League of Women Voter's Q&A

How would you support economic opportunities that align with your community's needs, values, long-term water availability, and overall sustainability?

I’m running again because I believe I can be instrumental in helping Chandler move forward as our city is at a pivotal point in its growth.

I have been advocating for our City government to think differently when it comes to recruiting and retaining businesses as they reduce their footprint and have a growing demand for skilled labor.

Additionally, I am working to ensure the city has a strategy around, and staff with the expertise to manage the very different demands of redevelopment projects, rather than simply building new. As a councilmember, I’ve voted to remove obstacles in our code and continue to push to streamline development services. I don’t want businesses to think ‘built out’ means closed for business.

Finally, the investment in infrastructure is critical as Chandler ages. Reliable, accessible infrastructure is not only a sign of fiscal responsibility, it protects business and community assets.

What are your top budget priorities, and how would you allocate resources among city services such as public safety, infrastructure, housing, and community programs?

This year I focused on investing in the future, approving items that pay for themselves and deliver better service to the community. In FY 26/27 Chandler will launch its new ambulance service within our Fire Department as opposed to a contractor. Not only will residents be treated with the professionalism and care of our accredited department, the investment will repay itself and become self-sustaining within five years. Much of the rest of our budget was for long-term CIP projects that invest in maintaining infrastructure like water plants, or create better savings and service to our residents, such as a forensic building that will greatly reduce the wait and expense to solve crimes.

What steps would you take to ensure transparency, ethical governance, and meaningful public participation in municipal decision-making?

I have been working on both issues during my current term as Councilmember. Under my leadership, meetings are more transparent as the public can now participate in work sessions and subcommittee meetings by providing comments at both. Also, our all-day budget hearing is now televised - without any additional cost to the taxpayer. I am currently working on an Ethics Policy for City Council through public input, written newspaper columns and social media to get the community involved while city staff researches options for consideration. One idea I'm exploring is an independent ethics commission made up of former elected officials and senior City of Chandler staff. These are people who understand how city government works, who carry no current political stake, and who could evaluate concerns with fairness and transparency. But that's just one idea because I genuinely want to know what residents think accountability should look like.

How will you work with residents, regional partners, and other levels of government to address shared challenges facing your community?

Resident and community stakeholder input is critical for any problem solving to be effective. I've been tackling workforce development in partnership with the Chandler Chamber, educational partners at all levels and the business community. In addition to regularly scheduled Council meetings with state and federal officials, I help manage an ad-hoc group of Councilmembers from various cities who meet quarterly to discuss regional issues and share solutions to common concerns.

What do you consider the most important issues facing community, and what specific actions would you take to address them?

Housing prices affect families, workforce development and contribute to declining school population. While prices are market-driven, City Council can take measure to help more people achieve the American dream. I’ve voted to allow more flexible housing products like ADUs and container homes and approved a plan for public housing to accommodate seniors, veterans and families. I’m supporting a public/private partnership placing city property into a Land Trust with a nonprofit partner. The private sector’s reduced construction costs are passed along to qualified buyers who build equity for their next house. The process then repeats in perpetuity for other families. Redevelopment is another top issue as we reach build out. I’ve voted to remove obstacles in our code and continue to push to streamline development services. I don't want people to think built out means closed for business.

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