In a victory speech Tuesday night, Colorado Springs Mayor-elect Yemi Mobolade said he would “get to work” addressing public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, water infrastructure, and affordable and attainable housing – hot-topic issues that were at the forefront of discussion in this year’s mayoral race.

On Thursday, Mobolade said his plan of attack to begin addressing those subjects during his first 100 days in office will be simple. It’s “to listen,” he said.

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“(Before) saying, ‘I’m going to do this, this and this,’ the first step is to listen. … I’ll be convening people and hosting listening sessions so I can have a full concept of what the opportunities and the challenges are,” he said.

Mobolade, a Nigerian-born immigrant who has never before held public office, earned 57.5% of the 124,223 votes counted, according to the latest figures from City Clerk Sarah Johnson. Her office completed ballot counting Wednesday afternoon.

Mobolade’s opponent Wayne Williams, who had 42.5% of the vote, conceded the race around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, after the first results were published.

Mobolade said Thursday he has been meeting with outgoing Mayor John Suthers in recent weeks, in anticipation he would become the mayor-elect in the runoff election. And he’s taking the longtime politician’s advice on addressing these hot-button issues, Mobolade said.

“(Suthers) cautioned of the danger to make a big, bold move preemptively, without thinking through the issues,” Mobolade said. “That’s very important to me. A good leader takes time to learn and listen.”

Mobolade said he will spend time with city department heads and front-level employees as well as stakeholders to inform his future decisions on critical topics. The listening sessions he envisions hosting will bring community leaders and residents in front of him and other city employees to do the same, he said.

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Ahead of last week’s runoff election Mobolade shared more about his plans for how to address public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, water infrastructure and affordable housing challenges, among other topics, in a candidate survey published by The Gazette.

1. Public safety

Colorado Springs was ranked No. 9 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Places to Live rankings, slipping from No. 2 last year.

Colorado Springs saw more homicides in 2022 than in any year since 1985, FBI data show, even as pandemic highs were creeping down in other cities.

Fifty-four people were killed in murders and negligent homicides here in 2022.

The Gazette previously asked Mobolade:

How do you plan specifically to address concerns about high rates of crime in Colorado Springs and public safety in general, including the shortage of police officers and firefighters?

To address crime and strengthen our public safety, I will improve incident response time by bolstering recruitment and providing a year-round training academy that runs simultaneous police recruit classes (instead of one at a time), since we have a 70-person officer shortage. I will also ensure we are closing the back door to prevent early retirements and to improve retention. l will do this by boosting morale with:

A. Recognition for exemplary performance.

B. Leadership development and additional training.

C. Encouraging work-life balance.

To prevent crime in our community, I will:

A. Partner with policymakers and nonprofit providers focusing on expanding mental health care and substance abuse treatment to the community.

B. Provide economic opportunities through programs like Thrive Network and Transforming Safety project, which supports community programs to prevent crime.

C. Increase partnership with crime and violence prevention efforts like Men of Influence, Forge Evolution and the police chief’s Youth Advisory Council.

2. Homelessness

Colorado Springs is still grappling with homelessness. Is the city doing enough right now to solve the problem of homelessness or does more need to be done? How would you address homelessness going forward?

I have served on the board of Springs Rescue Mission and attended nearly 90 campaign meet and greets. (Editor’s note: According to figures shared Tuesday by his campaign, Mobolade attended a total 105 meet and greet events before the runoff election.)

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The most consistent feedback is the need to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods while also showing compassion and providing services to residents experiencing homelessness. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless recently reported that 71% of people experiencing homelessness have a mental illness. Therefore, my priorities as mayor include:

A. Boost the city’s partnerships with local providers that focus on mental health care.

B. Increase the number of permanent supportive housing options in our community through local partnerships, including Homeward Pikes Peak, Springs Rescue Mission, The Place and other local providers.

C. Expand the city’s street behavioral health outreach programs to address encampments, enforce existing ordinances and explore the expansion of other additional ordinances, while ensuring our residents experiencing homelessness have access to the right care and services.

Do you think Colorado Springs should enforce its ban on homeless encampments more aggressively or less aggressively?

Homeless encampments are dangerous for residents’ physical health and present a number of environmental hazards, including fire dangers. Between January and February of 2023, the Colorado Springs Fire Department responded to about 300 homeless camp fires. In addition, homeless encampments present a public safety risk to both homeless residents and the wider community. Within a two-month time period in the fall of 2022, six homeless people were murdered, and in some cases by another homeless resident.

