Drew Morris - Thornton City Councilman, Thornton, CO (2026)

11/03/2026

Every vote counts. I know that firsthand.

Last year, I won my City Council election by just 9 votes. Nine votes out of thousands cast.

That experience gave me a very personal appreciation for something we often hear but sometimes take for granted: Your vote matters.

Today is Election Day, and I want to encourage everyone to exercise one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities we have as citizens of our republic.

We won't always agree on candidates, policies, or the direction of our government. That's part of living in a free society. But we each have a voice and an opportunity to help shape our future.

Don't sit this one out. Make your voice heard. Exercise your right to vote.

10/30/2026

While in Annapolis, I had the chance to check in with one of our very own from Thornton!

Brody, a recent graduate of Stargate K-12 Charter School, is a plebe (freshman) at the Naval Academy with the Class of 2030.

Great to see he is doing well!

10/28/2026

I recently had the opportunity to return to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis for my 20-year class reunion.

It's hard to believe it's been two decades since I graduated and began my journey as a Marine Corps officer.

Walking those grounds again brought back a lot of memories. Four challenging years, some incredible friendships, and an experience that shaped far more than my early military career.

For those who have started following this page more recently, I thought I'd share a little about that chapter of my life and why it still matters to me today.

One of the most important lessons I took away from the Naval Academy, and later carried into my years as a Marine officer, was that leadership isn't about rank or title. It's about the responsibility you accept for the people you serve.

It's about putting people and the mission ahead of yourself. Being willing to make difficult decisions, accepting accountability for the outcomes, and understanding that your role is ultimately to serve something bigger than yourself.

I certainly don't ever want to pretend to have all the answers. And local government brings its own unique challenges. But I try to approach this responsibility with that same mindset: listen carefully, do the work, make thoughtful decisions, take responsibility, and remember who I'm here to serve.

Returning to Annapolis after 20 years was a great reminder of how much our paths can change, while the values that guide us remain.

I'm grateful for the Academy, the friendships formed there, the Marines I had the privilege of serving alongside after graduation, and the opportunity I have today to continue serving in a very different capacity.

The uniform may change. The mission may change. But the opportunity to serve continues. Grateful for that.

10/26/2026

Let's talk about an unpopular topic: proposed utility rate increases.

Nobody likes seeing their monthly bills go up. I certainly don't. But as City Council prepares to vote on our 2027 budget and utility rate adjustments, I want residents to understand what's being proposed, why, and what it could mean for their household.

First, an important distinction.

Unlike our General Fund, which relies heavily on sales and other taxes, Thornton's water, sewer, stormwater and trash utilities operate through separate funds that are only supported by utility rates and fees.

Monthly rates support operations, maintenance and infrastructure investment, while connection fees (charged to developers/builders) help fund infrastructure needed for new development.

And these are substantial systems! Thornton maintains 667 miles of water mains, 514 miles of sewer mains, 173 miles of storm sewer, along with reservoirs, treatment plants, storage tanks and other infrastructure.

So what's being proposed by staff for 2027?

Water: 3.6% increase

Sewer: 5.6% increase

Stormwater: 6.0% increase

Trash: No increase

While those percentages differ, the overall impact to a typical household bill is approximately 3.5%.

Based on provided data for the average single-family residential customer in Thornton:

Winter: Approximately $89.88 to $93.05 per month, an increase of about $3.16.

Summer: Approximately $147.39 to $152.62 per month, an increase of about $5.23.

Actual bills will vary based on consumption and services.

One thing that is being emphasized is the importance of making smaller, predictable adjustments when necessary rather than allowing costs to accumulate and facing much larger increases in later years, like the 11% water rate adjustment we saw approved last year.

Incremental adjustments aren't a guarantee against future increases, but they help maintain financial stability and reduce the risk of sudden jumps.

There's also some potential good news.

Colorado's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recycling program is expected to reimburse Thornton for eligible recycling costs, with those savings passed along to customers as utility bill credits.

