Empowerment. Collaboration. Integrity. What Montrose named together.
On October 27 neighbors came together to talk about leadership. We did it in a simple way. We listened. We learned. We wrote down what mattered. Then we compared notes and landed on three clear values. Empowerment. Collaboration. Integrity. These are the values we can carry into the voting booth on November 4.
How we did it
We worked in small groups. Each person shared a story about a leader they admire. It could be a family member. A boss. A coworker. A historical figure. Or someone they know and look up to. They named what they liked about that person’s leadership in three minutes. Then one more minute for what was not so great. Partners listened for value words and wrote them on sticky notes.
Each person then looked at the notes they received and clustered them. The goal was to reflect on their own values. Next, everyone wrote down three values they believe matter most for Montrose officials and added a short why.
We paired up for five rounds. Each round, partners compared their three value bundles and answered one question. Which set is more useful for elected officials in Montrose. They split seven points between the two sets. The three highest scoring bundles advanced.
We wrote the nine value words from those sheets on separate cards. Kind. Impactful. Encouraging. Collaborative. Integrity. Nonjudgmental. Team builder. Positive. Empowering. Everyone had three dots to vote. The top three were Empowerment, Collaboration, and Integrity. We formed three groups and drafted the final statements.
The three value statements
Empowerment
“We expect our candidates to empower the community by allowing for individual agency, encouraging constituents to have their own voice, and by encouraging constituents to collaborate.”
Collaboration
“We expect local officials to be collaborative in making decisions, both within their jurisdictional sphere and with other governments and NGOs, honoring different perspectives and seeking commonality.”
Integrity
“We expect local officials to have integrity by being respectful of the values of their constituents, avoiding self aggrandizement, and not seeking to enrich themselves with power, money, or influence.”
Why this matters
When we name values together, we lower the temperature and raise the quality of our decisions. Clear standards help us ask better questions. They help us focus on what improves daily life in Montrose. They keep the door open for different views while staying anchored in respect and problem solving. That is how trust grows.
What to do next
Read the three statements.
Compare candidates to these standards.
Vote by November 4 or return your mail in ballot.
