What Do Golden's 2025 Candidates Say About Food Needs?

Golden United Housing Task Force
Oct 27
10 min read

Hunger Free Golden is a community-based collaborative committed to identifying and addressing challenges that many members of our Golden community face in providing for their food needs. Their membership includes direct service providers, connectors, funders, and policy change advocates, all working together on the implementation of their 2023-2028 Strategic Plan (https://hungerfreegolden.org/strategic-plan-23-28).

In the first 7 months of 2025, the three main food pantries in Golden (BGoldN, Calvary Food Shelf and Golden Pantry & Thrift) have seen significant increases in access from the same time period in 2024.

The number of different households who are now accessing local pantries has increased by almost 40%
The number of visits by those households has increased by 35%
The pounds of food being distributed has increased by 32%

Food insecurity is a growing need in our Golden community.

Hunger Free Golden asked the 2025 candidates for Golden City Council to respond to two questions. Here are the answers from the candidates who responded.

From Don Cameron—Ward 3:

Many individuals and families in our Golden community struggle with food insecurity. Do you consider this to be an important issue to address and, if so, what steps would you take to support the work currently being done in our community?

Food and shelter are the foundation of Maslow’s hierarchy, and I believe the same is true for communities. We can only invest in arts, culture, and civic goods when basic needs are met. Yet too many families struggle to afford healthy food because of larger systemic failures—our broken healthcare system that drives medical debt, the lack of affordable housing, and poorly built homes that push up utility bills. These pressures add up, leaving people unable to put food on the table.

The City can play a role by addressing housing costs and sustainability, but those are long-term solutions. Right now, ensuring access to healthy food is essential for a community that lives up to its stated values. As Vision 2030 reminds us: “A healthy and sustainable community for today and for those who follow.” If providing food isn’t central to that vision, I don’t know what is.

That’s why I admire Hunger Free Golden. They see the need, they act, and they bring together partners who care. Government isn’t the solution, but it is part of the solution—working in partnership to make sure no one in Golden goes hungry.

Hunger Free Golden currently receives some funding from the Marijuana Excise Tax Funds. What other funding sources do you support to address food insecurity in our Golden community?

When we talk about funding food security, the real question is what public sources we’re willing to support. One idea I’ve championed for years is a “round-up” feature on utility bills, where residents can round up to the nearest dollar. Just a few pennies a month—never more than 49 cents—across 4,000 water taps could build a fund to help neighbors cover water or trash bills, freeing up dollars for food. It’s a small step that adds up and shows neighbors helping neighbors.

Another option is directing grocery bag fees toward food aid. We could also look at behavioral-based revenue sources, like how Mexico used a sugar tax to both change habits and raise funds. While I wouldn’t propose specifics without broader input, we could consider whether a modest “sin tax” could serve a dual purpose here.

Ultimately, public funding is about tradeoffs. As with Maslow’s hierarchy, we need a community conversation about priorities—whether it’s deferring sidewalk replacements, shifting contributions to different nonprofits, or finding ways to ease housing burdens. Food insecurity shouldn’t be treated as a zero-sum game—it’s literally life or death—but we must be honest that with public dollars, choices matter.

These answers were edited, but not created, with the help of AI.

From Emily Kurzinski—Ward 1:

Food insecurity is indeed an important issue that I hold close to my heart. My policy perspective is simple: if you are hungry, you deserve to eat, and our city policies must always put people first. As someone who has been food insecure in the past, I can say from experience that not having access to reliable and nutritious food can affect numerous aspects of your life. It can also feel like an invisible wall that you are fighting against to even reach out and begin receiving assistance here, or know that you qualify. I have also been on the other side of the coin too, where I worked for a farmers market in West Virginia trying to get the word out about and increase utilization of our SNAP redemption program. It can be challenging, on both ends. Especially because we continue to stare down state and federal funding cuts to these critical programs with increasing demand in these economic times. We must work together as a community to tackle this problem, and the City Council’s role is to ensure that work is supported, organized, and adequately funded. I support continued community outreach, city sponsored awareness, event drives, research effort, and fund direction. We need to encourage the community why it is important to work together here and donate/direct funds, as well as encourage those who are hungry to use available resources. I would promote identifying and trying new and creative ideas to these solutions, as well as continuing and expanding our successful ones today such as our backpack programs, GoFarm, community gardens, and more. We need to also ensure that our city based grants and supporting departments, like Thriving Communities, remain within the budget and funding increases over time to match the severity of the growing problem at hand. I believe in ensuring that all members of our Golden community have access to the basic human right of sustenance. I will be an advocate for that balance on City Council.

Hunger Free Golden currently receives some funding from the Marijuana Excise Tax Funds. What other funding sources do you support to address food insecurity in our Golden community?

While I am a proponent of continuing support for directing funds from the Marijuana Excise tax, I think we should have more dedicated funding streams with higher reliability when it comes to supporting a critical need like food insecurity. I believe that we should include food security as a non-discretionary priority in the city’s general fund budget. This would promote more consistent funding to keep up with the needs and increased demand of our people, where we are facing a shortage today. I would love a world where no one would ever face hard times and everyone is fed, but food insecurity is a problem that we must regularly be prepared to handle. To me, this means regular funding. I would also help champion securing any larger countywide or statewide grant funding. While grants are being continually threatened in this space, they are out there. I support efforts that would help our community and organizations secure this grant funding or research/matching funds. Lastly, I am a proponent of looking at a portion of our lodging tax revenue as a funding avenue for our local organizations and city departments that work towards this cause. Tourism, while beneficial, is known to cause strain on our residents. We should take this opportunity to turn a negative strain into a positive reduction on a bigger community issue.

