The City of Aurora is set to welcome Pete Schulte as the new city attorney, a move that Mayor Mike Coffman and the Aurora City Council have been gearing up for since former city attorney Dan Brotzman stepped down in June. Schulte, who boasts a comprehensive career in legal practice, including a stint as Chief of Public Safety at the Aurora City Attorney's Office, is expected to take the reins and steer one of Colorado's largest public law offices into its next chapter.
"Pete is an excellent leader, a skilled mediator and a trusted lawyer," Coffman championed the selection, noting Schulte's strong history with Aurora where he's been pivotal in some of the city's most stringent legal situations over the past three years, the Mayor's vote of confidence was echoed by the council despite the formal vote set for Monday, Sept. 23, and Schulte's official swearing-in slated for the City Council meeting on Oct. 14. Before his role at Aurora, Schulte cut his teeth as a police legal advisor in a Dallas suburb and his legal career spans almost two decades beginning with the Dallas County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office, according to the City of Aurora.
Before delving into the legal profession, Schulte served as a police officer, managed to juggle law school at Southern Methodist University while maintaining his police officer duties, and later, transitioned to private practice where he established a successful law firm in North Texas. His civic engagement continued as he took roles like the Chair of the City of Dallas Board of Adjustment after being appointed by the Dallas Mayor, and he served on the Dallas Planning Commission before his return to public service as a Police Legal Advisor in 2018, ultimately paving his path to Aurora in 2021.
In his recent work, Schulte has played a critical role in the city's legal compliance with the state consent decree, he's been instrumental in the negotiations and was the brain behind the decree's initial draft, a period of monitoring now lays ahead for Aurora, projected to span the next few years, his demonstrated commitment to transparency and public resource stewardship is a sentiment he shared, and his multifaceted legal expertise is backed by his active attorney licenses in Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming alongside his maintained peace officer certification in the two states.
The forthcoming City Council vote will set in motion the formal adoption of Schulte's contract with the Aurora City Attorney’s Office, which encompasses a staff of around 65 people, marking it as the second-largest of its kind in Colorado, his appointment reflects a key decision by city officials as the attorney position is among the quartet directly appointed by the Mayor and Council under the Aurora City Charter.
