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SERVING LAKEWOOD WARD 3 WITH PURPOSE & INTEGRITY

VISION & PRIORITIES

I ran for City Council because I believe government should work with people, not just for them, and never against them. Since being elected in March through a special election, I’ve focused on rebuilding trust through transparency, accessibility, and real community engagement.

In just a few short months, I completed a Ward 3 Listening Tour, started topic-based roundtables with passionate residents, and laid the groundwork for a Unhoused Advisory Committee. This work is about staying rooted in community, not politics as usual.

I’m running for a full four-year term to keep doing this work, and to co-create the kind of Lakewood where every resident feels seen, heard, and represented.

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01 TRUST, TRANSPARENCY & ENGAGEMENT

 
What We've Co-Created So Far:

  • A Ward 3 Listening Tour to hear directly from neighbors and elevate community priorities

  • Issue-based Community Advisory Circles focused on housing, small business, bike infrastructure, and more

  • The foundation of an Unhoused Advisory Committee to bring lived experience into city conversations


What We’re Still Co-Creating:

  • A full network of ongoing topic-specific roundtables centered around veterans, LGBTQ+ voices, youth, seniors, transportation, and neighborhood-specific concerns

  • A Youth Advisory Council to engage the next generation in city leadership

  • Expanding multilingual outreach and deepening neighborhood-level engagement

02 BALANCED & RESPONSIBLE GROWTH

What We’ve Co-Created So Far:

  • Hosted zoning code roundtables to bring residents into the citywide code rewrite

  • Broke down complex land use conversations into clear, accessible info

  • Advocated for a lens of sustainability, equity, and affordability throughout the zoning update process

  • Pushed for increased city staff communication to support broader resident understanding

 

What We’re Still Co-Creating:

  • Deeper community engagement before first and second readings of the zoning code

  • Alignment between planning documents and climate action goals

  • Collaborative development that reflects neighborhood identity and housing needs

03 A PEOPLE-FIRST ECONOMY

What We’ve Co-Created So Far:

  • Laid the groundwork for a Lakewood Small Business Summit

  • Began working with economic development, chambers, and business associations to build partnerships

  • Started designing a small business roundtable to hear directly from entrepreneurs

 

What We’re Still Co-Creating:

  • A full, community-facing Small Business Summit rooted in education, opportunity, and collaboration

  • Strategies to repurpose vacant commercial properties into business and community space

  • A clearer, more accessible permitting process to reduce red tape

04 PROTECTING NATURAL SPACES & INVESTING IN YOUTH

 

What We’ve Co-Created So Far:

  • Met with local and regional sustainability and climate action groups

  • Continued conversations about the future of open space, urban tree cover, and equitable park access

  • Started planning frameworks that consider youth engagement alongside environmental priorities

 

What We’re Still Co-Creating:

  • Stronger safeguards for existing green spaces and expanded access in underserved areas

  • A youth-centered approach to programming, especially after the closure of the Boys & Girls Club

  • Better alignment between sustainability goals and city development priorities

PROGRESS WITH PURPOSE

“Progress with Purpose” isn’t just a slogan, it’s a promise.

A promise to lead with intention, listen before acting, and make space for voices that are too often left out.
It means building government that invites people in, not just checks a box.
It means making growth equitable, thoughtful, and rooted in what people actually need.
It means supporting the small and micro-businesses that form the heart of our community.
And it means putting sustainability and youth at the center of how we shape the future.

 
My promise is simple:
To keep showing up.
To lead with transparency and care.
To co-create, not control.
And to build a Lakewood that works with us, not around us.

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MEET KEN

I wasn’t born into politics. I was raised in Weld County by a single mom and my grandparents, my abuelito, a World War II veteran who worked multiple jobs, and my mom, a single mother raising two boys. There was a time we relied on public assistance, Medicaid, food stamps, and housing support. But my mom used that as a launchpad, not a landing place. She went back to school, found a full-time job, and eventually bought our first home.

Then, when I was still a kid, I lost my brother to murder. That moment changed everything. But my mom taught me something I carry with me today, forgiveness, grace, and the responsibility to care for others, even when it’s hard.

I started at the bottom. I showed up early. Stayed late. I built two businesses from scratch with my partner, Jayson. I worked my way into rooms I didn’t always feel invited to because I believed that if I could just get a chance, I’d do something meaningful with it.

Now, as your City Councilmember, I carry that same work ethic and humility into public service. Since being elected, I’ve launched a Listening Tour across Ward 3, helped create Lakewood’s first Unhoused Advisory Committee, laid the foundation for a Small Business Summit, and opened the door for issue-based roundtables so neighbors can help shape policy, not just respond to it.

I believe in co-creating, not just representing.
I believe government should be a launchpad for small business owners, for families, for seniors, and for anyone who’s ever felt unseen. And I believe in building trust, not just by being present, but by proving that your voice shapes what happens next.

I’m proud to call Lakewood home. And I’m running for re-election because I’m not done showing up. Let’s keep building together.

THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CO-CREATE IT

WE'RE GRATEFUL
FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Ken needs your support! Contribute now to help make his vision a reality and make our city a better place.

 $25

GET INVOLVED AND IMPACT OUR CAMPAIGN

Be a Part of Progress with Purpose!

JOIN AS
Volunteer

EMAIL US TODAY: info@CruzForLakewood.com

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