Staff previously estimated that credit at approximately $5 per month. The final amount and timing depend on actual reimbursements, but if the estimate holds, it could offset most or even all of the proposed increase for a typical Thornton household.

I've included several slides showing what our rates support, the proposed adjustments, and how Thornton compares with other Front Range communities.

I don't believe having a budget automatically justifies spending more or charging more. These decisions deserve scrutiny, especially when families are already managing higher costs.

At the same time, safe drinking water, reliable distribution and sewer service, and infrastructure that protects our neighborhoods from flooding are fundamental responsibilities of local government.

Our responsibility on Council is to make sure these adjustments are necessary, our systems are managed efficiently, and we're planning responsibly to avoid significantly larger costs and issues down the road.

I want residents to understand these decisions before they're made, not just see a higher bill afterward.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and questions.

10/22/2026

Skeletons Park may be the best Halloween display in Thornton! Have you been by to check out the show after dark yet?

What are the other fun Halloween displays around our city?

10/19/2026

A lot of important policy discussion and work happens before anything ever reaches a formal Council vote.

At our last Planning Session, we spent time on several long-term issues that will shape Thornton’s future.

We reviewed early vision alternatives for the future station areas at 144th & York and Colorado Boulevard & Highway 7 and how these areas should develop around future transit. We also discussed district identity and placemaking, the future of the TDA North Urban Renewal Area (URA), and proposed land-use regulations for commercial delivery drones.

At our Planning Session this week, we'll look at two different but important topics.

First is housing.

Council will discuss how the city could create additional standards for smaller-lot “starter homes” as part of the City’s Housing Choice work. The conversation includes potentially allowing smaller lots (20 ft wide), reduced setbacks, smaller homes and garages, and more flexible design standards intended to make lower-priced for-sale housing more feasible.

It's an important discussion. The question is not simply whether Thornton needs more housing. It's more about what type of housing we are creating, where it belongs, whether it creates real homeownership opportunities, and whether we can maintain attractive neighborhood design and character while creating more attainable options (that could also be solid senior options).

The second discussion is on our Cold Weather Care program.

We’ll receive an update on last season's data, review the City’s upcoming partnership with the Aurora Navigation Campus, and discuss the recommended approach for helping people experiencing homelessness during dangerous cold-weather conditions overnight this winter.

There's no shortage of topics being discussed and plans being developed that will affect our city for the coming decades. Please reach out with questions or if you'd like to connect!

*And thanks to Nick from Altered Perspectives Media LLC for the great aerial shot!

10/16/2026

Councilman Devin Byrd, City of Thornton and I attended the morning and swing shift briefings in District 1 and District 2 with with our ThorntonPD yesterday.

We wanted to meet our Officers, shake their hands, and say thank you.

Every day they put themselves in harm's way to protect and serve our community. Every day they respond to a variety of calls where a situation can take a dangerous turn in the blink of an eye, as we saw this last Sunday.

I'm incredibly grateful to our ThorntonPD team for all they do every day for the residents of Thornton. (And thanks for some good laughs at the briefings!)

I look forward to working with my fellow Councilmembers to continue to support our Officers however we can.

10/15/2026

Shout out to Lisa and Isabella for organizing and hosting the "Fall Guest Day" at Mapleton Early College Prep this week!

Enjoyed stopping by and seeing all of the students having conversations with the various companies and agencies to learn more about those career paths.

Keep up the great work!

10/14/2026

I believe the future of Old Town Eastlake plays a critical role in the future competitiveness and desirability of our city.

I recently had the chance to sit down with City staff and walk through the planning history and outlook for Old Town Eastlake.

I came away with a better understanding of what should happen next.

We have spent years creating plans for this area - around historic preservation, streetscape improvements, zoning, revitalization, and future transit-oriented growth. We have an Eastlake sub-area plan. We have an Eastlake station area master plan. We have an Eastlake streetscape plan. There's no shortage of plans for this area.

