The Aurora City Council picked the city’s current chief of public safety to fill its open city attorney position following the former city attorney’s retirement in June.

Pete Schulte, whose selection will go to a formal vote at Monday’s council meeting, follows former City Attorney Dan Brotzman, who retired earlier this year. Schulte has worked for the city of Aurora since September of 2021. He is a licensed attorney in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming.

He will be sworn into office at the following regular council meeting on Oct. 14.

Before working for the city, he was a police legal adviser for a suburb of Dallas, and has worked in the legal field for almost 20 years, according to a news release from the city.

Schulte was a police officer prior to attending law school at Southern Methodist University. He served as a prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, then went into private practice, building a law firm in North Texas. He still holds a peace officer certification in Colorado and Texas.

He has taken over 100 criminal and civil cases through jury trials, according to the release.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said he has “total confidence” in Schulte’s ability to lead the office, citing his involvement in previous legal matters for the city.

“Pete is an excellent leader, a skilled mediator and a trusted lawyer,” Coffman said. “He has already helped our city navigate some of its toughest legal challenges over the last three years and I have total confidence in his ability to lead one of the largest public law offices in Colorado.”

For several years, Aurora has been under a consent decree with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, a move meant to lead them through sweeping changes in policing, notably in the use of force and officer engagement.

Schulte has been responsible for legal compliance for the decree, and has been “very involved” in negotiations for the decree. He also wrote the first draft.

The city recently went into the monitoring phase of the decree, which is set to last for the next three years.

“I am honored that Mayor Coffman and the Aurora City Council have selected me to lead our talented team at the Aurora City Attorney’s Office,” Schulte said. “I am committed to transparency and being a good steward of our city’s public resources.”

Aurora’s City Attorney’s Office is comprised of about 65 staff members, making it the second largest city attorney’s office in Colorado after Denver’s.

The city attorney position is one of four positions appointed by the mayor and city council.

Adams County announces interim county manager

Adams County is also having a leadership change, announcing the appointment of David Fraser as the new interim county manager.

Fraser will hold the interim office until spring of next year, when the Adams County Board of Commissioners will find a permanent replacement, according to a news release from the county.

Fraser, a Colorado native, has held roles in management across several states, including roles as the executive director of the Nevada League of Cities and Wyoming Association of Municipalities.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from Brigham Young University.

Commission board chair Emma Pinter said Fraser’s experience makes him a great fit for the position.

“David Fraser’s extensive experience and dedication to public service will provide invaluable leadership during this transitional period,” Pinter said.

Fraser said his goal in the interim role is to provide “stable and effective leadership” through the transition. He is “honored” to join the county, he said.

He will join Senior Deputy County Manager Alisha Reis.

Westminster names new city manager

The City of Westminster announced the selection of new City Manager Jody Andrews.

Andrews has been the acting city manager since July following the resignation of former City Manager Mark Freitag.

Freitag’s exact reasoning for stepping down was unclear.

Andrews has served in various leadership roles for the city for over a decade, including serving as deputy city manager from 2015 to 2021 and as director of public works.

Prior to his time with the City of Westminster, he served as deputy city manager for Vancouver, BC, as well as project manager for Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic Village. He has also served as director of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.

The Westminster City Council will formally vote on Andrews’ appointment at a Monday council meeting and he will be sworn into office following his contract approval, according to a news release.