Benita Duran is running for Boulder City Council on a platform of strengthening the local economy, improving affordability, preparing for wildfires and addressing public safety and homelessness.
Duran served as Boulder’s assistant city manager for nine years, from 1993 to 2002, before moving into government and engineering consulting. Beginning in 2009, she spent six years overseeing government affairs and public outreach for Denver Public Schools’ bond program.
In 2015, Duran founded her own consulting firm. She served as senior director of equity and civic engagement at the National Civic League, a nonprofit focused on good governance and civic participation, from 2022 to 2024 before returning to consulting.
Duran has served on numerous boards, including those of All Roads, Community Foundation Boulder County, the Family Learning Center, Intercambio and Watershed School. She has also served as a Boulder Community Health trustee and on the Colorado Economic Development Commission. She currently sits on the Boulder Public Library District Board of Trustees.
In 2015, while serving on the Boulder Community Health board, Duran advocated for the city’s purchase of the former hospital property at Alpine-Balsam. The site is planned for affordable and market-rate housing and a new city campus but has faced criticism over rising costs.
Duran said she is now disappointed with how the project has unfolded. “I wish it could have happened more quickly and more efficiently, and served our community better,” she said.
Duran previously ran for council in 2019. That year, she was endorsed by groups spanning Boulder’s political factions, including the Boulder Progressives, Open Boulder and Better Boulder, according to Boulder Beat. Duran describes herself as “a bridge between progressives and the business community,” with a particular focus on Latino-owned businesses. She did not receive the Boulder Progressives’ endorsement this year.
Duran opposes the proposed $400 million Recreation and Safety Bond, calling it a “significant cost that doesn’t have enough information and detail attached.”
Duran moved from Denver to Boulder in 1993 to work in the city manager’s office. Her son was born while she was assistant city manager, and his arrival was announced during a city council meeting in 1999. She lives in Newlands.
Occupation: Consultant
Neighborhood: Newlands
Rent or own?: Own
Answers to questionnaire:
Affordable housing: Market-rate homes are out of reach for many teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters. What would you do to create more housing these middle-income residents can afford? What regulations, if any, would you change to lower the cost of building or renovating homes?
First, housing IS the answer that addresses most of our current problems and we must change our approach to focus on all the considerable benefits to every resident today and tomorrow, and to every business, institution, non-profit organizations burdened by gentrification. I would seek to prioritize our processes for reviews and approvals to help see that these middle income housing opportunities get shovels in the ground. Not everything gets before council, so systems need to flow to help lower costs of waiting for that permit. I would explore more support of land trusts and other vehicles for holding on to existing middle income housing stock and preventing more unaffordable scrape offs. Improving our processes for customers has to be a priority. Updates to title 9 code will help provide the broader options approved in the BVCP. My goal here is a clearly articulated path to address the issue/need for market rate housing options.
Homelessness: What is one approach Boulder has not tried, or has not tried at scale, to address homelessness that you would bring to the council, and how should the city pay for it?
I believe the city is on a logical path to address homelessness issues. Our funding blend of city, county, state and federal funds is complex along with support from individuals and foundations. One suggestion I have is to provide more support for mental health services and rehabilitation services within the city. Utilize an existing facility owned by the county to start up a community based rehabilitation and treatment center. Funding from outside the city resources would be needed. I don’t think this can be a city expense, but the city can bring partners to the table. In addition to this I would support and participate in regular convenings with the faith community, non profit organizations serving the homeless, court, county and city to share information and to just be in regular communication about issues and services. It is a broad and extensive network. Convening and managing this process would be a low cost way to keep communication flowing between city and these other players in supporting services to the homeless and could lead to improved of services, programs and service entry, perhaps consolidating certain programs and improve cost efficiency for city.
Governance: Boulder is entering its third straight year of budget cuts while facing a roughly $400 million backlog of major facility needs. How do you assess the problem, and what specific spending, revenue or management changes would you support?
I am a proponent of transparency in budgeting and making financial reports regularly available in easy, common, accessible terms. I have experience in complex financial transactions and would bring that experience to addressing deferred maintenance issues, engaging public in information sharing and analysis of facilities.
Flock: Would you end Boulder’s use of automated license plate readers, yes or no? Why or why not?
Yes. This is not a use that is in the best interests of the people of Boulder. Boulder should end its use of automated license readers. The benefits to policing do not justify creating a system that records the movements of people suspected of no crime. We should consider where this technology is headed and should decide what surveillance powers law enforcement should have before building infrastructure that can become substantially more powerful as AI develops. Privacy safeguards today do not eliminate that long term concern.
Wildfire: Should Boulder adopt an ordinance requiring owners of existing homes and homeowners associations in high-risk areas to harden their properties against wildfire, yes or no? If yes, what should it require?
Yes. There are standards and recommendations aligned with class 1&2 , WUI guidelines. Information needs to be more aggressively shared with residents in these areas. I am committed to seeing that we also have stronger communication on evacuation plans and exit strategies for all of Boulder and its daytime population.
Is the city doing enough to push Xcel Energy to prevent or limit wildfire-related power shutoffs? What more should it do?
It never seems like enough when you’re the household that is without power and your neighbor across the street has their lights on. I have experienced that Xcel has improved its communication, really stepped it up in the second shutdown my household experienced, but it lacked accurate updates as time went on. I believe the council has had a strategy that has seemed to keep xcel more accountable and responsive. We need to keep pressure on them to underground lines and improve communication.
Local businesses and downtown: Many local businesses, especially downtown, are struggling with rising costs and stagnating sales. What city policy would you change to help businesses stay open and reduce commercial vacancies, and what would you do to bring more customers downtown?
I would want to see the DDA return to the table and a full discussion on what it will take to move that forward for the benefit of downtown and UHill. There are steps council can take to address budgets and dedicated funding that is potentially impacted by the district formation. It is doable. I would be sure city isn’t delaying business use or permitting; and we more aggressively offer to help businesses and shape some creative collaborations of shared uses of some of the vacant commercial spaces.
Closer: Imagine it is November 2027, one year after your election. What is one specific thing you will have accomplished?
I helped lead the way to a disciplined approach to the rewrite/update of the title 9 land use code, so that it aligns with the adopted BVCP and we can move forward to address our critical housing issues in a more balanced and sustainable manner.