Louisville mayor seeks Boulder County Board seat, pledges to focus on fire recovery

LOUISVILLE — Ashley Stolzmann, Louisville’s mayor, has her eyes on a higher office, one where she hopes to help lead the Marshall Fire recovery effort on a longer term basis. 

She filed paperwork this week to run for the three-member Boulder County Board of Commissioners seat being vacated by Commissioner Matt Jones. 

“The Marshall Fire recovery is the number one thing we’re working on in Louisville right now and it’s important for us to try to bring resources to the community so people don’t have to decide between a resilient home and an affordable home,” she said. “We’re working as hard as we can to get people’s homes rebuilt as quickly as we can.”

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Because Boulder County serves as a the conduit through which most state and federal recovery aid flows, Stolzmann said a role on the county board will position her well to continue serving the community for years to come.

“The county is going to be the leader in the long-term recovery effort,” she said. “They’re leading the way on debris removal and facilitating contracts. The county is the key player in the whole recovery.”

Stolzmann, a 37-year-old graduate of the Colorado School of Mines and an engineer by trade, has held positions with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, Mile High Flood District Board, Denver Metro Area Transportation Planning Region, Northwest Mayors and Commissioners Coalition, Metro Mayors Caucus and State Transportation Advisory Committee.

She cites her work on COVID-19 pandemic response and environmental sustainability as key accomplishments during her eight-year tenure on the Louisville City Council.

“We were the first city in the state to pass a net-zero carbon residential code that makes it so new buildings will not produce carbon emissions,” Stolzmann said. 

That code will likely be put to the test as city residents build their homes and businesses back after the fire.

“The approach we’re using in the city is that we’re working with partners in the state and federal government to close gaps that exist and help people realize long-term cost savings” by tapping into grant programs, Stolzmann said. “…We don’t want to put citizens in a place where they have to choose between a sustainable home and home that’s affordable.”

Prior to the Marshall Fire, the Louisville City Council’s most high-profile recent work involved the controversial Redtail Ridge development project. 

She was one of three dissenting votes cast against approving the project, which seeks to  transform the long-vacant, former Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) site next to U.S. Highway 36 into a large-scale mixed-use commercial development.

Due to a successful petition from city residents, approval of that project is headed to a vote of the people this year.