Here’s Where I stand on the Important Issues Facing Ward 4 and Our City:

Public Safety

While crime rates across the city are trending down, public safety has the biggest, most immediate impact on our quality of life. As I’ve gone door-to-door in Ward 4, this issue is among the top concerns shared by residents, and they’re open to new ideas.

If elected, I would immediately call for and help to formally organize a Neighborhood Network Pilot Program in Ward 4.

It will directly engage residents to help monitor and report on public safety issues on their streets, and put residents and police in closer communication and coordination with one another. We’ll leverage modern technology like apps and websites, along with more analog measures like increased exterior lighting, volunteer safety escorts, and more. If we get it right in Ward 4, we can scale the program more broadly, ward by ward. 

When it comes to the bigger picture, public safety is interwoven with the many other issues our city is actively facing. Longterm, we will improve public safety when we address problems in our school district, in our housing supply, and in our job opportunities. As is the case for most issues facing our city, we cannot look at anything in a vacuum and we cannot think strictly in the short term.

Schools

MSD’s strengths are its committed teachers and staff, and its tenacious students. There’s no doubt, after spending the 2020 academic year in quarantine, that our students and teachers are resourceful, hard working, and resilient! Of course we know the downsides of the impacts of last year; but even before quarantine and online learning, we already struggled with students falling through the cracks due to a lack of a strong curriculum, compromised infrastructure, and most importantly—a budget that’s continuously under scrutiny. In a study published by Manchester Proud, over 62% of surveyed Manchester residents felt that a healthy school district has a direct correlation with an improved quality of life in Manchester.*

Given that a plurality of residents recognize the value in investing in our schools, let’s make this a priority for our city.

Let’s start with a future-facing, competency-based education model, and the adoption of recommendations to modernize our school buildings with a focus on enabling 21st century learning, and reviewing teacher contracts to ensure competitive compensation and support.

Additionally, I support the budgetary autonomy of Board of School Committee. The people we elect to serve on the BOSC are immersed in the issues, challenges, and opportunities for MSD. They know most directly what decisions need to be made and how best to make them. Their recent recognition as the 2021 School Board of the Year is evidence that the board can work together in a bi-partisan way to drive progress for the district. Rather than hinder them, let’s empower them with increased autonomy and then demand accountability at the ballot box with our votes.

*Source: Manchester Proud City-wide Canvass Report, 2019

Homelessness

I view homelessness a symptom of larger, more upstream problems. Lack of affordable housing, lack of access and/or engagement with programs and resources, lack of economic stability, and a lack of quality education. There are so many reasons why an individual might become homeless. Longterm, it's critical that we approach all our decisions on the topics above through the lens of "how might this impact our city's struggle with homelessness?"

Solving this issue is a multifaceted challenge that will require a forward-thinking, well-rounded approach. 

In the short term, I support the recent establishment of both the role of Director of Homeless Initiatives, and more recently, the City Housing Commission. I would vote to extend them both to five years so that we’re well positioned to attack the problem immediately, as well think longer-term about addressing the root cause issues that lead to homelessness.

Economy & Infrastructure

These two topics each impact the other very directly. and both need to be considered alongside one another when we’re making city-wide policy decisions. Our current infrastructure has promise—notably with the airport, the I-93 expansion, and the recent vote by the BOMA to approve recommendations for rail transit—however, we’re still lacking in basic ways. Our current transit system forces residents to walk “beyond the last stop” sometimes up to two additional miles to get to work.

Mobility is key when it comes to access and equity (at all levels) in the job market.

We will see our business climate expand and improve when we can guarantee that we’ll be able to connect potential employees with open positions. Opening up access to a qualified workforce will undoubtedly drive business investment in Manchester and I see this as a key issue to address as we look ahead to improve our local economy.