Jacob Smith for Golden

Golden Transcript
Thursday, October 25, 2007

Candidate Endorsements: Jacob Smith should be the next mayor

Three candidates are seeking a term as the next mayor of Golden: incumbent Chuck Baroch, and city councilors Jacob Smith and Mary Weaver. All are strong in their own right and each is well qualified to serve the next four years as mayor of one of the oldest cities in the state.

In this case, we believe Smith holds the advantage over his opponents and gets our endorsement to be the next mayor of Golden.

Baroch should be commended for his years of dedicated and unabashed service to the Golden community for which he has long been part.

Baroch, however, brings an old guard, bunker-mentality approach to Golden's government and its residents. The political infighting and constant public sniping between Baroch's "Old Guard" and the dissatisfied "anti-Old Guard" must end.

In our opinion, it's time for a new approach to council. And it is the mayor who sets the course and tenor for council meetings.

Keeping in mind Baroch's connections and good working relationships with leaders and businesses in Golden and the surrounding area, we still believe it is time for a new hand at the helm.

It will take quite the challenger to unseat the incumbent, but Smith is the candidate with the qualifications.

Though Smith said he wants to keep Golden small, there has to be a proactive approach when it comes to growth.

"We've been reacting to developers' visions. As a result growth happens to us," he said. "As a community we ought to have a vision."

Smith envisions a city without an imposing beltway and also supports the 1-percent growth ordinance for residential growth. He also stresses that as far as commercial development, the city should do more than simply say "yes or no" to new buildings and projects.

In addition to pinpointing and expanding the city's vision, Smith encourages neighborhoods to create plans such as the Eighth and Ninth Street Neighborhood, which identify issues those residents wish to address.

Smith also wants to put more emphasis on the "hub of outdoor activities" Golden has to offer as well as continue to improve the city's technological infrastructure.

Though Baroch said he wants to stay the course, that isn't what Golden needs as it moves forward.

With all due respect for what Baroch has accomplished and achieved for Golden during his tenure, it is time for a new vision from a new, proactive mayor as we move toward the future.