The next challenge is implementation.

How do we take good plans off the shelf and turn them into visible progress?

Of course, budget is a critical part of that. But for me, that means looking at several pieces together:

• Streetscape and public-realm investments in the improvements that make Lake Ave more walkable, attractive, and inviting.

• Zoning that supports the kind of small-scale, pedestrian-oriented uses we want to see.

• Programming and events that bring more people into the district in a way that elevates the local business community and neighborhood.

• Economic development tools and incentives that boost the ability for local entrepreneurs to create restaurants and other desirable amenities.

• Redevelopment of the historic grain elevator (another topic altogether!)

One idea I keep coming back to is the relationship between public investment and private investment.

When a city makes an intentional spend to improve the physical elements like sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, gathering spaces, and other public infrastructure in an area like Old Town Eastlake, it can help create confidence for businesses and property owners to invest alongside it. That's what we need.

That is especially important in a place like Old Town Eastlake.

I also believe creating the environment for small-business growth in this area needs to be a major part of the conversation.

If we want more jobs created locally, more wealth built locally, and a stronger long-term tax base, we have to create more opportunities for people to start, grow, and invest in businesses right here in Thornton.

There are great examples around the country (and close to home, like downtown Louisville) of communities using historic character, public spaces, local businesses, markets, and placemaking actions to create destinations people want to spend time in.

We should learn from those places.

But Old Town Eastlake should not just try to copy another place.

Old Town Eastlake should become more Eastlake.

The history, character, railroad roots, existing businesses, transit access, and community already give us something unique to build from.

I appreciated the conversation with staff and the focus on moving from planning toward implementation.

I look forward to the future conversations with businesses, neighbors, and my fellow Councilmembers about what next steps to include in our future budget to continue to enhance this special area.

10/13/2026

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Civic Leader Summit in Pensacola, Florida.

One of the things I value most about events like this is the chance to collaborate with and learn directly from people who are creating economic opportunity and solving real problems in their communities across the country, and then to bring those ideas back to our city.

I met so many great people, having conversations about downtown redevelopment, small business growth, housing, public investment, placemaking, historic preservation, and how cities can create the conditions for private investment and community energy to follow.

Meeting Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, and Knox White, the mayor of Greenville, South Carolina were highlights. Chuck's work is leading change across the country when it comes to building financial resilience, incremental development, and safer streets in our cities. Mayor White has been leading a city that has gone through an impressive downtown transformation over the last few decades that has led to the city consistently being named one of the greatest places to live in the US.

(One fun moment chatting with one of the historic preservation speakers was when I learned he actually has a daughter that lives in Thornton!)

A few ideas really stuck with me:

• Cities do not have to solve everything with one massive project. Small, incremental improvements can compound over time.

• Public investment can help create the conditions that encourage private investment that lead to the improvements we want to create in our places.

• Strong communities are built with residents, businesses, and property owners, not simply for them.

• Cultivating and supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses is not a side issue. It is part of building jobs, local wealth, identity, and a stronger tax base.

• The places we create are everything. Walkable streets, active public spaces, useful historic buildings, locally-owned businesses, and attractive, memorable gathering places all contribute to whether people want to live, invest, and spend time in a community.

Those conversations reinforced a lot of what I believe about Thornton’s future.

We have an opportunity to be more intentional about the future of places in our city where thoughtful catalytic public investment and inspired local entrepreneurship could create something much more distinctive and more economically vibrant.

We should become a city with more places people love, more opportunities for people to build businesses and wealth locally, and more reasons for residents to spend their time and dollars here.

That is also why I think these kinds of events are worth attending.

Good ideas do not stop at city boundaries.

Part of serving Thornton well is getting outside of Thornton, learning what other communities are doing right, understanding lessons learned in other places, building relationships across the country, and bringing the best ideas home for us to consider.

Drew Morris - Thornton City Councilman

11/03/2026

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10/28/2026

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