Four more years! This time, with citizens in the loop

On Oct. 28, Russell “Rusty” Giulio was elected by acclamation to a second term as mayor of Boulder. “By acclamation” means that, in the absence of opposition, the City Council exercised its right to cancel the election and declare Giulio the winner.

That’s not paragon of democratic function, of course: In a better world, rival candidates would have emerged—or, at least, voters would have been given the opportunity to write in alternatives.

But let’s move past that. The reality is that Giulio merited reelection. Some notable bumps notwithstanding, he has done a solid job in his first term. The mayor has made (or confirmed) enemies, but he also has spurred improvements in the city’s operations—thanks in large part to his highly effective City Clerk, Ellen Harne. He has formed an effective odd-couple partnership with City Council President Drew Dawson (Giulio is a political conservative; Dawson tilts left) that has laid the groundwork for growth.