of time, instead of only providing communications after the fact because we are one-step behind. And most importantly, our elected officials must be willing to tell the public where we really stand - no matter how difficult it may be to hear or say.

Resident-First Governance & Transparency

Blueprint:
Forward Thinking for Erie's Future


In order to set our Town up for the best chances for success, a plan must be created that provides us with an ability to manage our current and future growth. The blueprint below is designed to do just that.    Click here to read more

Articles with my Stances and Solutions on the Topics

Instead of providing a blanket statement of my stance on the topics, I have provided detailed posts on the various issues Erie faces. Whether that is the Town's debt, Town Hall's reliance on water to fund the Town's operations, Erie's cash-flow problem, home rule, oil and gas, or the barriers to entry faced by businesses - the articles below explain why I believe what I do, and how as Trustee I would work to resolve the concerns faced.

Public Comment: SM Energy Ordinance Repeal (8/25/2026 Council Meeting)

By Andrew Sawusch • August 26, 2026
Public Comment provided at the August 25, 2026 Town of Erie Council Meeting  Ordinance 31-206: An Ordinance of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Repealing Ordinance No. 028-2026 Authorizing the Sale of Minerals to 7N, LLC, Accepting the Conveyance of Real Property from 7N, LLC, and Approving Agreements with 7N, LLC, SM Energy Company, and Extraction Oil and Gas, Inc.

Budget 2027: How Do We Pay for Our Capital Needs?

By Andrew Sawusch • August 23, 2026
The Town's Finance team has indicated that we will be exhausting our Capital Improvement Fund by 2028. When this occurs, we will not even have enough money to fund such things as our street maintenance needs. In response, Staff has recommended the priority of sustaining this CIF fund, which to do so includes a 10% cut across all departments. As well, they are recommending a new fee be added to our utility bills - a dedicated "Transportation Maintenance Fee" - in order to ensure we have adequate funding for street maintenance in the future. All of this is currently being done to answer one question: How do we pay for our capital needs? Personally, I believe this is the single most important issue facing the Town. It has the potential to affect our everyday life as residents, impacting us in ways both big and small. A concerted effort must be made to stabilize our budget in order to avoid a cascading affect that detrimentally affects all Town services.
Projected to be depleted by 2027, Erie's finance team forecasts the Town's Capital Fund

2025 Budget: A Bleak Forecast for Erie

By Andrew Sawusch • September 2, 2024
Projected to be depleted by 2027, Erie's finance team forecasts the Town's Capital Fund to only have $2.5million available for capital projects (after $4million Street Maintenance) from 2027 through 2029 — due to overspending caused by operational and capital expenses exceeding the growth of revenues

Erie's Housing Diversity Issue

By Andrew Sawusch • March 22, 2022
While some call it an "Affordable Housing" issue, in reality the root of the problem is a lack of housing diversity. During the Town's massive growth over the years, a lack of available inventory and the national housing market have created a housing affordability issue as the Town's makeup has comprised almost entirely of single family homes. The best way to resolve this issue is to work with our stakeholders in the community - our development partners - to address the cause, not the symptoms of the issue.

Blueprint: Forward Thinking for Erie's Future

By Andrew Sawusch • February 26, 2022
Erie has quickly moved from "the best kept secret" to "the gem of North Metro Denver", becoming a destination that others want to call home. In order to set our Town up for the best chances for success, a plan must be created that provides us with an ability to manage our current and future growth. The blueprint below is designed to do just that, providing an understanding of where we are now (our "Current Position"), where we are going (our "Upcoming Needs"), and where we want to be (our "Future Growth"). It starts with assessing what's needed at this moment, preparing for what's needed later, and then having a vision to plan for the future.

ELIFE Magazine - The Full Responses

By Andrew Sawusch • February 24, 2022
Tell us briefly about yourself and where you are from and why you think you're a good candidate for the position you are running for: Originally from the Chicagoland area, I have been a resident of Erie since 2016, previously a resident of Broomfield for 7 years. I graduated from CU Boulder in 2009, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Management and Marketing. I am a business operations and marketing professional, with experience growing businesses from the ground up. Currently, I serve as the Sr. Manager of Customer Operations for a data analytics software company. As a solutions-driven individual, I use a holistic-view approach to identify and resolve issues that deliver results, which are both effective and efficient. I am married to my amazing wife, Gabrielle, and am the doting father of my two husky fur-babies, Kaia and Koda. I currently serve as both a Planning Commissioner and a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Steering Committee member for the Town. As an individual from the business world, I believe the Town needs leaders who can create solutions that will be positive and Forward Thinking for Erie’s Future. I believe that I am a good candidate for the position of Trustee because I am committed to making Erie the thriving and sought-after place to live, work, and raise a family - the place we love to call "home"!

