With just over a month before his announced resignation date, Erie Mayor Andrew Moore remains positioned to address a few pending town matters. Among them: hiring a new town manager, approving the 2027 budget and facilitating a community conversation about Flock cameras.

Some community members have questioned why Moore should have a say in important town matters if he plans to step down.

As his mayorship nears its end, Moore addressed those concerns, the reasons for his resignation, and his hopes for Erie’s future in an interview with the Daily Camera.

Erie’s resignation rules

Moore announced his resignation in mid-September but said it would not take effect until after the adoption of the town’s 2027 budget, slated for Nov. 10.

Town spokesperson Gabi Rae said “case law” has led town officials to believe that if a date is referenced in a resignation letter, that is the official date of resignation, but a resignation submitted without a date would begin immediately.

Asked what case law sets that precedent, Rae said sharing that information “could be akin to legal advice, which (the town attorney) cannot do.”

The town’s charter says in the event of a vacancy, a mayor is elected at the next regular municipal election. But Moore’s resignation came too late for a mayoral election to make the November ballot, meaning — under Erie’s town charter — Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell will assume the role of mayor after Moore leaves the seat.

“The timing had nothing to do with the election or anything else — it was just simply me stepping back,” Moore said. “I’m definitely a little disappointed in myself that I won’t see that out for the entire four years, but that doesn’t mean that I walk away just because I walk away, right? I get to choose that timing.”

Bell is term limited in his District 2 council seat and would have left the Town Council in January. But the town charter allows him to remain as mayor until the next regular municipal election, in November 2028.

Some in the community have pushed back on that process, advocating for a vote to take place for Moore’s replacement.

“I can’t debate the charter. I wasn’t on the charter commission,” Moore said. “If it said there was going to be an election, I don’t think it would have changed my decision.”

Road ahead: A new town manager, a water project and Flock

Moore first served as mayor from 2004 to 2010 before stepping down due to a term limit. Erie’s transition from a statutory municipality to home rule allowed him to run again, and he was sworn in for his current term in January 2025.

The ensuing two years have been marked by a divided Town Council faced with decisions on water, oil and gas, Pride flags flying on town-owned poles and land use.

Moore, who identifies himself as a “centrist,” said division on the council is nothing new for him, but a change in the broader political environment has brought different challenges compared to his first tenure.

“We had a split council when I was mayor the first time, but the difference was we didn’t have this national political behavior,” he said. “It creates discord in our community, through social media and other means, and it makes it harder to get the facts out and the messages out.”

The Town Council has been in the process of hiring a new town manager and interviewed three finalists last week.

Moore said he wants someone for that role with strong communication skills who can navigate differing opinions on the council and “help the council act as one body.”

As town officials work to form the 2027 budget, Moore said water is top of mind for him — specifically, whether Erie should continue paying into the Northern Integrated Supply Project, an effort more than 20 years in the making that could create a major new water source for communities along the northern Front Range.

Erie has already agreed to contribute more than $30 million to the project and will be asked to contribute more than $7 million next year to stay involved, according to Moore.

“We have to have the hard conversation about whether we move forward with that or not,” he said.

Before stepping down, Moore also plans to facilitate community conversation around the use of Flock cameras. He and Erie police Chief Lee Mathis will lead a presentation and Q&A about automatic license plate readers from 6-8 p.m. Thursday in the Town Hall Council Chambers.

A ‘bittersweet’ retirement

Moore said his resignation comes amid “manageable” health concerns and a desire for more time with family. He also cited changing demands at his day job as the chief information officer at the Colorado School of Mines, where emerging artificial intelligence use cases have introduced new responsibilities.

“The magic of agentic AI has taken off and I’m responsible for that at Mines, and so it’s a new responsibility that is incredibly important and incredibly concerning for me and many in our society,” he said.

The “retirement from politics” elicits mixed emotions for Moore.

“When I do walk away in November, there will definitely be a bit of relief and there will also be a bit of that bittersweet feeling,” Moore said. “I wish I could do more, but there’s a realization that balance in my life has got to take priority over everything else.”