Safer Neighborhoods

  • Safety – Topekans need to feel safe in the community they call home. According to the 2023 Crime Index (the latest one published to date), crime is trending upward in our community. Topeka Police reports show some improvement in 2024, however it’s still well above where I and many citizens feel it should be.  Solving that needs to be one of the top priorities of the City and will absolutely be one of mine.
  • Safe, Affordable Housing – Affordable housing in Topeka is in short supply and what is available, often is not in the greatest condition. Growing our community is one of my top priorities and it’s hard to ask folks to move here when there isn’t enough safe, affordable housing to meet our current demands. This is another major priority I plan to work on.

Clear and Consistent Decision Making

  • Objective, Fact-Based Decisions – My only campaign promise was to make objective decisions based on the facts at hand. I will do my best to cast my vote for what is right for the city of Topeka and our community based on the best information available.
  • Two-Way Communication – A two-way line of communication is critical to the future of the city. I am always willing to listen to the thoughts, concerns, and ideas of Topekans and take that feedback into consideration when making decisions about our community. I’m happy to explain what I know and which way I might vote on any issue. Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime here.

Sustainable Growth for the Future

  • Urban Core & Downtown Redevelopment – I believe that Topeka needs a strong urban core and Downtown in order grow our community. A lot of work has already been done to revitalize it, but that has stalled out and now starting to slide backwards. These are critical components to our future growth and one of my most important priorities.
  • Lower Taxes & Community Growth – Taxes in our community are rapidly becoming unaffordable for many Topekans. There are a number of reasons why our taxes are disproportionately high, but there is only one real way to solve it for the long term. Our population MUST grow. The more folks we have contributing to the tax base, the less each contribution needs to be. However, while the math may be simple, achieving growth is not. Topeka’s population has been stagnant if not declined over the last 50 years despite increased cost to maintain our infrastructure and other City services. Growing the community needs to be our top priority right behind public safety.

What are your goals, thoughts, and ideas? Knowing what constituents want and need is very important to me. Please share them with me here.