In The News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2025
Contact: Stephen Elkins (720-500-4025)
Filed Candidate for Aurora City Council Ward I
STEPHEN ELKINS FILES CANDIDACY FOR AURORA CITY COUNCIL WARD I
AURORA-- Stephen Elkins, a community advocate in Northwest Aurora, filed his candidacy for Aurora City Council Ward I on Monday.
“Ward I is at a crossroads. We need a leader who can not only do the basics–return phone calls, answer emails, and connect residents with city government–but can lead on the important issues of public safety, economic development, and accountability and transparency,” Elkins said. Elkins felt compelled to run after attending a community meeting where it was clear community members and business owners were neither being heard nor were their issues being addressed. “We need a Councilmember not just for the moment, but for the many moments to come as we shape Ward I’s future together. Our Ward, especially those who as if they don’t have a voice in city government, cannot afford 4 more years of the public safety issues and disinvestment we have experienced. Now is the time for a leader who will represent all residents regardless of their views and experiences to ensure the very real issues we face are addressed now and in the future. I am that leader who will get it done for Ward I.”
Elkins, a resident of the Jewell Heights neighborhood, is known as a passionate advocate for his community at neighborhood and Council meetings providing knowledgeable, focused, and measured insight on the issues that matter to his neighbors. Elkins is also a member of the Mabry Safety Collective, a grassroots neighborhood group focused on public safety issues in Northwest Aurora, including the closure of the now-infamous The Edge at Lowry. “The Edge at Lowry showed us that our City is not prepared for a crisis. We must learn from the Del Mar Parkway neighborhood’s lived experiences with this troubled property by reforming our city government to be able to effectively manage the crises of today and tomorrow.”
A common-sense, solutions-oriented candidate for Ward I, Elkins pledges to run a campaign centered on public safety, accountability and transparency in local government, and a collaborative approach to the issues. He is focused on bringing the community together in a time when people feel increasingly disconnected from city government. “We shouldn’t be afraid to speak hard truths about the very real issues facing Ward I. I have faith in my neighbors to raise the issues that they face so we can face them together, and am excited to share our message of people-centered approaches to the problems we all face” Elkins said.
Elkins will be holding an official campaign launch at a local business in Ward I in the upcoming weeks, detailing his vision for Ward I alongside local leaders and community members.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2025
Contact: Stephen Elkins (720-500-4025)
Candidate for Aurora City Council Ward I
ELKINS APPLAUDS CLOSURE OF THE EDGE AT LOWRY, CALLS FOR CHANGES TO ADDRESS FUTURE CRISES
AURORA-- Stephen Elkins, candidate for Aurora's Ward I Council seat, applauded the City’s closure of the Edge at Lowry apartment complex. "I applaud the leadership of our City's elected officials, City Manager, Police Chief, and Municipal Court for recognizing and abating the public safety issues at the Edge at Lowry, and am grateful that Edge residents could be relocated to safe, habitable housing." Elkins said, "For some, the Edge at Lowry was simply part of their news scrolling as it made national and international news. But for Ward I residents, particularly Del Mar Parkway neighbors and Edge residents, violent crime and its horrific impacts were part of their daily lives for far too long. It is clear that Ward I deserves better representation at Council."
Elkins stressed the importance of proactive community engagement due to the violence and human suffering at the now-infamous apartment complex. "I joined the Mabry Safety Collective after attending a Ward I town hall meeting because it was clear that not only was something happening at the Edge, but some at our City struggled to accept that the issues were real, let alone take the steps needed to resolve them." he said.
Elkins continued by saying that his approach if elected would be to focus on problem-solving and resolution over assigning blame. "Months ago at a City Council meeting, I asked the City to hire outside counsel to investigate the issues and timeline regarding the presence of Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Aurora. I continue to believe that Ward I residents deserve answers as to how this crisis started, evolved, and ultimately ended.", Elkins said.
He also implored the City to learn from the hard lessons of the Edge at Lowry crisis. "We must be unafraid of the tough conversations raised by this human tragedy, and never find ourselves unprepared for it again. Our City needs an emergency operations activation plan with staff supported by communications proactively shared with the public. We also must examine and update existing City codes and policies to ensure that declining buildings can be abated swiftly as public safety and health issues begin to arise."
"Simply speaking, Ward I deserves a Councilmember who is willing to listen to residents, get out there themselves, see what they are seeing, and respond proactively to ensure their local government fulfills its core responsibilities to them", Elkins said. "I am running for Ward I because I know that we can do better, and we cannot afford more of the same lack of leadership."
CONTACT
Paid for by Stephen Elkins For Ward I - 1355 Scranton St Aurora CO 80011