AURORA | Aurora church and community leader Rev. Reid Hettich, a city resident for more than three decades, has announced his candidacy for the Ward I City Council seat.
“Now is the time to reimagine Northwest Aurora,” Pastor Hettich said in his campaign announcement. “Ward 1 holds the roots of our city, and together, we can transform it into a thriving, vibrant community. The challenges we face today are opportunities for positive, lasting change.”
Hettich is currently the sole candidate who has officially filed to run for an open Aurora City Council seat. In the upcoming November election, positions in Wards I, II and III, along with two at-Large seats, will be contested. Incumbent Ward I Councilmember, Crystal Murillo, who is serving her second term, did not respond to inquiries from The Sentinel regarding whether she intends to seek a third and final term.
Hettich brings more than 20 years of dedicated service to Aurora, focusing on community revitalization, equity and public safety.
Known as Aurora’s “historic heart,” Hettich said Ward I faces significant challenges, including boarded-up buildings, substandard housing conditions, and a reputation for crime along East Colfax Avenue.
He said he has traveled nationwide with community groups, elected officials and business leaders, researching and learning about successful urban revitalization efforts. His campaign will address those issues while fostering revitalization without gentrification and displacing long-term residents.
“Reid Hettich is a trusted and proven leader who has dedicated his life to serving this community,” Arapahoe County Commissioner Rhonda Fields said in a statement endorsing Hettich. Her foundation is partners with Hettich in a Colfax community center.”His deep understanding of Ward 1’s needs, combined with his vision for unity and revitalization, make him the right choice for City Council.”
Hettich is executive director and founder of Mosaic Unlimited, a church-based organization, co-owner of the Dayton Street Opportunity Center, chairperson of Aurora’s Key Community Response Team, a member of the Community Advisory Council for Aurora’s Consent Decree and a host of other community boards and programs.
One notable point of pride for Hettich was worked he did with Aurora Public Schools to connect mentors with at-risk students to help improve their chances of graduating. The mentors he helped connect the students with lead to an 80% on-time graduation rate for participants. The 2021 story previously appeared in the Sentinel.
“The reason I love that story is it was a hands-on way for the community to engage with a challenge,” he said in the article. “I love those kinds of projects where you bring the community together to do what they really want to do — to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Hettich moved to Aurora in 1985 to start a church and later founded Mosaic Church, a multiethnic congregation dedicated to serving the diverse communities in Ward I. Through his work, he has addressed critical needs in the area, including housing, food security and access to healthcare. The Dayton Street Opportunity Center, which Hettich co-founded, has become a cornerstone of support for local residents, offering resources ranging from free medical care to job training.
“I’ve spent decades working alongside the people of this community, and I understand what it takes to make meaningful change,” Hettich said in a statement. “Ward I deserves leadership that listens, acts, and delivers. I’m ready to work on day one.”
Sounds good to me