Reno is my place.
Service is my story.
ISSUES & DECISION MAKING
"I believe that our city exists to serve its citizens. I believe that elected officials are meant to serve their constituents, not themselves. As your Ward 2 representative I will strive to listen to all constituents, do extensive research, and challenge the status quo when it comes to making decisions on your behalf. We must make decisions that are future-thinking and that are focused on helping everyone in our community thrive. Listening is one of the most important parts of being a leader and service must be at the core of being an elected official."
ISSUES FOR RENO
CITY BUDGET
The City of Reno is facing one of its biggest budget crises in decades and our elected officials will need to make tough choices to lead us out of this crisis. Simply raising taxes on small businesses and non-profits will not get us out of this crisis. Ignoring the sustained loss of revenues will not get us out of this crisis. Eliminating important jobs and essential services will not get us out of this crisis. The City Council will have to dive deep into the City's budget, infrastructure investments, and revenue expectations and realign them to bring us back into balance. This will require fiscal restraint and creativity.
I have many years of experience in managing large budgets including for government agencies, non-profits, and my small business. When tax-payer money is being spent and invested it needs to be done in a transparent, effective, and responsible way. I am ready to help Reno address the long-term budget issues it faces and will prioritize investments that help our community members thrive.
COST OF LIVING
Like many cities around the country, Reno's cost-of-living has created barriers for many residents. From the housing shortage, to the cost of groceries, it has become expensive to try and thrive in our city and make ends meet. Housing and the houseless are two major issues that Reno will continue to need to work on addressing in the next 10 years.
We need to look at creative ways that other cities are addressing cost-of-living issues before we drive good people away who cannot afford to live here. While the City of Reno cannot solve all of the problems related to affordability, we need to demonstrate leadership on this front and help the citizens of Reno feel as supported as possible. Our economy has changed dramatically in the last 20 years and we need to be thinking ahead 20 years when making decisions about housing, development, and growth.
TRANSPARENCY & TRUST
Too many decisions that affect the citizens of Reno have been heavily influenced behind closed doors. This has led to policies and allowances that give too much power to the wealthy and well-funded special interest groups. We need leaders who are transparent and disclose who is influencing their decision making. We need leaders who will not let money be the primary driver of their decision making. Our City Council members and Mayor need to be transparent. With the opportunity to elect a new Mayor and several City Council members in 2026 we can make our local government more transparent and accountable. We have an opportunity to bring new leadership and new perspectives to the table and I am excited to be part of the new leadership for Reno.
CYCLING & PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY TOWN
There is almost nothing I love more than walking and biking around this beautiful town. There are some amazing walking and biking opportunities in Reno, but there are also still many barriers in various locations and connectivity can always be improved. With an average walk score of 40, bike score of 52, and transit score of 24 (according to walkscore.com), Reno has room to improve. Anyone who gets around primarily by foot, bike, or transit knows this. I will always be the advocate for improving on these metrics as the City Council makes development decisions. These improvements are critical to safety and quality of life and they will be assets that will ultimately attract people to Reno.
SENSE OF PLACE
So many of us who have thrived in this region have a "sense of place" for this wonderful city. We take pride in our local businesses, our beautiful outdoor spaces, our artists, and our community members. I want everyone to have the opportunity to develop this sense of place whether they are new to our community or have lived here their entire lives. We need to focus on what makes Reno special and continue to be forward thinking as our economy continues to evolve in new directions. Reno can be a place that people want to come to and commit to if we can keep our "sense of place" as a guide for decision-making. We need to invest in what makes Reno special and as our budget changes we need to prioritize the services and resources that make people want to live here.
NON-PROFIT & SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
As a small business owner and former non-profit employee I know how hard it is to create an organization that can thrive. The City has made progress in improving customer service to our local businesses (including non-profits which are also businesses), but there is still room for improvement and I am passionate about working with city staff to help small businesses thrive. Non-profits often fill in the service gaps that municipalities and other government entities cannot provide and they deserve support and recognition for their work. As our city deals with the budget crisis, non-profits will become even more important and our leaders need to build relationships and partnerships that help them succeed.