Submitted Biography
I served in the Air Force for 26 years, retiring as a Colonel. During my career I led organizations and served on staffs, honing a variety of skills that will be useful as a member of City Council. As a member of the El Paso County Planning Commission (and its Chairman for the last two years), I have extensive knowledge of land use issues, and helped develop the El Paso County Master Plan, serving on the Advisory Committee that oversaw its creation. I also chair the boards of two HOAs. Over the years, I’ve been a youth sports coach (soccer and baseball), a Boy Scout leader, and volunteered in our church. Since returning to Colorado Springs in 2012, I volunteered on the staff of Parents Challenge and the Career Building Academy. I am a member of the Knights of Columbus and frequently volunteer at the Marian House Kitchen. My wife of 35 years and I have two children and four grandchildren.
Keeping our city on its current path to continued prosperity is my top priority. City Council must be able to put aside personal ambitions and agendas to work together for the good of all the City’s residents to manage growth responsibly, develop solutions to ensure the safety of all, and encourage economic growth to set the conditions for prosperity and a quality of life every resident of the city can enjoy.
Council’s role in overseeing CSU is also critical, to provide effective governance for our biggest asset. And we must encourage new energy sources in the face of unrealistic clean energy goals and ensure that the city grows in a smart and sustainable manner so CSU can continue to deliver our water and energy reliably.
The primary role of city government is to promote a community where employers can conduct business and their employees want to live. Colorado Springs has diversified and expanded its economic base over time, and continuing to ensure a favorable business climate with limited, efficient government can attract even more new business. Because Colorado Springs is a great place to live, we will continue to grow and need a range of housing for the people who live (and want to come) here. Growth has to be responsible, reasonable, and sustainable. We must encourage smart growth to guide development to appropriate locations for expansion and construct a variety of housing types to satisfy the needs and tastes of a diverse population.
This is a classic example of supply and demand. We have a great place to live which creates demand for housing, causing prices to rise. With more inventory, prices stabilize. We need policies that help add new inventory to the market affordably and rapidly. Smart, well-planned growth accomplishes this. Diverse housing types that appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers and renters also help. Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes, multi-family housing and infill developments can all be part of the mix, but context and surrounding uses must also be considered for every case.
Many of the chronically unhoused have deeper issues that affect their situations, and the city must partner with private organizations to help serve them. For these, increasing the supply of traditional housing will matter little until the underlying causes are addressed.
I am pro-business, pro-growth, and have a deep respect for property rights. I believe in limited government that confines itself to essential core functions and operates with a limited resources. City government should ask taxpayers to fund basic services but keep taxes low so that individuals can voluntarily support the causes they choose. The inflationary pressures that come from the Federal and state levels are largely outside Council’s control, but we can take steps to reduce similar impacts imposed at the municipal level. Constant oversight to drive greater efficiency in all areas of city government can reduce the cost of government and reduce its financial impact on taxpayers, which should be our ultimate goal.
My wife and I care deeply about this city and want to see it continue to thrive as the great place to live that we’ve grown to love. The issues facing the city and the turnover the Council will see in April make this a critical time. We must be able to put aside personal ambition and agendas to work together for the good of all the city’s residents. Managing growth responsibly is essential to maintaining the vibrancy that makes ours among the best cities in the country in which to live. Finding solutions to ensure public safety must be a top priority. This, paired with policies that encourage economic growth, set the conditions for the prosperity and quality of life every resident of Colorado Springs should be able to enjoy.
Many of the problems facing Colorado Springs are exacerbated by unreasonable obstructions to development. Whether it’s a result of reflexive NIMBYism, nostalgia for an elusive “way things used to be,” or market competition among rival business interests, opposition to growth and development threatens to strangle the city. As a member of Council, my job will be to seek the best outcomes for the entire city. I believe that compromise is essential in all human endeavors, and not everyone can have their way all of the time, so forging better working relationships within the Council and with city staff is essential. As non-partisan offices, the mayor and council must work together for the common good and encourage the various parties in the city to do the same. The people of Colorado Springs should embrace the fact that we have become a large city, and its elected officials must step up to the increased level of professionalism that demands and lead the city to a prosperous future.
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