Because camping is illegal within city limits, and because the safety of residents is my top priority, as mayor, I will compassionately enforce the city ordinances, using existing resources. The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) has been serving homeless residents by providing information and referrals for food, shelter, housing and other services. The Homeless Outreach Program (HOP) team members are trained behavioral health providers offering mental health treatment and connection to community agencies.

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3. Infrastructure

Mobolade said Thursday funding for road projects will be critical in tackling the city’s road infrastructure needs.

“But before we can talk funding, I need to wrap my head around where the needs are,” he said. First, he wants to convene with Public Works Director Travis Easton “to understand fully what’s been done and what needs to be done, and then convene stakeholders and (host) listening sessions,” he said.

The Gazette previously asked Mobolade:

What is the most pressing transportation issue Colorado Springs faces, in your opinion? What steps would you take to address it?

While Colorado Springs is a “car-dependent” city, there is increasing demand for public transportation to help meet the needs and demands of our growing community. The Pikes Peak region is expected to be just over 1 million people in 2045, approximately 50% more than in 2015. This expected growth will produce demand for new travel and public transit options. We already have a transportation shortage, disproportionately affecting low-income households, seniors (and) residents with disabilities, as well as millennials and Generation Z residents who choose not to own a vehicle.

I will implement ConnectCOS, Colorado Springs’ long-term transportation plan which proposes dozens of sidewalk, trail and bike projects, and the Bike Master Plan which promotes bicycling as one of many necessary transportation options. As the city grows, it is imperative that we pursue multi-modal transportation supporting the needs of all users including the public transit in the recently passed PPRTA tax extension.

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4. Water and water infrastructure

Water is an increasing concern given the megadrought on the Colorado River. City Council has adopted an ordinance requiring 128% capacity for new annexations. At the same time, we are short 12,000 housing units in our region. Is 128% the right balance? If not, what measures would you take to balance water concerns with growth?

We must balance the tension of a growing community and the need for more housing with the demand for our limited water resources.

Critics of the 128% ordinance have argued it is an anti-annexation plan, and not a water protection plan. I believe the 128% ordinance is a starting point for this crucial conversation focusing on the vulnerabilities of our limited water supply.

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Colorado Springs’ water policies must continue to be developed in relationship to a much-needed regional development plan since the impact of our city’s growth is not only a local issue, but also a regional one.

As mayor, I will draw on my leadership experience from the private, nonprofit and government sectors to create and implement AnnexCOS, an update of the city’s 2006 annexation policies, in order to establish the right framework for decisions concerning annexation of land into the city.

Mobolade said Thursday when it comes to the water rule, he doesn’t want to repeat recent history.

“What I don’t want to do is (face) the same criticism when we came up with a water rule in three months and the community said it was too fast,” he said. “To do things right, we must engage the public and stakeholders on all levels, and that’s what I’ll be doing here.”

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5. Affordable and attainable housing

Mobolade said last week part of his plan to address the city’s housing crisis includes hearing from various developers, the Colorado Springs Housing and Building Association and “players in the affordable housing space,” such as Pikes Peak Housing Network and developers who build 3-D manufactured homes, modular homes and tiny homes, he said.

“I fully intend to engage leaders that are pursuing new types of housing development,” he said Thursday.

Within his first 100 days in office, Mobolade said he also plans “to deliver on my promise of appointing a chief housing officer” to advance the city’s housing priorities.

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The Gazette previously asked Mobolade:

Can you outline specific steps you would take to address the city’s housing crisis?

Data Driven Economic Strategies reported in 2019 that 71% of the homes in Colorado Springs were affordable. Today only 18% of homes are affordable. As mayor I will support the development of diverse housing options and the preservation of affordable housing in Colorado Springs. Specifically, I will:

A. Work with philanthropy and foundations to establish a “missing-middle housing fund” to support housing innovation for residents that make $50,000-$100,000 a year.

B. Expand the same tax rebates available to new corporations that move to town to include affordable and attainable housing projects.

C. Increase long-term funding and other incentives to decrease the cost of housing development and increase the supply of affordable housing.

D. Without adding any new city positions, I will appoint a chief housing officer that bridges our public-private partnership opportunities and advances our city’s housing priorities, including expediting attainable and affordable housing projects.

Mobolade will be sworn into office as Colorado Springs’ 42nd mayor on June 6.