Councilmember Nicole Speer, 48, moved to Boulder in 2005 for postdoctoral research at CU Boulder. She later directed CU’s Intermountain Neuroimaging Consortium, a research facility for neuroscientists, but said she lost that job due to recent federal grant cuts. Elected to council in 2021, she was later appointed mayor pro tem and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2023. Speer said her top priorities include advancing the city’s long-term financial plan, strengthening Boulder’s budget, expanding housing and renter protections, pushing for climate action, and ensuring inclusive and transparent decision-making.
Endorsements: Boulder Progressives, Sierra Club Indian Peaks, Better Boulder, Colorado Working Families Party, Boulder Area Labor Council, CLC, AFL-CIO, New Era Colorado and Stop Antisemitism Colorado
Answers to questionnaire:
Perspective and experience: What perspective or lived experience would you bring to city council, and how would it shape your approach to policy?
I’ve lived in Boulder for over 20 years, raising two children (now teens), working in higher education and publicly-funded research, and serving local nonprofits and advocacy groups, including my union, United Campus Workers – CWA 7799. As someone whose job ended due to federal attacks on science, I’m keenly aware of how political and economic upheaval are and will be affecting more and more members of our community.
My approach to policy and governance is the same approach I’ve used to build teams and advocate for community in all of my work. I build coalitions, support evidence-based programs and outcome-based budgeting, and show up with compassion, humility, and respect. I lead with evidence, empathy, and a belief that we are stronger when we embrace differences and honor our shared humanity.
On City Council, I’ve advocated for workers, renters, parents, people with disabilities, immigrants, communities of color, queer and trans people, older adults, and those who rely on our safety nets. My goal as an elected leader is to make local government more effective, transparent, and inclusive, and to safeguard the systems and values that hold us together.
Camping ban: Should Boulder enforce its camping ban when the All Roads shelter is full? Please answer yes or no and explain.
I understand why people ask this question. I used to ask it myself. No one thinks people sleeping in public spaces is the solution to homelessness. As we struggle with a complex problem that goes way beyond our borders, the real question is: how do we invest in solutions that reduce unsheltered homelessness and protect public health and safety for everyone?
Boulder’s recent Clutch Report emphasizes that enforcement doesn’t reduce homelessness. It displaces people, puts them at higher risk of death, deepens trauma, and diverts millions of dollars from housing and services into short-term removals.
I support the recommended updates to our homelessness strategy. They shift our focus to upstream solutions: housing stabilization, diversion services, family support, and coordinated systems response. This approach prevents encampments by navigating people to appropriate services. With our recent investments in a day services center, peer-led behavioral health programs, and permanent supportive housing, we are implementing interventions that work.
If enforcement means issuing tickets, then no. When the shelter is full, ticketing becomes punishment for having nowhere to go. We need to stay focused on evidence-based policymaking, especially in the context of federal chaos that’s leaving more people one crisis away from losing their homes.
Wildfire mitigation/home hardening: Should the city require wildfire mitigation and home hardening — such as a five-foot buffer of noncombustible material around the home, or banning wood fences and gates within eight feet of a home — for existing homes? Please answer yes or no and explain.
I have consistently supported wildfire mitigation and home hardening, without retroactive mandates on existing homes. Requiring upgrades like noncombustible buffers or banning wood fences without a remodel or rebuild places a significant financial burden on homeowners and small landlords, especially working families and people on fixed incomes. My own family went through a wildfire assessment, and it took us over a year to save enough money to begin making changes. That experience deepened my understanding of the emotional and financial weight these upgrades carry.
When I talk with Boulder’s fire chief and planning department leaders, they consistently say that if they had $100 to spend on wildfire prevention, they’d put $95 toward education. Mandates without financial support and technical assistance risk pushing people to build without permits, which undermines safety and leads to punitive measures. Wildfire prevention requires education and buy-in, especially as so many in our community are struggling economically.
I support incentive-based programs, public outreach, and neighborhood coordination. I’ve backed funding for wildfire mitigation, curbside assessment, and financial assistance to help property owners adopt best practices voluntarily. Wildfire resilience is essential and urgent and we have limited resources to address it. That’s why we must pursue evidence-based policies.
