Mayoring

4th of July Parade – Mayor Gierlach and his daughter,
riding in the rumble seat of a 1930's Packard Coupé
I grew up, and lived much of my life in a Cleveland, Ohio suburb (Indians vs. Yankees) and moved to Nederland, Colorado in 1999. There are many aspects of living in a small mountain town (at 8,230 feet above sea level), that I have to explain to 'flat-landers' from back home. (which highlights the irony that the German word 'Nederland' means 'lowland')  I cover mountain town living in the 'Nederland' tab in more detail.

The small town community vibe was a big part of the attraction, but I didn't realize how much of it was borne out of necessity. During the first winter, we had a fairly big snow storm, and people were helping each other shovel and plow. (Since then, I've come to appreciate it greatly) But at the time, It seemed a bit excessive to a person from the suburbs, so I asked, "Don't they have 'people' for that?" 

That's when I realized a few things. A) The department at the bank I used to work for, was bigger than the entire town I was now living in. B) "They", or the people plowing roads and putting out forest fires, could be me. C) I learned what the term "drainbow" means.

I was encouraged to run for election to the Board of Trustees in 2008 primarily because the Town was in financial trouble. To cut to the chase, I was elected, and later appointed Mayor Pro Tem, and when the Mayor resigned, I became the Mayor. My goal was not to move to a small mountain town and become Mayor. I even subscribe to the theory behind The Chapter 28 Conundrum! But now that I am a mayor, I have found this role that I play in the community, to be somewhat interesting.

These articles in the Daily Camera illustrate the heated campaign for re-election, and the results.
I would like to attribute the tag line: "Nederland is just a little bit cooler ... on multiple levels" to local resident, Chris Eddy – pure genius. Another friend of mine asked me how 'Mayoring' was going, so I adopted the term for this page as well. Specifically, to provide an insider's view of what it is like to be a Mayor of a small mountain town on the front range of the Rocky Mountains.
Mayoring – Rather than looking at what it takes for being a Mayor, I've focused on doing 'Mayoring'. So, I never thought of myself as a Mayor as much as the guy doing the Mayoring for our town. Over time, we as citizens, take turns doing the Mayoring, and I consider Mayoring to be somewhat of an art form. I have a lot of respect for the Mayors throughout Colorado, with a potpourri of styles distinguishing their flavor of Mayoring – I haven't met one who didn't care deeply about their community. A mayor's style does have an impact, whether in a large city, or a small town.

 I do not get paid, so you might consider my mayoring as a hobby. (Of course, if you would like to make a tax deductible contribution to my political campaign fund, see the "Support" tab at the top of this page.) I do believe that everyone should play a role in their community, whether it is the PTA, the Planning Commission, or even the Mayor. I have also learned that it is better to participate in person, rather than just pay taxes for "those people" to maintain your community vibe. 

This page tries to illustrate some different aspects of mayoring, and the role I sometimes have to play as a Mayor. Officially, my role is leading the Board of Trustees meetings, and representing the town regionally and locally.

It seems as though I'm constantly reading, and signing things, and in a small town, signing checks specifically. I don't have an office at Town Hall, so I have to 'find a spot'.

What I am finding, is that more of my work is done in coffee shops than I would have guessed. People prefer to meet me at a coffee shop 'outside the office' which for me doesn't exist. Or, they want to avoid being intimidated by my personal assistant, whom also doesn't exist.

... Mayoring to be continued.

... But in the mean time, "Do What You Gotta Do", so I'll leave you with Smooth Money Gesture:

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