Cassandra Barnhart Seeks to Serve Longmont’s Ward 2
A Passion for Education, Community, and Thoughtful Growth
Cassandra Barnhart, a passionate educator and community advocate, has thrown her hat in the ring of 22 applicants to become Longmont’s next Ward 2 representative.
As the city prepares to select a new council member following Marcia Martin’s tenure ending on New Year’s Eve 2024, Barnhart’s history of community service and commitment to local politics position her as an engaged applicant.
“I am an educator by trade, but I’ve really considered myself more of a community organizer and community advocate,” Barnhart said. “My teaching job, to me, is just an extension of the advocacy that I like to do. It’s a way for me to find meaningful work because, as a person, I need to feel like the things I do matter.”
Barnhart highlighted that she attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., in 2003, which jumpstarted her community activism experience. Over the years, she has volunteered in various political campaigns, including working on petitions for clean water rights during her college years and supporting politicians in the greater Denver area. Barnhart noted her most recent contribution to the passage of Prop 89, which secured abortion rights in Colorado’s Constitution.
When Barnhart and her family moved to Longmont two years ago from Austin, Texas, they sought a community that aligned with their values. She soon fell in love with Longmont’s geographical location, providing access to nearby cities like Boulder and easy travel routes into the mountains.
“I was attracted to Longmont first and foremost because of its stellar school system. That was really important to me, especially since we still have a daughter in school,” Barnhart explained.
Barnhart joined the League of Women Voters and volunteered for various political debates and community engagement initiatives. These experiences further sparked her interest in local politics, showing her that elected officials are approachable and share the same passions and desires as the residents they serve.
“I believe in public service on whatever level works for you,” Barnhart shared, noting her continued volunteer work at her daughter’s school, where she coordinates the middle school’s concession stand. “I enjoy getting out and serving the public and interacting with people.”
Barnhart’s concern for the community’s future is rooted in her experiences with unplanned growth in Austin, where she saw firsthand how unchecked development can lead to overcrowding, traffic problems, and a loss of the city’s identity.
Barnhart’s vision for Ward 2 is one of balanced growth, community engagement, and preserving the city’s unique character. She’s committed to ensuring that the city’s development doesn’t erode the quality of life that brought her family to Longmont in the first place.
“We need to protect what’s great about Longmont,” Barnhart stated. “Growth is necessary, but we need to be thoughtful and ensure that development serves people, not just corporate interests.”
For Barnhart, traffic is one of the most pressing issues facing Longmont as it grows. She emphasized the importance of planning and zoning to ensure that Longmont’s downtown areas remain accessible and welcoming to residents and visitors alike.
“Traffic is a symptom of growth, and it can really start and end your day,” Barnhart said, recognizing how vital it is to manage the impact of development on the city’s infrastructure.
Barnhart recognized the complexities of managing growth in Longmont, where infrastructure and development need to keep pace with an expanding population.
“It’s a symptom of development, and if we don’t manage it, it affects everyone. We need to make sure that we’re not creating bottlenecks that make it harder to get around our city,” Barnhart said.
Barnhart sees the interconnectedness of Longmont’s wards and communities, emphasizing that traffic and development issues in Ward 2 will impact the entire city.
“Any thread you pull in Ward 2 is going to affect everyone else,” Barnhart explained. “We’re not these isolated entities. We are working in conjunction. So, when we think about traffic or transportation, we need to consider how any changes affect the rest of our community.”
One issue Barnhart sees as particularly urgent is the growing homeless population in Longmont.
“I definitely see that we have a very unfortunate homeless population, and I think we have to address that,” Barnhart said. “Sadly, I don’t think there’s an elegant, one-size-fits-all answer to that. The reasons people are homeless are multifaceted—drug abuse, mental health issues, economic struggles—so we can’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. We have to triage.”
Barnhart pointed to successful programs in other communities, such as the “housing first” approach, which prioritizes providing stable housing before addressing other needs, like mental health care or drug rehabilitation.
“It’s expensive, and often highly contentious because people who want to help may not want to spend the money,” Barnhart explained. “But part of what we pay our taxes for is to solve issues like this. It’s a good use of our tax funds.”
Barnhart believes collaboration is key to tackling homelessness effectively.
“Our job in government is to clear pathways and really collaborate with nonprofits who are boots on the ground,” Barnhart said. “They have the best insight into what people need, and we need to make it easier for them to provide the services they’re well-qualified to offer.”
Barnhart’s leadership style, which she describes as “transformational,” focuses on collaboration and consensus-building.
“I believe in inspiring people to do good work for the right reasons,” Barnhart said. “If people believe in what they’re doing, it stops being a job and becomes a passion. Leadership requires self-reflection, especially when you’re facing resistance. It’s important to think about your role and whether your ideas are truly the best ones.”
Barnhart sees this short-term appointment as an opportunity to continue the work already in progress, ensuring that there is consistency and alignment with her predecessor’s vision.
“I feel that my biggest issue would be simply making sure that there is consistency and a very smooth transition from Marsha Martin’s goals and initiatives until December,” Barnhart said. “I don’t see these 10 months as a great time to start driving my own personal agenda because I wasn’t voted into the council to do that. It’s really to finish out her work, build relationships with the new council, and keep the momentum going.”
Barnhart also identified the importance of building relationships and trust within the City Council.
“I want to move away from the idea of majority rule and strive for genuine consensus. Consensus means that we’ve reached a point where 70 percent of us agree, and that’s a good decision. A majority of just 50.1 percent doesn’t feel like consensus to me,” Barnhart said.
As Longmont’s City Council prepares to interview candidates on January 21 and select a new Ward 2 representative on January 28, Barnhart is eager to bring her passion for education, service, and thoughtful growth to the table.
“I want to make sure that Longmont continues to be a place where people can thrive and feel connected,” Barnhart said. “I am deeply vested in making sure that anything that happens in our community is going to uplift and support us… I want people to come to Longmont and be proud of it, just like I am. I’m thinking two generations ahead. I want my grandchildren to live in Longmont. Any decision I make is going to be with the idea of 20 years from now wanting my family to still be thriving here.”
Longmont residents can share their thoughts on candidates like Cassandra Barnhart by addressing the council in person at any meeting or emailing them beforehand.