Candidate Profile: Cathy Kentner For Lakewood City Council

LAKEWOOD, CO — Twelve City Council candidates are running for Lakewood's Nov. 2 municipal election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Cathy Kentner is running for Lakewood City Council - Ward 1.

Age: 54

Family

I am single parent of two, ages 16 and 21. My kids attended South Lakewood Elementary, Creighton Middle School and Lakewood High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My brother and sister-in-law work in government and politics in Chicago, IL.

Education

Masters of Music in Conducting, University of Northern Colorado; Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Music Education, University of Minnesota

Occupation

Public School Music Teacher for 30 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Bonvue Water and Sanitation District Board Member and City of Lakewood Planning Commissioner

Campaign website: CathyforLakewood.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Ward 1 must be represented by someone who puts people and Lakewood first. I have the necessary experience and background to work with the City’s legislative process, including my service on the Planning Commission, and my longtime advocacy for neighborhood issues as an independent thinker, a person who is unafraid to represent the interests and needs of our community instead of special interest demands. I have and will make informed, equitable decisions based on well-researched facts. My background as a teacher in Lakewood schools and as a single parent makes me the most qualified candidate to make decisions that protect our community from the overreach of special interests that comes at the expense of working families and those on fixed incomes.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Experience, honesty and integrity. I have the necessary experience and background to work with the City’s legislative process. I serve on the Planning Commission, and have been a longtime advocate for neighborhood issues. As an independent thinker, I am unafraid to represent the interests and needs of our community over special interest demands. I have and will make informed, equitable decisions based on well-researched facts. My background as a teacher in Lakewood schools and as a single parent makes me more qualified and willing to make decisions that protect our community from the overreach of special interests that comes at the expense of working families and those on fixed incomes.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

City officials have often been subject to county-wide decisions throughout the pandemic. Our small business grant programs have helped many business survive and even thrive throughout the pandemic. And by proactively seeking federal dollars, our City revenue actually is higher than anticipated. Of course, hindsight is 20-20 and there are two things I wish we would have done. In addition to helping small businesses, we could have aided people struggling to pay rent by directly paying their landlords who were struggling to pay mortgages. I also would have preferred Council to be more proactive in returning to in person public meetings.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Community Safety, Infrastructure, Parks and Open Space, Protecting our Natural Environment, and Redevelopment of West Colfax: These all are issues that define my platform. Details for addressing each of these issues can be found on my web site, cathyforlakewood.com

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My experience as a Planning Commissioner, Water and Sanitation District Board member, Bonvue Neighborhood Association president, and more than twenty years as an active and involved Lakewood community member has given me the knowledge and expertise to be an effective City Council member. I have helped neighborhoods advocate for protection of parks and open space, for responsible development and against warehousing of the elderly. I hear neighbors and neighborhood leaders speak of the unwise consequences of our 2012 zoning changes, and I brought together people of diverse backgrounds and party affiliations to bring positive change by initiating the grassroots Lakewood Strategic Growth Initiative.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"I'm a great believer in luck, and the harder I work the more of it I have"

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have your back. I am the candidate who will never forget that the Number One job of an elected official is to represent their constituents - the people who voted them in to office. I have stood up to special interests and, in the face of personal attacks and mudslinging, I have remained on the high road and will continue to do so.