VOTE411 Voter Guide

Kent is where I live, work and recreate. Every day, I walk or bike to work in Kent, my kids attend Kent City Schools, and my family is deeply rooted in this community. I believe in a Kent community that continues to be a vibrant, welcoming, and forward-thinking city—a place where residents can thrive, businesses can grow, and the unique character of our town is preserved.

To implement this vision, I will advocate for excellent government services—roads, infrastructure, water, etc—and, thoughtful development that supports affordable housing, attracts good jobs, and enhances the cultural vibrancy of our city. My many years of experience volunteering on Kent City Board of Zoning Appeals, Fair Housing Board, and Salary Review Committee has given me firsthand insight into the challenges we face and the importance of making strategic decisions that benefit all residents. I will work to ensure that Kent remains a place where families, students, employees and businesses all feel valued.

Kent needs to maintain and improve our aging infrastructure. The City of Kent is fundamentally a service organization to the people and ensuring that our roads, water, sewers, signage, sidewalks, bike paths, tree canopy, etc. are maintained and regularly improved is the most important issue to be addressed. As a city council member, I will continually raise this key issue, and when considering budget, I will advocate for a budget the balances our need for maintaining our infrastructure with the other many potential expenses of the city.

Balanced growth that maintains affordability while fostering economic and community development is another pressing issue. Over the past 15 years, Kent has experienced significant improvements, from downtown redevelopment to new housing options. As a city council member, I will address this by supporting policies that encourage smart, right-sized development—projects that enhance Kent’s infrastructure and economic base without displacing residents.

Good government decisions start with transparency and communications with community – City government transparency and clear, consistent communication with our community are essential to building trust and ensuring that residents feel informed, valued, and heard. As a city council member, I believe our local government must operate openly—sharing decisions, potential budget cuts, and plans in ways that are accessible and easy to understand—while also actively listening to the voices of our neighbors. Transparent governance and good local news sources empower residents to engage meaningfully in shaping the future of Kent, and effective two-way communication strengthens the partnership between the City and the people it serves. In Kent, where our unique community spirit is one of our greatest strengths, open dialogue and accountability aren’t just good practices—they are the foundation of good government.

More affordable housing for seniors and young families. Turn the river into a destination point. Make Kent more sustainable.

Regarding sustainability, the City has adopted a CAP - a climate action plan - which will help guide the City in actions towards more sustainable operations like extending solarization of City buildings beyond the fire station and water plant, solar fields to generate energy to power City services and replacing old City vehicles with electric ones. Replacing vehicles might initially be more expensive, but in the long run electric vehicles are cheaper and have better acceleration and power. Many communities are already doing this with their police vehicles with much success.

For housing for senior and young families, developers of low-income and senior housing could be partnered with to provide the right mix of housing.

Turn the river into a destination point by constructing kayak and tubing runs.

One of the most important concerns currently facing the City is the aging infrastructure. With the current chaos in Washington, funding is now up in the air. For these projects, green infrastructure could be localized such as rain gardens, swales and permeable pavers to offset storm water runoff. State programs could also make up some of the difference for sewer and water projects.

Providing affordable housing for seniors and young families is also a challenge. One way to approach this problem would be private/public projects such as Maple Brook near route 261 which was a result of pressure applied on the City by Council members in response to the change of Silver Oaks from a 55 and older senior complex near campus to student housing. Developers of low-income and senior housing could be partnered with to provide the right mix of housing

If budget shortfalls were anticipated, the first thing to be done instead of cuts would be to go to the City’s general and reserve funds to absorb the shortfalls. Both these funds are currently very healthy. However, at present, revenue streams for the City are doing well and the City will meet or exceed budget estimates. In fact, all indicators are showing the City to be in a strong financial position for at least the next 5 years.

I envision the future of Kent where every person in the community feels empowered to contribute to our community in such a way that everyone feels that their voices are heard and they feel welcome and accepted for who they are. Maintaining a sense of belonging for local residence and college students attending our wonderful university. I would implement this by encouraging community involvement by participating in the numerous events that the city works so hard to put on year round for our beautiful city.

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