Housing supply: Boulder needs thousands of new homes by 2032 to meet demand and keep rents and home prices from rising further out of reach. Yet projects often face cost overruns, community pushback or zoning hurdles. What specific steps would you take to address the city’s housing shortage?
Boulder’s housing challenges don’t exist in isolation and neither do the solutions. Through my work with the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), I helped advance the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, which found that most homes needed by 2032 will be for low- and middle-income households. New construction alone will not meet that demand. DRCOG is now working to develop the Denver Metro region’s first Regional Housing Strategy to identify solutions to these shortages.
Locally, we’ve made progress expanding occupancy limits, eliminating parking minimums, and reforming zoning to allow more diverse housing types. Additional efforts have focused on simplifying permitting, reducing unpredictability, and supporting small-scale infill near transit and services to expand options. These strategies slow the increase in housing costs.
Affordability is about more than housing. That’s why I’ve worked to support and expand childcare access, fare-free transit, and climate-adapted infrastructure, especially for middle-income families who often do not qualify for assistance. Scaling up subsidies and shared equity tools, such as rental assistance, down payment support, and community land trusts, is also essential.
Our housing shortage is a regional challenge requiring comprehensive policies that reflect the complexity of affordability and ensure Boulder remains accessible to residents across income levels.
Council’s role on foreign affairs (and Gaza): Should the Boulder City Council take positions on foreign affairs? Regardless of your answer, what actions, if any, should the city council take in response to Israel’s war in Gaza and the related disruptions and demonstrations in council chambers (e.g., open comment rules, safety, hate speech, First Amendment considerations)?
Many in our community have ties to Israel or Gaza. The antisemitic attack and murder of a Jewish community member on June 1 added to the fear and pain so many are experiencing. The ongoing suffering of civilians in Gaza and the continued plight of the hostages reverberates.
A prior Council determined we could take positions on international issues if the matter significantly impacts Boulder and Council has had sufficient time and information to study. That’s a high bar, and for good reason.
I’ve advocated building a principled framework for engaging in international issues, or ending the practice altogether. Any engagement must be based on clear criteria and a predictable, transparent process that avoids bias.
U.S. arms transfers, foreign policy, and corporate supply chains have catastrophic impacts beyond the war in Gaza (e.g., Sudan, Xinjiang, the Democratic Republic of Congo). We cannot have a double standard where Israel is the only country singled out.
Regarding disruptions, it’s important everyone has access to their local government. I’ve advocated clearer open comment rules, unbiased implementation of those rules, protections for speech and safety, and open comment time limits. It has taken time to arrive at a workable solution but we’re seeing results.
Budget priorities: With sales tax growth slowing, the city manager imposed a hiring freeze this year and the city council faces tough trade-offs. The city also has an estimated $380 million capital maintenance backlog and uncertain federal funding. With limited dollars, what are your top priorities, and what would you cut or delay?
Council is already addressing these budget gaps through hiring freezes, departmental realignments, and operational efficiencies. For 2026, we’ve made difficult decisions to preserve high-impact and essential services and programs while preparing for slower sales tax growth and uncertain federal support.
We’ve known for decades that our heavy reliance on sales tax makes us vulnerable to economic shifts. Many city funds are legally restricted, which limits flexibility. Our capital maintenance backlog can’t be solved through cuts alone.
That’s why I supported the Climate, Community, and Resilience Sales Tax (CCRS) in 2021 and support its extension in 2025. It provides dedicated funding for infrastructure, climate adaptation, and public facilities. I’ve also championed outcome-based budgeting, where investments are tied to measurable results aligned with Boulder’s sustainability, equity, and resilience framework.
As we continue to make these decisions, my priority is that we listen to the community about what our top priorities should be. This fall, the community will help shape priorities for 2027 and beyond through the Fund Our Future conversation. I’ve advocated for this conversation because this is how we ensure our budget reflects what our whole community values most. The next Council must use this information to shape future spending decisions.
