ENGLEWOOD, CO – August 28, 2026 - The City of Englewood mourns the loss of Mayor Pro Tem Joe Anderson who died this morning while hiking in Summit County.
A dedicated member of the Englewood community, Mayor Pro Tem Anderson was elected to represent District 3 on the Englewood City Council November 5, 2019 and reelected to serve another four-year term November 2023. He was elected by his fellow council members to serve as mayor pro tem in December 2023.
Anderson was an active member of the Englewood community in the years preceding his election to council, serving in a number of pastoral roles for local churches, helping found the nonprofit coalition Change the Trend, and coordinating the community’s largest annual service project, Be a Tool (later Neighborhood Rehab Project), for many years. His leading role in Change the Trend laid the groundwork for what would become the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Committee.
Mayor Pro Tem Anderson regularly advocated for and helped craft legislation around solutions to homelessness, affordable housing, infrastructure, economic development and bicycle-pedestrian safety.
On Council, Anderson played a key role in community conversations around stormwater regulations and infrastructure during a particularly turbulent time in the city’s history following deadly flooding in 2018. He encouraged city staff to create masterplans and funding plans to repair and upsize Englewood’s aging stormwater infrastructure, while ensuring those plans were balanced with the capacity for residents and businesses to fund needed improvements. At the groundbreaking for the city’s largest infrastructure project in city history, the South Englewood Flood Reduction Project, Mayor Pro Tem Anderson acknowledged the importance of the project. “Thank you to our citizens for being so patient. Thank you to staff for all the work that’s gone into this [project] over the years—the masterplan that we put in place, hiring different consultants, acquiring the property, and the contracts that are now moving forward to finish this project. We’re excited to see this move forward,” said Anderson.
Mayor Pro Tem Anderson was instrumental in adoption of CodeNext, Englewood’s comprehensive revision to development regulations in which Anderson advocated for streamlined regulation and smaller housing unit sizes to reduce housing costs and homelessness. He also served as the City of Englewood’s representative on the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Committee which led the recruitment of the first homelessness navigation center in the Englewood-Littleton-Sheridan area and the establishment of a new workforce development program for people experiencing homelessness operated by the non-profit Bridge House. He championed expenditure of the city’s ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for Bridge House and a new poverty reduction program, Cross Purpose, which opened in Englewood in the fall of 2022.
A frequent user of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, he advocated for bike and pedestrian safety and encouraged fellow council members and city staff to adopt “15-minute city” principles, an urban planning concept where daily necessities such as work, shopping, education and healthcare are accessible within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transit trip from homes. He championed pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure including the Oxford Pedestrian Bridge, bike lanes and complete street projects that have and will improve the safety and walkability of the city for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.
“We are all shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of our friend and council member, Joe Anderson,” said Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra. “Joe was always there to lend a hand, whether it was in his role as friend, neighbor, pastor or council member. Before his time on council, he advocated for the unhoused with his work on Change the Trend as well as helping seniors and disabled neighbors with home repairs through his Neighborhood Rehab Project. That compassion carried over to his seven years on council. This is a tremendous loss for our city and our heart goes out to his family and friends during this time of loss.”
Outgoing City Manager, Shawn Lewis, also shared the impact of Anderson’s passing on the city staff team, noting, “Mayor Pro Tem Anderson was this rare combination of a constant encourager behind the scenes while simultaneously challenging us as staff to think bigger and do better. He was one of the most effective, productive and positive council members I’ve ever worked with, and he was more than just a boss. He cared for me and other staff members as people, asking to pray over me when my parents were hospitalized during COVID and making a point to check in on me personally when city issues were particularly hard. I’ll never forget the kindness and care he showed to me and I know so many others throughout his time on council.”
For media inquiries, contact Stacy Durbin at 720-925-0496.
Update 9/2/2026:
The memorial service for Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Joe Anderson will be held this Friday, Sept. 4, at 10 a.m. at Foothills Bible Church, 6100 S. Devinney Way, Littleton, CO 80127, off Bowles Avenue just west of C-470 in the Dakota Ridge area.
