BY Freda Miklin – Governmental Reporter
In a letter sent to the residents of Greenwood Village district one on June 5, City Council Member Jerry Presley announced that he would not run for re-election on November 2, adding that he hoped his letter would “encourage others to serve our community by running for office.” Presley said that he “has served 12 years on the council,” emphasizing that what he views as the most important skills and knowledge to bring to the job are the ability to collaborate and communicate with fellow council members. District one is the westernmost part of Greenwood Village, bounded by Holly on the east, Clarkson on the west, Belleview on the north, and Orchard on the south. Those are also the original borders of the city itself, going back to its formation in 1950.
In a telephone interview, Presley told The Villager that “this is a good time for me to step down” and that his reasons for doing so were entirely personal. He plans to spend more time with his family. Presley is a managing partner in a firm that provides computer networking support for student housing facilities.
As he steps aside, Presley told us that he felt “confident that I’ve achieved what I intended to” when he ran in November 2017, pointing to the changes to the city’s comprehensive plan that he helped shepherd through the council in 2018, shortly after he was elected. Presley emphasized that the comprehensive plan is the guideline that should be used for all future development in the city. When we asked if the very strong emphasis on new office buildings described in the revised plan was still operable, given the changes in office use brought on by the pandemic, Presley pivoted, noting that “the comprehensive plan is not set in stone. A future city council could change the vision if the environment changes, if the market changes, or due to the pandemic.”
Though less active in recent years on the council, Presley is known for championing the “20 is Plenty” campaign in Greenwood Village in 2006 to encourage people to drive slower.
Presley confirmed to The Villager that the letter he mailed to district one residents announcing he won’t run for re-election was printed and sent at his own personal expense. He also told us that he plans to serve out his entire term, which ends with the November election. In the past, some city council members in Greenwood Village and other cities have resigned ahead of the end of their term, creating an opportunity for the remaining council members to appoint someone to serve out the balance of the term, providing an opportunity—some would say advantage—of running in the upcoming regular election as an incumbent.
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