VOTE411 Voter Guide

I believe the foundation of good leadership is listening, staying accessible and being engaged by meeting people where they are – at neighborhood meetings, coffee hours at senior center, local businesses, library and community events. I want to be available in person and virtually so every resident has the chance to share ideas, concerns and hope for our city. I will improve communication by providing transparency through emails, social media and community forums. My goal is to serve the people of this city and ensure their voices are heard to help shape the decisions that affect all of our lives.

The city of Mount Vernon is responsible for leading the way to be good environmental stewards. That means taking practical, community-focused steps to protect our parks and green spaces, supporting clean air and water while encouraging smart growth that respects our rich culture and history that is unique to Mount Vernon. I support current policies in city operations like energy efficiency, mandatory recycling, and changing our city fleet to hybrid or electric vehicles. I support code that protects critical areas, wetland mitigation banks, and incentives with solar roofing systems. Advocacy at the State level is also part of responsible environmental policy and funding. Let’s build a future we can be proud of and help the next generations continue to create a cleaner, greener and healthier city for all.

My record of public service reflects my deep commitment to our community. I currently serve as a Mount Vernon Civil Service Commissioner, helping ensure fairness and accountability in public hiring. I’m also a middle school soccer coach and volunteer on our local referee board-because mentoring youth and supporting teamwork matters. Over the years, I have held multiple PTA board positions, and today I continue to serve as a preschool teacher at my church. I also volunteer with Helping Hands organization and support our local Skagit Valley Hospital foundation program; festival of trees. Whether it’s in city policy, on the field, in the classroom, or through nonprofit work, I show up, I listen, and I work hard to make a positive impact.

In the city of Mount Vernon, homelessness is not just a housing problem, it’s a public safety and community health concern that deserves both compassion and action. I am proud that Mount Vernon was one of the first cities in WA to employ a street outreach program staffed by social workers. I will continue to support this innovative work that has contributed to helping people off the street. This service is practical and coordinated with county resources. The public wants us to keep public spaces safe while connecting people to the help they need. I support working closely with local non-profits, Mount Vernon’s Integrated Outreach team, mental health providers and local churches to give support, crisis intervention and permanent supportive and transitional housing. As a community, we all have a role for our neighbors who are struggling. We should take smart, focused steps to protect public safety, support struggling residents and provide stability for all our neighborhoods.

As a candidate for Mount Vernon City Council, my vision is for a thriving, safe, connected community where every resident feels heard, valued and respected. I believe in smart growth that protects our local history, supports multi-generational affordable housing, and keeps public safety a top priority. I will bring common-sense leadership, open communication, and a strong sense of service to city government. It is important to me that we build a future that reflects the values and voices of Mount Vernon- by listening closely, and making decisions within a balanced budget, that put people first.

I am already deeply invested in my community as a volunteer with several organizations like Skagit Gleaners, the Lincoln theater, and the Mount Vernon Music Program Boosters, to name a few. I value the connection that comes with giving my time to the betterment of Mount Vernon and I would like to increase my service by offering regular gatherings for the exchange of information and ideas. Transparency is essential to effective local government, and I want my neighbors to know about programs that can save them money, like special garbage pick-up rates for seniors, free public transit for people up to age 19 and those with disabilities, and more. City Council should be a conduit for the people to interface with their government and I would take immense pride and joy in helping people make their voices heard.

We live in a place that depends on agriculture as well as agritourism, that is known for its beautiful green spaces and waterways. We are also experiencing a housing crisis. The city must prioritize thoughtful, sustainable growth to preserve what makes the "Magic Skagit" so magical, while fixing the dire housing situation. The city must contract with environmentally conscious developers who have a stake in Mount Vernon's success rather than corporate developers who buy up our wild spaces for unaffordable single family homes.

I was elected to the Mount Vernon Farmers’ Market Board of Directors soon after moving here in 2012. Equity has been one of my lifelong concerns and on the board I was proud to represent parents who utilize WIC and SNAP; together we created the Double Up Bucks program to get healthy food to local families. I have since served the community as a Girl Scout Troop leader, PTO member, MVHS Music Boosters board Director, Lincoln Theatre volunteer, Skagit Gleaners volunteer, and Moms Demand Action/Everytown for Gun Safety educator. I have advocated for local scholars of all ages on the Pride Foundation's scholarship committee. I love local politics, and have enthusiastically canvassed for several local campaigns. When I realized that the Skagit Valley had never hosted an LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, I organized the first-ever, and the following year it grew to include a resource fair featuring legal aid, gender affirming care, PrEP access and a drag show.

The only way to respond to homelessness is with empathy and tangible solutions. Mount Vernon's housing crisis--shockingly low rental inventory, a lack of shelters, no beds for those in active addiction or recovery, and housing prices that our neighbors cannot afford--has driven many to homelessness. Changing zoning to allow for the building of ADUs, community housing, multi-family properties and apartment buildings with multi-use spaces on the ground floor could allow wage-earners and working families to stay in the communities they helped build. Walkable neighborhoods on a public transit line are often safer, cleaner and more engaged: necessary for those on the margins and attractive to professionals that work for our largest employers, the school district and the hospital district. We also must create more robust support services and outreach programs that offer more than vouchers, but a way back to connection.

My vision for Mount Vernon includes stable, efficient and equitable housing for everyone who lives here. It includes safety and inclusion for those who work our farms but fear deportation. It includes a robust public transportation system that decreases our reliance on the single freeway that runs through the city. And it includes a well-trained, well-staffed Emergency Response team of firefighters, EMS and law enforcement.

In person, on social media, and email.

Educate people on recycling hazardous materials. Recycling, reusing buildings when possible, and water conservation, and being an example.

Volunteer at the Mount Vernon library.

By educating the public and by updating and reusing buildings to house the homeless, and by building low-income homes.

My vision for the city is that people get a job, get respected, get helped, get a good education, and have an affordable place to live.