League of Women Voters Guide (2015)

What in your education and experience make you qualified for this position?

In the past, I have served on a village planning commission and city historic preservation, and worked for city government and county government. I currently work for a nearby township, providing support for the township board, planning commission, and zoning board of appeals. I feel it’s important to have somebody who has been involved in the day-to-day operation of local government sharing that knowledge to help make policy.

My education in architecture and urban planning will be useful with current once-in-a-lifetime projects that are happening in the city.

What are your specific goals should you be elected and how will you work to accomplish them?

There are only 650 characters to list specific goals and how to achieve them!? Yikes.

It is important to include as many voices as possible in governance, so I would listen to colleagues, make myself available to the public, and try to get people engaged in their city government.

To ensure even better fiscal health, I would advocate for multiple-year budgets.

When investing in public facilities and infrastructure, I would advocate for a long-term view that incorporates life-cycle costs, like maintenance, repairs, operation, and replacement.

What actions would you take to ensure the character and vitality of downtown Dexter?

The city should make sure that the public amenities downtown are maintained in good condition and continue to invest in improvements. We should take action to allow for more residential opportunities in and near downtown and encourage reinvestment in private properties. We should work with partners to continue and develop new programming and events.

Which areas of the city budget would you fight to retain or increase? Which areas would you be willing to cut?

I believe the current council has done a good job of budgeting. Before committing to any increases or cutting, I would prefer to have conversations with the department heads. In general, though, I would prefer to reduce the City’s reliance on offering tax breaks for companies to locate or expand here. Instead, I would prefer to have direct some of those monies towards reducing the general property tax rates and investing in quality of life improvements that everybody benefits from.

What can city council do to ensure that Dexter is a great place for families to live?

City council should listen to its residents and provide the services and quality of life that its residents desire. In some circumstances, this will require partnering with other entities, private, public, and nonprofit.