Mobolade touts Colorado Springs' gains and tests ahead
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Mayor Yemi Mobolade's message to Colorado Springs: Growth doesn't have to come at the expense of quality of life.
Why it matters: As Mobolade seeks reelection, he's making the case that Colorado Springs can maintain its low-tax, business-friendly identity while keeping pace with growth.
- The stakes extend beyond City Hall to who can afford to stay, where employers invest and whether residents benefit from growth.
Driving the news: Mobolade used his fourth annual address Friday at the Broadmoor — his last before seeking another term — to tout his record and promote what he calls the "Colorado Springs Advantage."
- "Despite economic uncertainty, budget pressures, and political divisions, I am proud of the progress we are making together," he said in the hour-long speech.
The big picture: Mobolade framed his first term record around four questions:
- Can I afford to live here?
- Can my business succeed here?
- Am I safe here?
- And are we taking care of the city we love?
Zoom in: Mobolade pointed to progress on affordability, the economy, public safety and infrastructure since he took office, and used videos of residents to help make his case.
🏘️ Housing: He touted the addition of 91,000 housing units, including more than 3,000 affordable units and changes to make it easier to open childcare facilities.
💲Economy: He highlighted 20 economic development deals projected to attract nearly 2,000 jobs and $628 million in investments, plus $700,000 for downtown security, cleaning and outreach.
🚨 Public safety: He cited faster 911 response times and more than 320 officers hired in four years.
🚧 Infrastructure: He celebrated crews filling more than 100,000 potholes in the past year and voters approving more money for road repairs.
Yes, but: Even the mayor's accounting shows that challenges remain.
- Colorado Springs still faces a shortage of roughly 28,000 homes.
- Homelessness remains a growing concern.
- Mobolade acknowledged the city has more work to do on public safety.
What we're watching: Mobolade announced his reelection bid earlier this year, but he won't run unopposed. His next challenge is convincing residents he kept his promises.