My history in Fredericksburg is one of service, through my businesses. I am deeply committed to Fredericksburg and to Ward 2, where I have lived for many, many years. I want to show that commitment by serving my community in a new way: through a seat on City Council. There are many important issues facing our City and many decisions to be made about our future. I believe I have the right connections, measurement and perspective to get that job done.
The single most pressing issue facing voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Quality of Life. And that means different things for the people in Ward 2. For some, it may mean simply a place to live that they can afford–so I support projects that will bring more affordable housing opportunities in our City. For others, it’s a thriving business scene, because our livelihoods depend on our businesses being profitable. So I support practices, initiatives and conversations that protect and enhance our small businesses. For many, quality of life means paving a path for our children through education. So I support plans aimed at improving FCPS–higher pay for our teachers, a more diversified curriculum and open dialogue about what we can do to keep from falling further behind. I support protecting our environment, today but especially in the longterm. That means I support partnerships that buy into the commitments we made to our environmental future. Even more than that, I support real and careful planning that is consistent with–not in contrast to–our environmental promises. I believe in supporting our most vulnerable citizens–the unhoused, our children, the elderly–and that means protecting the dollars in our budget that fund the services that serve them. I will be present in conversations on the dais with those community members in my mind and heart. I support preservation not just for preservation’s sake, but because Fredericksburg was built on a foundation of diversity–and of opportunities that connect us all in housing, business, education, recreation, art…So I support preserving that foundation by revitalizing and repurposing our significant structures so that we can continue to meet the changing needs of our community.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I think there are a whole host of conversations going on that foster fear and, most importantly, don’t get us any closer to resolving incredibly critical issues facing our City and Ward 2. We should be talking about our public schools, affordability in housing for our first responders, teachers and service workers, reconnecting with our at-risk community members, keeping the Rappahannock flowing healthily, controlling food waste and feeding our hungry, assisting our ALICE community members, keeping our small business owners profitable, development that makes us better and not just bigger…I could name more topics that deserve our attention. The point is, these are the things that need to be addressed as Fredericksburg moves into the future. So as we approach election day, these are the ONLY things we should be talking about. Candidates who focus on anything else are, in my opinion, irresponsibly out of touch.