ISSUES AND PRIORITIES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Montgomery County has consistently been behind our neighbors in Maryland and Virginia in terms of economic development. Why are businesses staying away from Montgomery County? What impediments do we have that are preventing businesses from starting and growing here? We can make it easier for businesses to start and to succeed in Montgomery County. That begins with simplifying our permitting process and cutting the red tape so that it's easier for businesses to operate here. Montgomery County needs to be there for the small business owner. Also, did you know that all of our high schools have their graduation ceremonies outside of Montogmery County? We need our own version of the Dulles Expo Center. We need conventions, gatherings, and big sporting events right here in Montgomery County. These things bring in business, tourism, and money to the county.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Without proper infrastructure, we can never achieve the economic development we're hoping for. Fixing potholes, putting in enough street lights, keeping buildings and facilities up to date, more shared use sidewalks, and having ample trash and recycling bins cannot be forgotten. Many parts of the county don't even get the grass cut in medians for months at a time. When a community does these things, then they can build around it.
SENIORS
I’ve lived my whole life in Montgomery County and have seen my grandparents and then parents age in this county. As life expectancy grows, so will the population of seniors. I have seen very little from our government specifically for seniors. We need to be more responsive to the needs of our seniors in all aspects of life – health care, housing, transportation, social programming, workforce development, and financial credits.
RENTERS AND HOUSING
I was a renter in Montgomery County for 15 years. Renters make up nearly 1/3 of all Montgomery County residents, yet they get very little attention. Many renters see their rents rise at a much higher rate than their income. Housing is a complicated issue that can’t be solved by one person. We can all work together to support renters and provide them affordable and secure homes, while also working to expand affordable housing to home buyers across the county. At the same time we have to keep many neighborhoods the way they are. I am opposed to plans that will eliminate single family home zoning and increase traffic congestion. I live in the suburbs because that's where I want to live, and I think many of my neighbors moved into our neighborhood for the same reason.
ENVIRONMENT
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I'm not going to solve climate change and all of our environmental problems. No one person can. But there are some simple things we can do in Montgomery County to do our part. The county owns hundreds of structures (offices, facilities, schools, parking garages, fire stations, etc.) Any new construction could have solar panels on the roof. While we have had several projects that have utilized renewable energy, we can do more.
EDUCATION
Ever since I was a kid, the shining star of Montgomery County has been our great schools. We can’t rest on this reputation and must keep working to make it even better. STEM programs, vocational training, mental health and special needs programming are needed now more than ever. Montgomery County’s education budget is nearly half of the entire operating budget. We can work on smaller class sizes, improving teacher retention rates, and paying our Board of Education members a full time salary.
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FEDERAL WORKERS
Montgomery County is home to nearly 80,000 federal workers (about 13% of our whole population). While I have never worked for the federal government myself, my wife, mother, father, brother, and father-in-law all have. We can be more proactive at a local and state level about the economic and social effects of thousands of Montgomery County federal workers losing their jobs.
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PARKS, LIBRARIES, AND REC CENTERS
Some of the things we should be most proud of in Montgomery County are our incredible libraries, parks, and recreation centers. They account for about 3% of our budget, but are a vital part of life for so many of us. I have been fortunate to serve on the Library Advisory Board as well as the Sports Advisory Committee, and worked closely with many members of our library, parks, and rec staff. I use these facilities, and know how important they are to hundreds of thousands of Montgomery County residents. There are positive physical, mental, and social benefits of these incredible resources. Go walk through Brookside Gardens and tell me you don’t feel better!
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COMMUNITY ACTIVITY
I’m not going to pretend I’ve been an activist and a leader my whole life. I haven’t been. I didn’t really get too involved until about 10 years ago. But since then if you’ve been to a community, civic, or political event in Montgomery County, chances are that I’ve seen you there! From nonprofits to civic associations to all types of events to watching hundreds of hours of council, school board, and planning board meetings online, I have gotten very involved as a community member on many issues in Montgomery County. If you elect me to the County Council, I can actually fix many of the things I’ve complained about for many years! :-)
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