MONUMENT, Colo. (KOAA) — Mayor Mitch Lakind will not be running for reelection, according to a post he made on Facebook on Wednesday.
Lakind first moved to Monument in January of 2018. He has served the Monument government since he was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2020.
Lakind would go on to take the Mayor position in November of 2022. You can read Lakind's message to the community below:
After spending July thinking about what comes next, I've decided not to seek re-election as Mayor of Monument this November.
Serving this community has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. My involvement with Monument began before my election, with brief stints on the planning commission and the board of adjustments. That experience gave me an appreciation for how this town works from the ground up. Over the past six years, first as a trustee and then as mayor, I've had the privilege of working alongside residents, staff, and fellow elected officials to move Monument forward. Monument is a special place -- a town that takes its identity seriously and expects those who represent it to do the same. I have always tried to honor that expectation.
I'm proud of what we built together, including completing the town's first strategic plan in its 147-year history and advancing the comprehensive plan that will guide Monument through 2040. None of that happens without good people around you, and I had that in abundance.
I want to be clear: no one pushed me out. This decision is mine, made freely, with a clear conscience and my integrity intact.
I spent July stepping back and thinking seriously about what I wanted the next chapter to look like. The answer became clear.
To the residents of Monument: thank you. You put your trust in me, and I never took it for granted. Every decision I made was made with this community in mind. Serving you has been an honor.
"Don't blame ya one bit. You've laid out a good framework for the next chapter and cleaned up a heckuva lot of crap in a relatively short period of time. Six years in 'political leadership' years is like 64 in 'stress' years. Best of Luck!" said resident Suzanne Schwartze in a reply to the post.
Come November, residents will have a new leadership decision to make. News5 will continue to bring you the latest on who is running as the election approaches.
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