While national politics is chaotic, we rely on local government to provide the most critical services in our lives.

Shoreview is a well-run city with high quality public services for parks and recreation, trails, infrastructure, and police and fire services, all supported by a competitive property tax rate compared to other cities. Surveys show high levels of satisfaction among our residents, and people tell me that they never want to leave Shoreview!

I’m running for mayor because I want to maintain what makes Shoreview a great place to live, work, and play, but keep an eye on the horizon to make sure we are adapting to a changing world.

Here is how I would like to add to our existing success:

Housing

• More people tell us in surveys that they can’t find housing that the average family can afford. We also want to have housing types for every stage of life. I support a mix of housing that balances workforce housing demand and neighborhood needs.

Business

• Shoreview contains businesses—both large and small—that love being here. As their needs change, I want the city to attract new businesses from a diverse set of sectors, and help existing Shoreview businesses to expand.

Resilience

• Increased severe weather is increasing property insurance costs. Shoreview can encourage homeowners and businesses to reduce their risk, with tools such as better stormwater management techniques and more resilient exterior materials.

Welcoming Community

• Operation Metro Surge was disruptive in our community. Many residents told me they avoided leaving their house to avoid interaction with federal agents. The current national political dialogue has spewed a lot of hateful language that does real harm to people. I will ensure that Shoreview remains a welcoming community for all.

Save Money While We Help the Planet

• Technology, like heat pumps, rooftop solar, and electric vehicles, designed to help with climate change, now competes well in price and helps save money. I want to assist residents and businesses in achieving up to $2.3 million in energy savings as outlined in the city’s Energy Action Plan by 2030.

Environmental Stewardship

• We will have the opportunity to keep food waste and other compostable waste out of the garbage with the county’s new curbside Food Scraps Pickup program. I want to cooperate with the county so that our businesses can also save money through this program.
• The Emerald Ash Borer has decimated our tree canopy. The city received a federal grant to replant many trees, but there is more work to do.

Neighborhoods

• Residents now have more choice with new fiber internet companies coming to the city. However, they are making a mess of people’s yards using the city’s right of way and have not always been very responsive. I will push for appropriate state legislation that allows cities to better regulate the use of our right-of-way.

How I’ll do the job

A lot of residents reach out to us on the city council. They are usually surprised that we call them back or respond to their e-mail! I want to be respectful and responsive to you, even if I can’t answer your question or concern right away. Sometimes it’s just important to connect you to the right person, even if it is not someone at the city.

Once in a while, I’ll see an on-line comment where someone writes, “Those elected officials don’t care and don’t listen!” Usually this person has never reached out to us. Your input and ideas are valuable. We can’t always do what you originally had in mind, but we can work towards a solution together. I don’t care whether you plan to vote for me or not—I will represent everyone to the best of my ability.

Finally, politics is bad enough without your elected city officials behaving badly. I can promise that you will get “no drama” from me!