From Sandra Knecht—Ward 4:

I absolutely think this an important issue to address. I’ve been a vocal supporter for the great work that Hunger Free Golden does to support folks struggling with food security. I think consistently bringing attention to the fact that these challenges exist is important because action starts with awareness. Helping folks find opportunities to engage to support their fellow community members is a great start. I’m always surprised when I engage with folks who aren’t yet aware of the food security challenges some in our community face. I think it’s a valuable investment from the city to contribute financial support to alleviate food insecurity, and I’d like to see it continue and expand when possible and fiscally responsible. At least, until we reach the idealized day that these challenges no longer exist and all Golden Community members have equitable access to fresh and nourishing food.

Hunger Free Golden currently receives some funding from the Marijuana Excise Tax Funds. What other funding sources do you support to address food insecurity in our Golden community?

I understand what a boon it was to create an additional revenue source with the Marijuana excise tax, as new revenue sources are hard to come by. I’d like to see Golden continuing to seek additional opportunities through grants and public-private partnerships. I know that those grant opportunities are challenging and difficult to come by, and I appreciate that it's been a focus in Golden. I’m so appreciative of the dedication from the folks in the Hunger Free Golden umbrella and the collaboration of those efforts. I also think it’s important to continuously monitor the investments made with the proceeds from the Lodging and Marijuana Excise taxes to evaluate that we’re seeing the outcomes that our community needs and desires. Always, but especially in these times of economic uncertainty it’s important that we maintain the priorities that help keep Golden connected and thriving.

From Loretta Huff—Ward 3:

I do consider food insecurity an important issue. As I read through the Strategic Plan for Hunger Free Golden (HFG), it is clear that much work has already been done to consider how best to serve those in need by individuals who are much more knowledgeable than I am in this area. It is less clear to me how HFG itself is organized and functions. My first step, always, is to learn more from the experts before trying to solve a problem with limited knowledge.

In reading through the strategic plan, I particularly noted the identification of needs beyond just giving food. One item stood out to me in particular. It was a need to ensure recipients knew how to prepare meals from the supplies that might be most readily available from community food resources.

With that background, I would ask these questions of those partnering under the Hunger Free Golden umbrella: What support is needed? What can be improved in the current model? What needs do you see as most critical? Can the cost / benefit of each be measured, even loosely, to focus on those creating the biggest impact? How do these impacts compare to other issues the City is working to address?

Hunger Free Golden currently receives some funding from the Marijuana Excise Tax Funds. What other funding sources do you support to address food insecurity in our Golden community?

HFG has had funds set aside in the City’s budget since 2023. Approximately 50% of the funds collected from Marijuana-related taxes and fees have been dedicated to addressing food insecurity. This amount has grown from $100,000 in 2023 to $250,000 in 2025. The amount for 2026 is not specifically listed in documents I can access but is expected to remain the same or increase.

Dollars allocated to Hunger Free Golden must be evaluated against the other needs and wants the Golden budget must fund. My personal opinion is based on my understanding of funding allocation. I would put forward these two areas as examples of spending that I would review for reallocating.

First, I would eliminate the use of the Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers owned by the City being subsidized by the City. I have nothing against EV cars nor their owners; I simply don’t believe the City should be charging a rate that does not cover the cost of the service provided. My analysis is dated, having been completed when the rates were being set in 2024. But, I have seen nothing that would indicate the costs associated with EV chargers are covered by the fees charged. These funds could be redirected.

Second, I would like to review the in-depth analysis that reallocated $350,000 to the Arts and Culture Commission. I support the arts and have served as Chair of the Board of Directors for one of the smaller organizations likely to benefit from these funds. I would still like to understand the background for the decision – both the original intent of the Lodging Tax and the determination of the amount to be allocated.

I look forward to a more detailed conversation with other councilors on areas they think should be examined.

From Gerchard Pfau—Ward 2:

Food security is important and real. The main causes of food insecurity are loss of a job (or a furlough), rising costs vs. stagnant wages or fixed incomes, loss of a family member, and/or leaving a tough family situation.

There are three reasons to care about hunger:

Compassion – no one should experience hunger and no one chooses this
Productivity – workers, children in school, and seniors are at their best when they have nourishment
Economic – Food insecurity lowers the amount of money going into the economy. Alleviating it allows families to meet their other needs which leads to more money going into the economy.

I support Golden’s large, active group of residents, city staff, nonprofits and businesses supporting efforts to address hunger. I support working with this group of residents as the best way to continue our efforts in Golden. They are well positioned to advise and request support from the city and businesses.

Engage with our businesses to see how they can give back to the community
Coordinate outreach efforts with businesses to connect their employees to resources
Encourage and determine interest in additional locations for community gardens within Golden, particularly near our manufactured home parks
Incentivize businesses to accept SNAP and WIC
Reach out to CSM to find out the needs of students and look for solutions
Enhance Orecart Routes to ensure transit that connects residents to our local food resources

Hunger Free Golden currently receives some funding from the Marijuana Excise Tax Funds. What other funding sources do you support to address food insecurity in our Golden community?

As you mention, the city supports these actions through the Marijuana Tax. When the Marijuana Tax was passed it included that the revenues would go towards (see resolution 2801):

Overall efforts to ensure the physical and mental health of Golden residents
Substance abuse education and counseling
Regulatory enforcement of substances that harm health
Address harmful health impacts of food and housing insecurity

The 2025 projected income from the Marijuana Tax was $380k. As of August, the 2025 actual income is already over $400k and on track to end the year over $600k. I hope the city uses those additional funds in 2025 to supplement the current hunger needs in Golden. Assuming the 2026 income is consistent with 2025, I see room to increase the support of hunger insecurity from the Marijuana Tax income in 2026.

I consider this such an important issue that back in September I updated my campaign website to ask supporters to donate to the Food Pantry instead of donating to my campaign. Now more than ever, it’s time to step up.