VOTE411 Voter Guide

I believe my experience as a State Representative, my commitment to public service, and my involvement in the South Burlington community qualify me to be a candidate. I’ve worked in the Legislature on issues that matter to Vermonters every day, including housing, property taxes, education, climate, health care, and support for working families. I’ve learned the importance of listening, working with people who have different perspectives, and being accountable for the decisions we make. I’m also active in our community through Rotary, the public library, and the food shelf. Public service has always been important to me, and I’m committed to continuing to listen to and represent the people of South Burlington.

The current system of funding education is broken. It’s outdated, inequitable, and places an unbearable burden on property taxpayers. We need a bold new approach that is fair, transparent, and sustainable. That may mean consolidating school districts, reducing administrative costs, and finding more innovative ways to deliver services. Any changes should be paired with a thoughtful transition to a foundational funding formula that is adequately funded. At the same time, we need to recognize the major cost pressures facing our schools, including rising health care costs, inflation, and growing student mental health needs. These challenges won’t be solved through cuts alone and would be made significantly worse by the deep Medicaid cuts.

Vermont needs to make it easier to build more housing. I support updating our zoning rules so we can build more homes, including smaller homes and multifamily housing, in areas where infrastructure already exists. Act 69 is an important step because it addresses some of the infrastructure costs that make housing so expensive to build. We also need to make zoning and permitting simpler, more predictable and less expensive. At the same time, we should give towns the resources they need to plan for growth and make sure new development is supported by adequate water, sewer and transportation infrastructure.