Lines have clearly been drawn in Castle Rock: those who want to elect their mayor on one side and those who would rather let the town council continue to appoint their mayor on the other. Fingers have been wagged, names have been called and I expect a few friendships have been strained. With an election less than a month away, the fight continues in Castle Rock over who should pick your local government – you or someone else?

The misinformation has been great surrounding a question being put to Castle Rock voters on Nov. 8. Ballot measure 300 simply will ask: Do you want the right to directly elect Castle Rock’s mayor? It really is just that simple. And it’s a question being asked by more Colorado voters in other towns in our state.

Castle Rock became home-ruled in 1987 mainly so the town could more easily annex the communities around us; Metzler Ranch, Meadows, Founders and Crystal Valley. Although those in power at the time desired the annexations, they didn’t want any of these “outsiders” to become mayor. So, the “appointed mayor system” was born. A system conceived and executed to limit the voice of all residents and keep all power of our local government in the hands of a few.

Even in 1987 the decision to take away the rights of residents to elect an at-large-mayor was controversial. Only 265 Castle Rock residents voted in favor of the charter change. 43 percent voted against. It was clearly a squeaker! Thirty years later, the town’s population has grown to over 45,000, the tax base has exploded with the Promenade Mall expansion and the town’s operating budget is $241 million.

There’s a lot on the line concerning who has the right to pick Castle Rock’s mayor. Will those political insiders currently in power share it with all residents or continue to hold on to it as if they were strangling a chicken?

I believe everyone has the right to an opinion and a vote. These are core American values I was taught were bought and paid for with the blood of Americans defending our liberty. What can I say?  I still believe in the Frank Capra image of America that the individual is more powerful, and an honest idea always wins in the end.

While those might not seem like controversial ideals to the majority of Coloradans, there are some of our Castle Rock neighbors who clearly don’t believe our citizens have a right to these fundamental principles. This vocal minority has created a false narrative that often sounds more like a Tom Clancy novel than a citizen-driven ballot question. They claim if residents have the right to elect their mayor that “outsiders” will destroy our town.

Sound familiar?