On the Issues
I want to work with you to keep Juneau a safe, resilient, and special place to raise a family, start a business, and retire. Through my job as a legislative assistant, and when I’m out in the community, I hear from our neighbors and know Juneau cares about:
Focus on the Immediate Issues
Pass a balanced and sustainable budget. Cuts in the state budget are directly impacting our city’s budget. We need to evaluate and prioritize spending, protect fund balances and reserves, and ensure our revenue and taxation is fair and adequate.
Improve public safety. Neighbors have told me they don’t feel as safe as they used to. I will work to ensure our police and prosecutors have the tools and resources they need, and that we’re doing what we can to keep dangerous drugs out of our community. Offenders need to be held responsible for their actions, but we also need to offer support to those battling addiction and mental health disorders.
Address homelessness. Too many of our fellow neighbors are experiencing homelessness. The causes are numerous, but we can help those neighbors, and our local businesses and entire community, by supporting Housing First and others providing services, keeping the cost of living down, reducing avenues that lead to chronic inebriation, and creating good jobs.
Building A Better Future
Determine the economy of tomorrow. The world is changing rapidly and Juneau has so much to offer: people want to visit here, our recreational opportunities are vast, natural resources are plentiful, and arts and culture are world-class. We must think about what we want our economy and community to be in the future. I’m thinking about resiliency, diversity, and sustainability -all good goals, but I want to hear more from you.
Start the conversation on sustainable tourism. In 2019, Juneau will receive around 1.3 million cruise ship visitors. We are all feeling the impacts. How can we find a solution where locals maintain their high quality of life and visitors have a quality experience? We, as a community, should have this conversation.
Take action on climate. We are already seeing a changing climate and the impacts it brings: more severe weather, impacts on our natural systems and fisheries, a receding glacier. I believe we have a moral imperative to take action. Reducing emissions, switching to renewable energy sources, conserving energy and resources not only are the right things to do for our planet, they can save taxpayers money and lead to the development of new and diverse industries and services.
Keeping Juneau a Great Place to Live
Prioritize education. Our children are our future, and investment in them now will lead to big returns -and reduced costs- later. Funding their education is a top priority of mine.
Keep the cost of living down. Juneau is an expensive place to live. The city only has control over so much, but I want to help where we can by keeping the property tax flat, increasing housing options, and improving government efficiency.
Increase childcare options and reduce cost. Childcare is a huge issue for Juneau families and one that prevents young professionals from moving to town. The Assembly has taken action recently, but we can do more: schools could house private child care centers, and the city could partner with businesses and other organizations to provide more slots and improve quality.
Create good jobs. Everyone needs a job to help support themselves and their families. The city’s responsibility is to provide a good climate for businesses to invest and grow. We should also utilize our capital budget and marine passenger fees to build and maintain infrastructure that benefits our community while creating good jobs.