As Carson City continues to grow, we face a variety of challenges. Housing, maintaining our roads, and making certain that we have enough water for basic needs are prime examples. Below are some of the issues that I feel are important and require the utmost attention.
- Public Safety – There is a national debate going on in this country where some wish to defund the police. I emphatically do not agree with this philosophy. The general welfare and safety of the public is paramount. We must continue to fund our local law enforcement at a level which ensures our community is safe and all emergency services are available when and where the public needs them. A sense of security is owed to the residents and visitors, especially with the influx of people relocating into our wonderful community.
- Growth – A common concern that many voters have expressed while out canvassing is: “Why do we keep building and the water table keeps going down?” Public Works says that we have enough water and the water treatment plant is being upgraded. Hopefully, this will reduce our dependence on water sources outside of our county.
- Road Maintenance – Our city has consistently suffered the lack of effective maintenance for our roads. The federal government will assist with this long-standing issue, within certain guidelines, but we must first help ourselves. In addition to more transparency on road projects, like the Street Maintenance page, we need to ensure our maintenance and improvement plans parallel our projected growth.
- Master Plan – Updating the Master Plan and aligning it with the city ordinances is vital. Working with the community to ensure that everyone, including all stakeholders, understand city ordinances and not just leave the development of these regulations to city staff or special interest groups is also essential. I support a cross-functional workshop to test consistency between the Master Plan and city ordinances. It is important that we engage with the residents of our community and encourage their input as they understand the city’s unique value, which might be overlooked by external parties.
- Fiscal responsibility – It is critical that we, as board members, strive to be responsible with taxpayer’s money. If elected, I will commit to focusing on funding critical infrastructure as a priority. This includes emergency services, roads, and water. Eliminating frivolous spending for non-essential items and exploring more cost-effective vendors that would be beneficial to the budget are just a few ideas I would propose.
- Public Outreach – Community outreach can be challenging. The Board of Supervisors, along with city staff, must aim for a positive rapport with the community members, in as many ways as possible, so that all voices can be heard equally. Citizen participation in public meetings is encouraging because it shows that they care about our area. If elected, I would like to gain the trust of Carson City by assuring any interactions are acknowledged, carefully listened to, and will be respected.