VOTE411 Voter Guide

I believe public comment isn't used to it's potential. I would like to see more participations. I will check my city email often & plan on responding to any concerns that citizens have.

I believe we should write policies & resolutions for less chemicals in our air & drinking water.

Been a planning commissioner since 2022, Vice Chair of a non- profit organization since 2024, pull watcher since 2022, volunteer for local projects, coached soft ball, made 2 trips to help clean up after Katrina, been to Ecuador & Uganda to help build & volunteer with children’s ministry.

I believe we can help with support programs. Yet I know some won’t accept this help, so we need to have policies & resolutions that will protect businesses & residents.

I believe small businesses are the backbone of our nation. We need to be helpful & have incentives for small businesses. I would love to see less spending & less taxes on residents. We are all being taxed out of ownership. We need to have low cost activities for children & seniors that don’t cost tax payers more money.

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It is important to meet people where they are. People are busy, and it’s easy to forget about the city council—unless it’s in the news for some kind of scandal. I think it’s part of the job to remind people that we are here for them.

Open meetings are a good start, but we can also do more to prioritize outreach. This may look like more social media involvement or canvassing of neighborhoods. I’ve learned that candidates can be really good at knocking on doors when they are running for office, but less enthusiastic during the rest of the term when the goal is to get information about the council to or from the community.

We should also encourage more people to be involved—not just those that stand to gain personally or financially. It’s the job of the city council to inspire the people we serve, be a champion of shared values, and cultivate the desire that people have to support each other.

The biggest environmental issues facing us right now may be the toxic algae blooms and PFAs in our groundwater. We should continue to work with other cities and counties to do what we can in terms of mitigation.

Like many concerns, these are things that originated largely outside of our city. To protect our residents, we will need to identify the sources of the contamination. They likely made profits from production, and our people are currently paying the costs. We should do what we can to ensure that those responsible—if even accidently—use some of those profits to support cleanup. We can also petition state and federal governments when necessary, to better regulate businesses with harmful side effects.

Similarly, the decisions we make here may affect others outside of our city. Walkability-focused development may help to mitigate the effects that our cars have on the global environment. More walkability also means less traffic congestion and more opportunities for small businesses

I have always been the type of person to say yes when asked for volunteers. Even in fifth grade, I joined the orchestra because they needed someone to play the bass. This attitude has given many chances to learn new skills and to serve. I participated in student leadership in high school and college, planning social events to make sure everyone felt included and serving as treasurer for a student council election. When my kid’s soccer team needed a coach, I stepped in and had a great time.

During my career as an analyst, I served on a healthcare think tank, helped support social media campaigns that were important to me, and provided unpaid economic analysis to engineering projects. I’ve also served on several committees as a teacher including curriculum development, local business support, diversity and inclusion, student affairs, and research ethics.

This year, when I saw a need in our city council, I also said yes. And I’m excited for this new opportunity to serve the city I love.

Most problems can be solved with more funding, but that is also the one thing that is hardest to come by. As an analyst, I do have a lot of experience finding ways to stretch budgets and use funds more efficiently. But we also need to be open to creative solutions that better use the resources we already have.

With respect to homelessness, I know we are involved in county-level committees that are doing good work in terms of housing opportunities, health services, and drug treatment alternatives. But I’m confident that we can do more.

We should start by inviting people who are experiencing homelessness to participate in the conversation. We should ask them what they need from us, and carefully listen to what they say. We also need to work to remove the stigma of homelessness. Not having a place to live is not a moral failing. It is a challenge that we must face together with compassion and respect.

We’re familiar with the old African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child. It turns out that it takes a village to do a lot more than that. It takes a village to find work-life balance, to help each other learn about new issues with patience and without bias, to find time and energy for growth, and celebration, and art.

National news makes it seem like we have a lot to fight over, but I believe we have more in common than we have disagreements. We all want a safe place for our kids to thrive. We want economic stability. We want to feel loved, accepted, and able to follow our dreams.

Politics and economics don’t have to be about winners and losers. We can work together to support local businesses and side gigs, and build a future Kennewick intentionally focused on modern, responsible growth. I envision a Kennewick that makes room for all of our residents and ensures that the best opportunities are available to as many people as possible.