Petitioners seeking to amend the Aurora city charter, a proposal that is available for review on the Aurora City Clerk’s website, have met the requirements prescribed by Aurora’s Municipal Code and Colorado state law. 

The petition summary prepared by the petitioners and submitted to the Aurora City Clerk states: 
Reduce the term limit for elected officials from three (3) consecutive four-year terms to two (2) consecutive four-year terms; change the form of government provided for Aurora to a "mayor-council' form of government; remove provisions related to the city manager; provide the mayor the authority to appoint, dismiss, and direct department heads, directors, and executive appointees; provide the mayor the authority to veto legislation passed by city council; and add one at-large member to city council so the legislative branch of the city remains at eleven (11) council members. 

Citizen-initiated petitions for charter amendment proposals require 12,017 signatures to qualify for placement on the 2023 Regular Municipal Election ballot as outlined on the City Clerk’s Office webpage. The designated representatives for the current proposal submitted 20,409 signatures on June 26. Pursuant to the city code, the City Clerk’s Office had up to 30 calendar days to vet the submitted petition sections. It calculated a total of 12,198 valid petition signatures were submitted and issued the Initial Determination of Sufficiency today, July 25. A record of all accepted and rejected signatures, including the reasons for each rejection, is available by filing a Colorado Open Records Act request through the city’s records portal. The physical petition sections can be reviewed in person at the City Clerk’s Office by appointment only by calling the City Clerk’s Office at 303.739.7094. 

Petition Protest Period and Requirements 
Pursuant to the city code, registered Aurora electors have 20 calendar days after the date of the Initial Determination of Sufficiency is issued to protest the validity of the signatures. They must submit protests in writing and provide a written explanation for their protest. They must provide the specific names – their own and/or other names – they wish to protest. A printable version of the protest form is available on the City Clerk’s 2023 Regular Municipal Election webpage or in person at City Clerk’s Office. They must sign the form and present it to the City Clerk’s Office in person, by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail addressed to the City Clerk’s Office, 1st Floor, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora, CO, 80012. The protests must arrive to the City Clerk’s Office by the close of the protest period, 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14.

If there are no protests filed during the protest period between July 26 and Aug. 14, the City Clerk’s Office will issue a Final Determination of Sufficiency on Tuesday, Aug. 15. 

Petition Protest Hearing Process 
If a protest is filed, a copy of the protest will be sent to the petition representatives. A hearing will be scheduled no less than 10 and no more than 20 days after the copy of the protest is mailed. Hearings are open to the public. The location of any hearing will be determined at a later date. All testimony shall be under oath administered by a certified court reporter. The burden of proof is on the protestants to prove that the petition is insufficient. The City Clerk has the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and to receive all testimony and documentary evidence before rendering a decision as to the sufficiency of the petition. The City Clerk may call upon the Aurora City Attorney’s Office to provide legal advice during the hearing. The hearing shall be concluded and a decision by the City Clerk rendered no later than 10 days after the conclusion of the hearing. If there are multiple protests filed, each protest will be considered individually.