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Vision, Mission and Values

VISION STATEMENT

To be a welcoming and thriving community where everyone can live, work and play in a safe and healthy environment.

MISSION STATEMENT

To enhance the quality of life of the Lakewood community by providing efficient public services that are responsive and fiscally prudent and with a commitment to legendary customer service.

VALUES STATEMENTS

Legendary Customer Service: We exceed the expectations of our customers and leave a lasting positive impression by delivering exceptional service.

Honest, Ethical and Trustworthy: We are truthful, transparent, and straightforward in all interactions; do what is right, just and fair; are reliable and dependable; and consistent in our commitments to each other and to our community.

Fiscally Responsible and Financially Prudent: We manage the city’s financial resources in a well-organized and cost-effective manner that benefits our community and the city organization over the long term.

Responsive and Accountable: We respond to the needs of the Lakewood community by being open, accessible, and prompt and by taking responsibility for our actions and decisions.

Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive: We strive to ensure that all members of our community have access to the city’s opportunities and resources. We recognize and embrace the differences that exist in our community and seek to create a welcoming environment in which community members feel valued and respected.

Teamwork and Collaboration: We work together and with our public partners and community members to realize our vision for Lakewood and accomplish our organizational mission using our unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives. We seek opportunities to work with others within and outside the City of Lakewood to achieve success in realizing our mission and carrying out our vision.

GOALS

To further define the City's Vision, Mission and Values statements, overall goals and outcome statements were developed and are the means through which the City of Lakewood translates its vision into practice.

GOAL: SAFE COMMUNITY

Lakewood is a safe community and prepared to protect lives and property through our partnerships with public safety agencies, the application of proven risk management practices, and public education.

GOAL: RECREATION AND LEISURE OPPORTUNITIES

Residents and visitors benefit from Lakewood’s parks, leisure facilities, public spaces, and recreational programs for all ages that promote a healthy community and make Lakewood a great place to live and play.

GOAL: HIGH PERFORMING GOVERNMENT

Lakewood is a leader in city government and effective in delivering outstanding municipal services through collaboration with public agencies and private businesses with the guidance of the Lakewood City Council.

GOAL: EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Lakewood celebrates its broad diversity and creates and enhances efforts that built on all the good in Lakewood to make the city the safest and most welcoming place it can be, for everyone.

GOAL: FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Lakewood's financial resources are managed in a responsible and prudent manner. The city makes informed decisions about how to allocate funds and maintain a balanced budget that serves the community's needs and priorities.

GOAL: WELL MAINTAINED INFRASTRUCTURE

Lakewood plans, develops, and maintains a high-quality built environment of city facilities and infrastructure that makes Lakewood livable and attractive.

GOAL: AN INFORMED AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY

Lakewood gives community members access to accurate and timely information about issues that affect them, as well as opportunities to engage in dialogue with one another and with civic leaders. Lakewood also recognizes the importance of service to the community, and actively encourages volunteerism to help youth, seniors, those in need and the community as a whole.

GOAL: ECONOMIC HEALTH AND PROSPERITY

Lakewood actively promotes a healthy and prosperous local economy and stimulates new investment to help the local economy grow and businesses to thrive.

Definitions

Vision statement:

States what the City of Lakewood achieves if it is successful, and where it wants to be in the future in an aspirational and forward-thinking manner.

Mission statement:

Defines why Lakewood uniquely exists, what it does and why it is important. The mission explains Lakewood’s plan for the present based on what it wants to achieve.

Values statement:

Values statements are Lakewood’s core principles and philosophical ideals. Values inform and guide the decisions and behaviors of the people inside the organization and signal to residents and stakeholders what is important to the city.

How Lakewood created these statements

The city formed a committee comprised of employees from across city departments.

These employees represented a diverse cross-section of our workforce, management and staff, as well as employees that are relatively new to the city and those who have worked and lived in Lakewood for many years.

The committee drafted initial statements that reflected the “Lakewood Way” – fiscal prudence, community orientation, respect for our legacy, welcoming to all and responsiveness among many others.

Additionally, Strategic Initiatives were also developed to further define the component and interdependent parts of the city’s vision and mission.

After the employee committee reviewed and approved the draft statements, it was sent to all 23 members of our city commissions and Measure L committee for review.

These residents provided valuable feedback that staff incorporated into the city council-adopted statements.

"These principles are not new to our organization,” said City Manager Thaddeus McCormack. “All are core principles we’ve held for a long time. But the City Council thought that it was important to put these principles into a single document in order to orient and educate future employees, to guide our ongoing priorities, and to remind our residents and community members about what our city is committed to.”