Bob Braudes
Website: https://bobforerie.com/
Bob Braudes
Autobiographical statement: I moved to Erie in 2011 and am currently retired from a career in technology. I am very active in the Erie community, being a member and former Vice-Chair of the Erie Planning Commission and previously serving on the Open Space and Trails Advisory Board and the Home Rule Charter Commission. I also serve on several local and regional non-profit Boards. I brought the No Kings rallies to Erie in 2025 and have coordinated most of the Erie festivals over the past several years. On the philanthropic side, I support many local charities and sponsor their local events.
What is the No. 1 issue in front of Erie right now, and how should it be addressed?: The largest issue impacting Erie is managing growth. We need housing options to support people who work in Erie and cannot afford to live here. By diversifying our housing stock, we also address our tax base, as smaller houses and multi-family dwellings (paired homes, townhouses, etc.) are more tax efficient than larger single-family homes. It also allows faster response times for off-duty first responders in case of emergency, more time for teachers to work with our students, and more options for our service sector to hire staff without requiring higher pay to compensate for travel time. Any new housing needs to be supported by infrastructure such as water and roads, so this must be incorporated into the planning.
We also need to increase the number of local businesses. While this often includes anchor stores, we also need facilities for small businesses. Having walkable, mixed-use areas gives us the best options, where people can walk or bicycle to work.
With Erie’s sales tax revenue growth slowing, what is one town expense or planned project you would reduce, delay or eliminate? Where should the town be spending more?: Many of our largest capital programs are related to bringing water to the town, and when elected I will work with staff to ensure we have alternative paths before considering cuts here. The next several projects have to do with maintenance on our infrastructure — sewer lines, streets, etc. — and while there may be some savings, I will need staff input to determine if any can be safely delayed with minimal impact to our residents.
While I am in favor of alternative transportation, there seems to be some uncertainty related to the construction of new shoulders on County Line Road from Colorado 52 to Cheesman, and per the FY 26 Budget report, “This project should be re-evaluated based on the recent County Line Road Strategic Plan that Boulder County is completing, and the need for a new bridge for Coal Creek.”