Make Longmont the best place to live
and a great place to visit!
Hi! I'm Riegan Sage, a nominee for At-Large Councilmember in Longmont. As a city, we need to choose both what is important to us to preserve and how we want to grow. We should build on our strengths, connecting the pieces that are already successful. It is our responsibility to envision and articulate what we want Longmont to be and to collaborate creatively to bring that to fruition.
I’ve lived in Longmont for four years but it only took a few days staying here to see how special it is. The history, the neighborhoods, the people who call this place home.
I want to support Longmont entrepreneurs bringing their businesses to life here. That happens when we make Longmont the best place to live- with affordable homes (affordable meaning you can still afford to use the amenities in our city, not just scraping together rent or a mortgage)- and a great place to visit.
I have been serving on the boards of various organizations for over twenty years-- from non-profit theatre companies, to academic institutions, to Homeowners associations. Previously I've run marketing and operations for a global clothing brand, consulted privately with entrepreneurs building businesses and worked in education for over fifteen years.
I have an MBA from the University of Miami and a BFA from the University of Southern California.
Let’s build more housing. The only way to make housing more affordable and to ensure against rising houseless population is to make more housing available. I am against sprawl. I am for: increasing the mix and variety of housing, revamping unused industrial space, building smaller homes for sale and rent, getting creative and offering direct incentives and reducing fees to homeowners who want to build ADUs for long term rentals.
Let’s bring more people to our businesses. Our local businesses are wonderful and in order to thrive they need more patronage. We should focus on attracting visitors to Longmont, both from neighboring cities as well as from afar. We have an incredible opportunity with the Sundance Film Festival moving to Boulder in 2027, and we need to be ready to seize it. Let’s make Longmont the BEST place to live, and a great place to visit.
Let’s reimagine how we measure success. I believe we need to create new metrics with which to measure our success as a city. What we measure should be decided by Longmont citizens and should point toward the future we envision. Some examples might be: how many new public transit adopters we have, families we’ve kept in their homes, small business success rates, acreage of green space acquired, etc. What we measure dictates where our attention goes.
Let’s lead in agricultural innovation and incorporate it into our city planning. Longmont's history is steeped in agriculture. We rent out 1000 acres of agricultural land and we’ve voted to allocate more money towards acquiring green space and farm land. Let’s partner with and attract innovative farmers who take stewardship seriously. Let’s build an agritourism destination. Let’s consider agrihub neighborhoods. Let’s feed our community. Let’s be self reliant.
Let’s grow together. As Longmont’s population increases, traffic will continue to grow. By investing in the right mix of intercity and intracity transport for the routes that people need we can make a multi-modal Longmont for all. Bike lanes, bikeshares, free high-density bus routes and our innovative RIDE Longmont program are good additions to the cars on the road, As autonomous vehicles become more prevalent, I would also be in favor of adopting autonomous shuttles to supplement travel to neighboring cities and between hubs within Longmont as long as it serves our residents to do so.
Let’s be smart. Energy costs will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. As energy became cheaper in the last century, we became wasteful and complacent. As costs have gone up, we have not reexamined our own usage. We need to both offer support to our neighbors who are struggling, as well as incentivize energy and water conservation. We can do this by creating graduated energy usage programs and investing in renewables at the city level.
| Issue | YES | NO | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan for Sundance Film Festival | We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to define ourselves as a welcoming sister city when Boulder hosts the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027. Council should take immediate steps to engage with the Sundance Commission, Visit Longmont and other key stakeholders to ensure our residents enjoy the benefits this increased tourism will bring while ensuring minimal disruption to residents’ daily life. | ||
| Support Local Agriculture | We have beautiful farmlands all around Longmont, but we must take measures to protect them or they will be lost to developers. We have a unique opportunity to become nationwide leaders with agrivoltaics and regenerative farming. Let's invest in businesses like these to create a future where our food supply is local, sustainable, and where those investments preserve the beautiful open space which currently surrounds us. | ||
| Invest in the Airport | With the future of Boulder's Municipal Airport uncertain, investing in Vance Brand is no longer an option-- it's a necessity. We need to start with revisiting the Airport Master Plan (now over ten years old) and proceed with engagement from all parts of our community. | ||
| Ranked Choice Voting | Proportional Representation Rank Choice Voting (with fractional surplus transfer in multi winner races and Instant Runoff Rank Choice Voting for single winner races) is a significantly better voting system than what we have now. Transparency will be crucial, with round-by-round results published for all to see how the process works. The Boulder County Clerk’s office is already able to process and report these types of RCV elections, so I am in favor of putting RCV on the ballot for voters to choose for themselves. I would also like to see us implement it incrementally -- say for three election cycles -- to gauge voter satisfaction and be able to make adjustments as needed. | ||
| Creating a City-Wide Minimum Wage | A living wage is crucial to our success as a community, but our small businesses are crucial to our success as a city. Seventy-one percent of our small businesses in Longmont are comprised of fewer than six people. And guess what? Most of them already pay above the current minimum wage, with an average salary of $81k/year. So I would support raising the minimum wage on businesses of a certain size (which is currently not legal in Colorado-- we'd need to change legislation at the state level first), but I can't support a blanket increase which will do so much damage to our neighbors. | ||
| Revoking the Kanemoto Estates Conservation Easement | This conservation easement had no expiration date or renewal date in the contract. The consideration given was $10 and implied tax benefits. Taxes are monies used by the government for the public good. If this conservation easement is abolished it is clear disenfranchisement of the public and an example of backroom politics for which I have no appetite. | ||
| Distel-Tull Land Swap | The voters of Longmont decided to invest in more open space, not play games with land we own. If City Council were to act unilaterally in engaging in the landswap it would set a dangerous precedent and we would understandably lose public trust (when it is already at such a low). Let's put the matter on the ballot and let the voters decide. There are no pressing contracts or firm offers on the table. |
Come say hello, ask questions, and share your ideas for Longmont's future. I look forward to meeting you!
| Date | Event Name | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2025 @ 9am | Pumpkin Pie Festival | Thompson Square Park | Alex Kalkhofer has invited me to join him and our fellow candidate John Lembke to discuss local issues. |
| Oct 14, 2025 @ 6:30pm | Cider Sipping with Riegan Sage | St Vrain Cidery | Join candidate Riegan Sage for a glass of cider and an opportunity to share your concerns and discuss what's next for the city of Longmont. |
| Oct 15, 2025 @ 11am | Caretaker's Picnic | Flanders Park | A chance for anyone caring for children to come and share your concerns with At-Large Candidate Riegan Sage. Pizza and drinks provided, and there's a playground nearby so kids can roam while we chat! |
This campaign is powered by people like you. Check out our upcoming events!
A public endorsement is one of the most powerful ways to show your support. Thank you for considering lending your name to the campaign!
I'm honored to have the support of these community members, leaders, and organizations who believe in a bright future for Longmont.
"Riegan has the vision and the practical experience to guide Longmont forward. Her focus on smart growth and support for local businesses is exactly what we need."Jane Doe, Small Business Owner
"As a long-time resident, I'm thrilled to support a candidate who respects Longmont's history while actively planning for a sustainable and innovative future. Riegan listens, and she has great ideas."John Smith, 30-Year Longmont Resident
"The focus on making Longmont a great place to live AND a great place to visit is crucial. Riegan understands that a thriving local economy benefits everyone."Michael Williams, Local Teacher
