On The Issues
I am running for City Council because I want to help chart the 21st century city that Columbia will become. We must be a city of “Choice, not Chance” and the decisions of our city leaders must reflect deliberate, careful consideration of the consequences of city government action. We must, as a city, have the courage and political will to address the tough issues. We must recognize that at times the right decision may not be the popular one. We have limited financial resources, must learn to say “no” and must leverage every tax dollar to get the best return for our city.
If elected, I will give my service on City Council everything I have. I am at a wonderful point in my life, with my retirement from Columbia College and my children in college and beyond, to give public service my full, unqualified attention. If my friends in District 3 choose me as their Council member, this will be my full time responsibility and, as a member of City Council, I will work diligently to address the issues below:
Public Safety is Priority Issue # 1 - If our neighborhoods and business districts are not safe, nothing else we do will matter. I want Columbia’s police and fire departments to be recognized as the best in our state and region. I support a pay and retention program to reduce the high attrition we are now experiencing with some of our best trained officers. I support the implementation of our new security camera surveillance program. Columbia must also develop a vigorous and well-planned anti-gang program coordinated with other law enforcement agencies and community groups and send a powerful message that we will not tolerate gangs in our great city.
Ensuring Accountability in City Government - Columbia must reflect best practices in every phase of city government operations. City residents deserve professional, transparent accounting for our expenditures, and I will insist on monthly financial statements and proper bookkeeping. I will work to assure public confidence in the expenditure of our tax dollars. I am a strong advocate for a citywide strategic plan with measurable goals and outcomes. This plan should be developed with the active engagement and input from all of our city’s stakeholders. I also support intergovernmental cooperation to enable us to more efficiently address regional issues and streamline services.
Promoting Neighborhood Integrity and Smart Growth - Simply put, great cities have great neighborhoods! Columbia is poised for greatness and this can be sensed in the tremendous demand for housing in our beautiful in town neighborhoods. I am a vocal proponent of smart, well-planned infill development that not only preserves the unique character of our in town neighborhoods, but also enhances property values. This past summer, I joined a group of neighborhood leaders in a call for City Council action to adopt measures to address some of the worst development abuses in our in town neighborhoods. Preserving and enhancing neighborhood character ensures Columbia’s future as a sustainable city that will attract new residents in the future.
Providing City Leadership on Homelessness - The City must assume a critical leadership role in addressing the homelessness crisis in our community. I support a comprehensive service center for the homelessness that is developed in partnership with our faith based community, business and community service organizations, and surrounding governments. City Council must display the courage and commitment to resolve this issue with strategies that offer a permanent plan of action and reflect the best interests and concerns of our residents.
Enhancing the Arts - No city will prosper unless it is rich in the arts. City leaders must view our arts and cultural organizations as vibrant engines of both cultural enrichment and economic development that will make our community competitive in retaining and attracting new business, residents, and tourists. The arts are an important element of our basic municipal infrastructure. No longer do I want our artists and art supporters to feel they must plead for assistance when they bring so much beauty and richness to Columbia and hold the potential for defining the quality of life in our city. Artists, by nature, have the gift of seeing the” potential” - let’s utilize their gifts to develop our city’s potential.
Supporting Our City’s Youth and Educational Opportunities - Community leaders across the country believe that supporting our young people is a critical key to strengthening our cities. As a career educator, I know the importance of communicating high expectations to our youth about their education and the central role that out-of-school activities can play in improving school performance. I will champion programs to engage our city leaders and residents in efforts to enhance the ongoing school experiences of our youth including early childhood enrichment, after school initiatives, career development services, and mentoring. In this effort our city parks and recreation centers, museums and arts organizations, and business and community service organizations will assume even greater roles in working with our young people. I want Columbia to join Greenville and Charleston and other cities around the country that have been selected as “100 Best Communities for Young People” by the America’s Promise program founded by Colin Powell.
Embracing the Knowledge Economy and our Waterfront - I support the City’s visionary partnership with USC and the private sector in developing the Innovista project. This creative undertaking will secure our city’s place in the “Knowledge Economy”. It will bring to our community world-class scientific and engineering talent and position us as a dynamic 21st century city. I support opening access for our residents to our rivers and the waterfront park and greenway initiatives, which will make us truly a river city, while enhancing regional growth through intergovernmental partnership.