ON DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, THE ECONOMY & TRAFFIC

Striking a balance between preserving the character of our communities and promoting smart development will be a priority for me as your next At-large City Councilor.  Working with local neighborhood community associationsand the planning department will always be my starting point when issues around development and traffic arise.

I understand we cannot stop the growth in our city, nor should we, but we must find a way to enable our seniors to live in our neighborhoods without having to choose between the electric bill or property tax.  We must find a way to allow young working families to get their start in Quincy like so many of us have before.

There are no “one size fits all” answers to these questions.  Getting into the community, going door-to-door and speaking directly with those impacted is essential to Quincy’s smart growth in the years ahead.  As a City Councilor I pledge to always go to you to hear your concerns and ideas about the future of our city.

ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

Every Quincy Public School student should receive an education that prepares them for success in life.  I know we can improve our schools and find new solutions to the challenges we face, because I have seen and helped make it happen.  I have been involved in “Totally Arts”, an art instruction program at Beechwood Knoll Elementary School that partners with the local arts community.  Already, Quincy Public Schools offer several programs that allow our high school students to take some college classes at Quincy College, Bunker Hill Community College and Newbury College to name a few.  

More needs be done to bring these institutions into our schools.  Fostering this kind of collaborative effort needs to be part of the solution in improving our schools.  

ON PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH & THE OPIATE CRISIS

As your next City Councilor At-Large, I want to help lead the charge in our community’s response to this crisis.  The opiate epidemic is both deeply personal to those directly impacted, and communal as its effects ripple throughout our city.  It is a public safety and a public health issue.  

Quincy needs to be part of a regional response, one that expands options for treatment and increases the availability of beds, but also a response that reaches out to everyone in Quincy, educating our children and the community at large on the dangers of opiate addiction and the warning signs to look out for.

ON EFFECTIVE CITY GOVERNMENT & CITY SERVICES

Ensuring that Quincy’s city government is listening and responsive to the needs of its residents is the reason I decided to run for office.  As I’ve campaigned, I’ve seen a community eager to be engaged, to know what is happening, and to help make our city an even greater place.  Virtually every day I talk to a new person with a great idea on some way to make Quincy better – from transforming an unused city lot to a community garden to bringing in new partnerships to support arts programming in our public schools.

The library, elder services, our parks and other public works are essential to the fabric of our city.  It is City Hall’s job to promote and provide the best level of services.