Lowering Costs & Growing the Economy

Every day, Longmont residents are feeling more and more stretched by the impact of rising prices. 

While the city can’t address macroeconomic issues by ourselves, there are things we can do to grow our economy and reduce strain on working class residents.

Small business is the heart of our community. Jake will work with and support community partners at Longmont Economic Development Partners and the Chamber of Commerce to diversify our business base and fill vacant anchor stores like the old Safeway on Pace, lowering costs for families by encouraging competition, supporting local businesses, and creating affordable retail spaces that give more options for residents.  

Too many entrepreneurs are running out of financing before they can even open their doors—stuck in a slow and expensive permitting process. Banks and commercial landlords are taking note, making it even harder for small businesses to secure the support they need unless they can fully self-finance. That’s not sustainable, and it’s pushing our economy in the wrong direction, limiting competition and leaving big corporations as the only viable option.

We need to fix this by streamlining permitting, making it easier for local businesses to get up and running. At the same time, Longmont should be thinking bigger about how we use our commercial spaces. Adaptive reuse—turning underutilized buildings into opportunities for small businesses, community spaces, and even affordable housing—can help us revitalize key areas of the city while keeping Longmont affordable and dynamic. By embracing smart growth strategies like infill, density where it makes sense, and adaptive reuse, we can foster a business environment that works for everyone—not just the biggest players.

More directly, the city itself needs to do its part to lower the burden it places on our community. Over the last several years, our residents have seen dramatic increases in fees and utility rates. While many of these rate increases may have been justifiable at the time, the time is now to recognize that working people are hurting and the city must do more to lower the direct costs we place on residents. As a member of council, Jake will push for reductions in utility rates, and pledge that he will never vote to support a flat rate increase for utilities without an associated cost offset that Longmont residents will feel.