telephone
6127180908
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I’m seeking a City Council seat to deliver practical, compassionate leadership that listens, unites, and acts. Ward 8 deserves responsive services, safe neighborhoods, affordable housing, and real economic opportunity and I’m ready to get results.
I bring 25 years of experience in contract negotiation, budget management, and consensus-building. I’ve served as a DFL Precinct Chair, union business agent, Board President of the Lyndale Neighborhood Association, youth coach, and community advocate. My work spans public safety reform, affordable and mixed-income housing, small business support, and workforce development. Rooted in Ward 8, I’ll lead with data-driven solutions, transparency, and inclusive engagement to represent every neighbor.
My top two priorities are public safety and affordable housing.
Public Safety: Deliver a community‑first safety system—fully staff MPD and Fire, expand mental health and BCR responses, strengthen diversion and youth programs, and rebuild trust through transparent metrics and reform.
Affordable Housing: Accelerate mixed‑income and social housing, streamline zoning, and leverage public‑private partnerships, grants, and incentives. Expand pathways to ownership, prevent homelessness, and coordinate with county/state to address root causes.
I’ll work to expand affordable housing and first-time homeownership by:
• Offering tax credits to spur mixed income and social housing.
• Streamlining zoning and permitting denser, mixed use projects.
• Leveraging grants, public private partnerships, bulk purchasing, and sustainable material subsidies to cut costs.
• Expanding down payment assistance and fair, accessible loan programs.
• Growing community land trusts for permanent affordability.
• Tying housing to transit and jobs, with increased resident engagement to ensure equitable outcomes.
I’ll advance practical, community-driven resilience:
Targeted flood mitigation: upgrade stormwater infrastructure in vulnerable neighborhoods, expand permeable streets/alleys, and restore wetlands in partnership with watershed districts.
Cool the heat islands: plant thousands of trees where canopy is lowest, incentivize cool/green roofs and reflective pavements, and create shaded transit stops and schoolyards.
Add green space equitably: convert underused lots to pocket parks and community gardens; require green space in mixed-use, mixed-income housing.
Build with people: fund home retrofits for flood/heat, prioritize BIPOC and low-income blocks, and use clear metrics to track progress and accountability.
The City Council has a clear role: set policy, fund what works, and demand accountability. To support that responsibility I work towards:
• Establish standards for training, coordination with 911/MPD/Fire, and data-sharing.
• Tie contracts to clear metrics: response times, de-escalations, referral follow-through, and community satisfaction.
• Require quarterly public reports and independent evaluations to assess outcomes and equity.
• Ensure alignment with Behavioral Crisis Response and youth programs to reduce repeat calls.
• Prioritize funding for groups serving highest-need areas and lived-experience staff.
• Adjust investments based on results to improve safety and trust.
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As the DFL-endorsed candidate in Ward 8, I’m running for City Council because my experiences as a homeless outreach worker, a renter, a housing policy advocate, a union member, and a survivor of police violence have given me an on-the-ground understanding of the most urgent issues our city faces. We need a city where everyone feels safe and has access to dignified housing. We also need a city that supports its workers and actively prepares for the climate crisis. My campaign is backed by a broad coalition of Ward 8 neighbors, 11 community organizations, 4 unions, and 12 elected leaders at all levels of government. Together we’ll protect our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities from Trump and fight for the changes we want to see in our city.
1. Addressing the homelessness crisis: We have the tools we need to end homelessness, we just need the will to do it. On Council, I will push for an orderly transition for people off the streets into housing. The County is an excellent partner in this work, it is time for the City to step up and do its part.
2. Comprehensive public safety: Everyone should feel safe whether they are walking their dog at night or talking to a police officer. We need to hire civilian investigators, professionalize violence interruptors, and add responders who specialize in mental health crises and domestic violence. We need faster, more appropriate responses to 911 calls that will allow police officers to focus on the violent crime that they are trained for.
To increase housing availability, we need to build more housing. I support a study for social housing, flexible zoning in the 2050 plan and working with emerging, local developers to build missing middle and eco-housing options. To increase affordability, we need TOPA, grants for first-time home-buyers and stable, reasonable property taxes supplemented by vacancy and land-value taxes, and–if the State passes it–a municipal income tax on the ultra-wealthy. We also need more renter protections like just-cause evictions and rent stabilization–which Ward 8 voters supported in 2021. Right now, landlords can legally increase their tenants’ rent by 100%. That is neither fair nor reasonable.
Street reconstruction projects in Ward 8 (the 35th and 36th street reconstruction and George Floyd Square) are key opportunities for greater climate resilience: We need more trees and less concrete, as well as permeable sidewalks to help with melting and freezing ice. We need to make our streets safer and more enjoyable to use for non-drivers–whether it’s walking, biking, or rolling. Fewer cars on our streets means cleaner air: I would also push for more frequent bus routes and signal priority for buses. We need to fund the People’s Climate and Equity Plan, and transition buildings, transportation, and heating to zero carbon sources. Finally, I’ll work with the MPRB to increase the tree canopy in our existing parks and green spaces.
With effective leadership and partnership, groups like community violence interrupters can be valuable assets in our public safety system. The City Council should be meeting regularly with both these community organizations working to improve public safety as well residents–particularly from the neighborhoods where the organizations are focusing their work. Regular meetings will strengthen channels of communication as well as build trust in our public safety system. The City Council should also promote the professionalization of these groups, and work with group members on ensuring their working conditions are safe and getting them the training and support they need to effectively carry out their work.
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