Riegan Sage Merges Toward Ward 2 City Council Seat
Advocates for Sustainable Growth, Preserving Longmont’s Charm
Marcia Martin’s tenure as the Ward 2 representative on the Longmont City Council officially ended on December 31, 2024, leaving the seat vacant as the city prepares to select her successor to avoid the expense of a taxpayer-funded election.
The City of Longmont invited qualified Ward 2 residents to submit their applications by January 8. The vacancy has attracted significant public interest with 18 out of 22 qualified applicants in the mix.
One such applicant is Riegan Sage, who brings a background of professional experience and community involvement. For Sage, this seat would be an opportunity to ensure Longmont’s growth respects its identity while prioritizing the well-being of its residents.
“I am a mom of two. I have a seven-year-old in school, and a five-year-old who will start kindergarten next year,” Sage shared. “We moved here about four years ago. My husband and I have lived all over the country, but when we visited Longmont during the pandemic, we were amazed at the parks and the community downtown. We just loved it.”
The decision to apply for the Ward 2 position stems from a desire to preserve and nurture Longmont’s charm.
“Where I grew up outside Chicago wasn’t dissimilar—lots of farms turned into subdivisions. But over time, it lost its charm,” Sage said. “Longmont has so much value, and I want to make sure that the people who live here, and plan on staying here, have a voice in its future. I don’t want external interests coming in and taking away what makes this community special.
Sage reflected on her experience growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and expressed her desire to avoid a similar development trajectory for Longmont.
“I like that we have individual businesses here. There’s entrepreneurs and people starting their own businesses here, and they are patronized,” Sage said. “I want to foster that. I think that is important. We have small farms here I want to protect and see thrive. The people who live here, those are the people whose interests I want to protect, not a huge corporation.”
Sage’s viewpoint on suburban sprawl was influenced by her own experiences in the Chicago area.
“There’s massive sprawl, insane traffic,” Sage said. “My cousin calls it a reverse rush hour. It used to be worse from the suburbs to the city, but now, from the city to the suburbs, it’s worse because there are so many jobs out there.”
Sage identified sustainable growth as one of the most pressing concerns for Longmont.
“It’s important to ensure that traffic doesn’t become overwhelming and that the small-town feel remains intact,” Sage explained. “If we don’t decide what’s important to preserve, everything will just get sold off piece by piece. That’s something I’m passionate about.”
Sage added that sustainability doesn’t mean unchecked or exponential growth.
“Sustainability does not mean exponential growth. It kind of means the opposite of exponential growth,” Sage said. “We can grow. We can continue to thrive together without doing that.”
Sage emphasized the need for broader metrics to measure Longmont’s growth beyond just financial indicators.
“Growth doesn’t have to be solely about finances,” Sage stated. “We need to look at the physical and mental health of our community, the well-being of our houseless population, and the trust people have in their elected officials. By focusing on these areas, we can create a thriving, engaged, and vibrant community.”
Sage is keenly aware of the challenges Longmont faces, particularly regarding housing and homelessness.
“I think the houselessness issue and rising housing costs are major issues. Do I have the magic solution to fix everything right away? No,” Sage acknowledged. “But I’d like to see incremental progress. I think we can make changes, even in a short time, and that’s important. I don’t want to just sit there—I want to make things happen.”
Sage admires Longmont’s welcoming atmosphere and engaged citizenry, which heightens her commitment to supporting connection and collaboration.
“People here are interested in community. They’re not just sustaining anonymity or sticking to a small group of friends. That kind of engagement is rare, and I love that about Longmont,” Sage said.
Sage also sees Longmont as a tourist destination, perfectly positioned near the mountains to support a healthy local economy.
“What if we’re the place where people go to Rocky Mountain National Park for the day and come back here? We’ve got 13 breweries, three distilleries, and a hard cidery—there’s so much to offer,” Sage said. “I love being here, and I think it’s a great place to visit, too.”
Sage acknowledged that while Ward 2, Ward 1, and Ward 3 each have different characteristics, the needs of the city are intertwined.
“First of all, I think Longmont—I know Ward 2 and Ward 3 and Ward 1 are separate parts of Longmont, and they have different feels to those parts of each neighborhood. But realistically, we’re all in this together,” Sage said.
Sage explained that while she is detail-oriented, she always keeps the larger perspective in mind.
“I can be extremely detail-oriented, and I remember details, but you can’t forget the big picture, right? And the big picture is we’re all a community city,” Sage said. “I think we all have to work together to protect what we want to see protected and to grow in a way that’s sustainable.”
When asked about her leadership and collaborative style, Sage referenced her background in theater, which she believes shaped her approach to teamwork and support.
“I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater—everything is collaborative. Whether it’s production, planning, or directing, it’s all about collaboration,” Sage said. “I love helping people figure out what they want to do and how I can support them, but letting them do what they’re going to do. I’m not a micromanager. I’m much more into enabling others to do what they’re passionate about.”
She emphasized the importance of community engagement in leadership.
“Community building is extremely important to me on any board that I’ve sat on,” Sage stated. “In my MBA, I had a management science and marketing emphasis. Marketing isn’t sales; it’s about figuring out what a community needs and creating something from that.”
Sage is committed to ensuring that Longmont remains a place where the community stays connected and engaged.
“Groupthink is very dangerous. I believe in healthy discourse and a variety of opinions. Just because we decide to build something or create a new program doesn’t mean that the concerns of the community disappear. Those concerns should be voiced so we can address them,” Sage said.
“I’ve seen entrepreneurs helping other local businesses, and I want to facilitate that even more,” Sage said. “Longmont has that neighborly feel, and I want to help strengthen that.”
With a bevy of interested applicants having submitted applications by the January 8 deadline, the Council is set to interview applicants in a public meeting on January 21, before the swearing-in of the new representative scheduled for January 28.
Longmont residents can share their thoughts on candidates, like Riegan Sage, by addressing the Council through an email sent beforehand. The open forum to address the city council previously scheduled for January 21, will be replaced with an interview session of candidates and the appointment of a selected candidate.