My Platform

Protecting Golden’s Small Town and Historic Character

I’ve been a strong proponent of protecting our historic buildings and character, supporting important voluntary historic designations and historic preservation easements around town. I strongly support neighborhood planning as a way of giving neighborhoods a clear voice in shaping their own future. I support an updated plan for downtown Golden that maintains economic health while protecting our historic and small town character. And I’ve worked hard to keep the Billion Dollar Boondoggle out of Golden. I support a transportation solution that improves congestion in the region and reduces the noise and pollution impacts to Golden, and I will continue to vigorously oppose the proposal for an overpriced and damaging beltway cutting through Golden.


Ensuring that our Community Thrives

I am committed to protecting Golden's great quality of life. I support making Golden more bike- and pedestrian-friendly, and I helped secure federal funding for a new bike and pedestrian path to connect the southern part of Golden with the rest of the community. I strongly support protecting our open space and trails, supported establishing a number of new parks around the community, and support creating additional parks in underserved areas of town. I supported closing a loophole to help keep our water clean, and am working with our neighbors across the region to reduce air pollution in Golden. I also understand that our quality of life depends on the economic health of the community, and support creating economic opportunities here that help our community flourish.


Spearheading the Golden Sustainability Initiative

Last fall I proposed to city council and the community that we launch a Golden Sustainability Initiative to help shape the future of the community. More than 200 people participated in the community forum and now dozens are actively involved in community working groups. We’ve already taken some important steps including the conversion of all our traffic lights to highly energy efficient and long-lasting LEDs, and I worked with staff to make our new city maintenance shops as energy efficient as possible.


Ensuring that our Government Remains Open and Accessible to the Community

I am committed to promoting transparency, equal opportunity, and fairness for everyone in the community. I proposed that Golden join the Inclusive Cities Parternship to signal our commitment to these basic principles. I have long supported televising city council meetings, and I worked with the City Clerk to make our agendas more understandable and to ensure that everyone in the community can easily get all of the memos and background information provided to city councilors. I also support expanding the public notice requirements on land use decisions to ensure that everyone who might be affected by a proposal has a chance to weigh in on the issue.  We continue to look for ways to make city government more transparent and accessible. 


Ensuring Fiscal Responsibility

I believe that city government should spend the community's dollars wisely, and I strongly support a balanced, conservative budget for the city. We frequently win awards for the quality of our financial reporting and we have consistently maintained a very high level of financial health for the city.

 

 
Final Unofficial Election Results
Golden Mayor
    
Chuck Baroch 1,502 35.79%
Mary Weaver
 1,019 24.28%
Jacob Smith
 1,643
39.15%
     
Golden City Council District 1
    
Frank Oldham 672 33.62%
Marjorie Sloan
 1,005 50.28%
Lynne Timpeiro 236 11.81%
     
Golden City Council District 2    
Don Parker 789 35.90%
Steven Gallant 431 19.61%
Karen Oxman 871 39.63%

 

The final certified results should be in within a couple of weeks but we don't expect any of the results to change.

 

I am really pleased and honored. This was a tough campaign, and Mayor Baroch has my deep respect for his hard work on behalf of our community and his service on the city council and as the mayor. It's also a credit to Mayor Baroch and to all of our respective supporters that despite the Voice of Golden's $23,000 worth of attacks we rose above the rhetoric and kept the debate about the issues.

 

We have some real challenges ahead: keeping the beltway out of Golden (and securing a real transportation solution), keeping city council open and accountable, moving ahead with the Golden Sustainability Initiative, and getting a handle on growth among them. There is a lot of work to do, and some of our challenges will be especially difficult, but I am excited and ready to get to work.

 

As always, please call or email me with your thoughts, questions, and concerns.

 
Golden Transcript Endorses Jacob Smith for Mayor

The Golden Transcript endorsed Jacob Smith in his campaign to be Golden's next mayor. In an editorial entitled "Jacob Smith should be next mayor," they wrote:

 

"In our opinion, it's time for a new approach to council."

 

"Smith is the candidate with the qualifications."

 

"It is time for a new vision from a new, proactive mayor as we move toward the future."

Read more...
 
Jacob Smith for Mayor

Leadership. Results.

I’m Golden City Councilor Jacob Smith and I’m running to serve as Golden’s next Mayor. Golden is faced with real challenges and important opportunities and I’ve got the leadership that gets results. Since being elected to serve on the city council, I’ve worked hard to achieve my vision for Golden. This includes:

  • Protecting Golden’s small town and historic character.
  • Ensuring that our community thrives.
  • Spearheading the Golden Sustainability Initiative
  • Ensuring that our government remains open and accessible to the community.
  • Ensuring fiscal responsibility.

Read more about my campaign platform and my 2007 city council priorities.

 

Smith for Golden Campaign Committee: Povy Kendal Atchison and Lloyd Athearn, Tom and Alice Atkins, Frederick and Annette Barta, Gina Brown, Wanda and Elliot Brown, Saoirse Charis-Graves, Preston Driggers, Jeff Goldanloo, Carole Hickam, Roger Mattson, Sean McVay, Leslie and Josh Pollock, Fred and Karen Setzer, Vera Smith, Dave Wann

Other Endorsers: Philip Baker, Jan Battiste, Erik Berg, Mary and Jeff Block, Kimberly Brock, Craig and Margaret Brown, Monica Buhligh, Susan Buhr, Kevin Costenaro, Chuck Courtad, Bryan Cross, Ginny Cowles, Judy Denison, John Dorgan, Vista Exline, Bill and Kathy Fisher, Edee Gail, Sarah Gorecki, Gwyn Green, Linda Grey and Terry Root, Don and Gretchen Guerra, Jerry Hodgden, Tom Hoffman, Ken Jacobs, John Kirby, William Kistler, Mike Klis and Becky Marston-Klis, Leslie and Vince Markovchick, Pat Martinek, Glen Maynard, Tamra McBride and Ed McIlvain, Julie McClanahan, Rob Medina, Karen Middleton, Hillary and John Mizia, Sara Molden, Scott and Brittany Morrissey, Paul Neustedter, Robert Paulson, Susan Peacock, Brian Reed and Julia Atkins, Tim Rehder, Susan Rhea, Julie Sexton, Richard and Dianne Sievers, Merrilyn and Steve Tarlton, Julia Taylor, Win Taylor, Jacob Waples, Lynda Wentworth,
Judy Wilkinson, Jarett Zuboy, The Augusta Group

 

Add your name to my list of endorsers by emailing me.