Erie's Face Covering Order: An Overreach of Legal Authority

By Andrew Sawusch • February 4, 2022
I have recently been asked my stance on the Town's current face coverings order. This is an issue which by now, I am sure we have all formed our own personal opinions on. Since 2020, it has affected our daily lives and has been a “hot topic” locally, nationally, and world-wide. It has created division between families, friends, neighbors, communities, and nations alike – and likewise, Erie too has also seen its fair-share of division surrounding the subject. Personally, I abide by the orders issued by a county’s Public Health Agency, as their respective agency has final-say on the specific orders currently in place within their respective boundaries. As well, I abide by the requests and policies of a business which may not be under a mask mandate, but request that patrons within their establishment wear one. However, as I will go into further, the current Town of Erie Face Covering order is in actuality an overreach of legal authority applied to the Weld County side - due to Erie not having its own Public Health Agency, and due to Public Health order which was referenced in the Town's order being from the Boulder County Health Department. The decision made by the Board of Trustees and Town Administrator to administer this upon those in Weld County has not only hurt our businesses, but it has as well placed our Erie Police Department in a situation which they have no option but to enforce the order. The Erie Face Coverings Mandate Erie is uniquely situated in a location where we are split between two counties, with each county having differing views when it comes to various topics – and COVID has been no different. Statutorily, CRS §31-15-103 notes that the Town has the power to issue ordinances “which are necessary and proper to provide for the safety, preserve the health” of the Town’s residents. As well, we are statutorily provided with the authority to create our own Board of Health, as described in CRS §31-15-201 (1) (c), as well additionally in CRS §25-1-507 which notes:

Erie's Finance Department and the Mess Inherited

By Andrew Sawusch • January 29, 2022
First off, this issue has nothing to do with the capabilities of our Town's current Finance team. I am in no way, shape, or form "throwing them under the bus." I think they are doing a fabulous job, and are making amazing strides in rectifying many issues that they ultimately inherited. These issues should have been found out sooner, and lies entirely and squarely on the shoulders of previous Board of Trustees, as well as our Town Administrators. These individuals are the leaders within Town Hall. They are the individuals who are either our elected, or appointed by those elected, to be Stewards of our Town's finances. Our next board must contain individuals who understand the Town's budgets and finances, who review them thoroughly - as well as those who provide scrutiny, ask questions, and request clarification on these items (and others) from Staff. As someone who believes that our Town's Financial Wherewithal is an extremely important topic for our Town's future success, and having identified this issue in 2020 , I am disappointed in our Town's leadership for placing this situation upon our Town's Finance department. I am providing this information because of the opaque nature in which our Town has acted with in years past. I am also providing this information because there are many more issues that these individuals are attempting to rectify at this very moment, some that might take a year or two to finally be able to accomplish, as well as to say to our Town's Finance Department (Stephanie and Candice - and Victoria who just left as well) "Thank you for all that you are doing to illuminate and resolve these issues for our Town!" Backstory After my last article regarding the Town's 2022 Budget and the changes made within, another Trustee Candidate and myself were discussing the Town's budget online, referencing both the Town's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report's and Monthly Financial Reports in our comments. Less than a week later, I noticed that the Monthly Financials were removed from the Town's website. I decided to post on my Candidate Page about this in jest, and tagged the Town's official Facebook account - assuming that I wouldn't actually receive a response about it.
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Ready to Continue Serving Erie Residents

I will continue to maintain a critical eye of where our tax payer money is used, to ensure that the Town's growth can be managed properly. My full energy has been used to build a solid foundation for Erie's future, instead of playing catch-up and thinking of actions in hindsight. As a business-minded individual, I will continue to remove ineffectiveness in our town, replacing it with efficiency that we can all be proud of.