Participatory Democracy/Solidarity Economy

You deserve to have more influence over and access to your City Council than developers and corporations. As such, I commit to 20 Hours of Constituent Office Hours per week so I can hear directly from you and put your recommendations to work. 

More representation means more community power. We should embark on the necessary processes to expand the City Council with two, At-large City Council Members to increase representation for the people and accountability to the people. 

Far too many people are not even aware of upcoming votes that impact their everyday lives, nor opportunities available to improve them. I commit to releasing weekly newsletters informing constituents of district issues and key agenda items at forthcoming City Council meetings, as well as federal and State funding/grant opportunities. Information is power, and you deserve to have as much of it as possible. 

Canvassing shouldn't only be a tool to get lawmakers elected, it should also be a tool to hold lawmakers consistently informed and accountable. I commit to one weekend of canvassing per quarter to hear directly from you and ensure that you’re in the know to the greatest extent possible. Additionally, I will hold a minimum of four District Town Halls per year, or when requested by a significant number of residents for issues that require immediate attention and action.

Our city's greatest resource is its youth and young people. They have every right to take part in the civic process and be included in decisions that directly affect their lives. To that end, I will introduce an ordinance allowing 16 year olds to vote in School Board elections with an eventual progression of allowing them to vote in all municipal elections by 2030.  

Some research has demonstrated that Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) increases voter participation and turnout. We should explore development and implementation of people-led Ranked Choice Voting mechanism as a way to increase voter participation and the integrity of our municipal elections. To learn more about RCV, please visit this site: https://campaignlegal.org/democracyu/accountability/ranked-choice-voting