To the editor:
Southeast Colorado Springs is one of the most diverse areas of the city, with a large BIPOC population, and yet it continues to experience persistent disparities in infrastructure investment, public services, and health outcomes.
We all see it in slower road maintenance compared to other parts of the city. We see it in parks and recreation resources that are among the first to be reduced when budgets tighten. And we see it reflected in measurable outcomes such as lower life expectancy in these neighborhoods.
These patterns are not random. They are structural.
They reflect how decisions are made, who is consistently represented in those decisions, and which communities are centered – or left out – when priorities are set. When leadership and advisory systems remain concentrated within long-standing networks of influence, certain areas inevitably receive more sustained investment attention than others.
Mayor Yemi Mobolade has hired Wayne Williams as his Chief of Staff for the City of Colorado Springs. That decision matters in the context of how deeply interconnected local governance, political history, and institutional decision-making have been in this region over time. Wayne Williams has been part of Colorado’s political and administrative systems since the 1990s, including roles at the county and state level that intersect directly with elections, governance, and public administration.
When the same tightly connected networks remain close to decision-making power across decades, it raises legitimate questions about whether historically underrepresented communities are receiving equal influence in shaping priorities.
When I ran for county commissioner in 2016, I was invited to meet with one of the region’s largest developers. At the entrance of the office was a prominent display of the Ten Commandments. During that meeting, I was told directly that “clean water is not a right everyone should have access to.” That moment underscored for me how deeply assumptions about public resources and who they serve can influence development and policy perspectives in this region.
This is not about a single individual or a single administration. It is about a broader system in which land use, development, and public policy are shaped by long-standing relationships and networks that have remained relatively stable for decades.
As a result, Southeast Colorado Springs too often finds itself outside the center of planning and investment conversations. These outcomes show up in infrastructure gaps, health disparities, and uneven access to public resources. And these problems become exacerbated going even further south into the unincorporated areas.
If we are serious about equity and the long-term health of Colorado Springs, and the impact to the surrounding communities, we must examine not only outcomes, but also the structures that produce them. Southeast Colorado Springs deserves consistent, meaningful representation in investment and planning decisions – not continued marginalization.
Not just someone who passes through without speaking up:
Liz Rosenbaum
Community Organizer
