Alexander Gouldsmith

I’m running for Wheat Ridge City Council for my daughter. The decisions being made today will shape our district for the decades to come, and I want to ensure we’re building an inclusive, safe, and thriving community for her, and all families to grow up in. I imagine a neighborhood where kids walk to school, grab ice cream with friends, or trick-or-treat safely along welcoming streets. That vision drives my belief in creating better pedestrian and bike-friendly infrastructure across our city. In District 2, 44th Avenue is our backbone, yet it's dangerous and inaccessible without a car. We need a continuous, protected corridor from Anderson Park to Sheridan, connecting community gems like Happiness Gardens, Apel-Bacher Park, Hopper Hollow, and Randall Park. From there, we can create branches that link to 38th, The Green, and the Lutheran Legacy Campus. These connections aren’t just about getting around, they’re about equity, safety, and belonging. My civic engagement began shortly after moving to Wheat Ridge. I served on the Race and Equity Task Force from 2021 to 2023, eventually as chair, where I helped craft a 50-page report with 93 recommendations to make Wheat Ridge more inclusive. Many recommendations have become reality, including when the IDEA Committee (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility) was formed in 2024, for which I now serve as chairperson. I also sit on the Community Grant Partnership Program, helping distribute $200,000 to 43 local nonprofits last year. I’m a JeffCo Master Gardener and dedicated volunteer at Happiness Gardens. While the vegetables are the reward, I find the most joy in tending to the front flower beds, nurturing native species that support pollinators in our neighborhood. Community gardens offer more than food, they offer connection. We need more Third Places like community gardens, where residents can gather that’s not work or home. Places to help our community grow together and get to know each other. I want to see Wheat Ridge be a self-sustaining community, where our residents shop, eat, and spend their leisure time locally. I want to make it feasible for people to live where they work, and work where they live. Neighborhoods where residents buy from their neighbors and a community where together, we build a stronger, more connected local economy. These changes are within reach. And I’m running because I believe our city is worth fighting for, not just for my daughter, but for everyone who calls Wheat Ridge home.

If elected, I will work with city staff to expand civic education and outreach so more residents feel empowered to participate and even run for office themselves. Local government should be approachable, not intimidating. Leadership should reflect the diversity and voices of our entire community.

Scott has lived in Wheat Ridge for the past 20 years raising his 2 kids. He owns his own company (Grounded By Design, LLC) and is a Landscape Architect. He is the current incumbent city council member for District 2 and first ran in 2022 unopposed. Before serving on council, he was a part of the Wheat Ridge Planning Commission, on the board of Localworks, and served on the Wheat Ridge Building Code Advisory Board.