65% of the residential zoned land in Longmont is restricted to the most expensive type of home. They cost the most to build and are the most expensive to maintain.

By legalizing townhomes in every neighborhood in the city, we can create more opportunities for home ownership for everyone.

People making the average income will have the chance to buy for a lower cost. Retirees will be able to downsize into a more maintainable home while still being close to family and the community they’ve built here.

Allowing a greater variety of homes will ensure that those who want to stay in this community have the chance to do so. It will help us ensure that the source of the character of our community — the people — can continue to thrive in a city built by them.

Great neighborhoods weren’t planned all at once—they evolved slowly over time through countless small changes. We’ve made incremental change illegal in most of our city, forcing developers to build everything at massive scale. To create resilient, affordable neighborhoods, we must restore the right to build and adapt one property at a time.

By legalizing townhomes, ADUs, neighborhood businesses, small childcare facilities and the myriad of things that people need within their neighborhoods, we can build a city filled with distinct neighborhoods each tailored to the needs of the people who live there.

In a time when the federal government is becoming unreliable, it’s irresponsible of Longmont elected officials to count on federal money to solve Longmont’s housing shortage.

Subsidies from the state or federal government will never be big enough, and we can’t count on them being there forever. Using existing programs, we’d need $3.8 billion from the federal government. Never going to happen.

Local solutions will always be the most sustainable way to solve local problems, and by implementing them we can make sure we’re prioritizing local concerns.

The Open Space program is a multi-generational investment in the future, and one whose benefits we cannot fully understand yet. When the Platte River Power Authority was created, no one could have guessed that it would result in Longmont having the best internet service in the country because the internet didn’t exist yet.

We’ve already done the hardest part of protecting Open Space from development — setting it aside. But deciding not to build on Open Space means that we have to ensure that the things we need to build are inside the city.

That means making better use of the land that people are already occupying by adding homes to existing neighborhoods, reducing reliance on cars which use space inefficiently, and promoting a business environment where people who work here can afford to live here.

Longmonters judge city government by results, not process.

The problem isn’t that we lack talented staff or good intentions— it’s that we’ve bogged them down in processes that prevent action. We’ve created a system where it’s easier to maintain the status quo than to make improvements, and those who know how to make things better don’t feel empowered to act.

I’ll push for reforms that empower city staff to exercise professional judgment rather than wasting taxpayer money on excessive procedures that favor those with insider knowledge.

Because our streets are designed primarily with cars in mind, more people means a lot more traffic.

While some people prefer to drive everywhere, our transportation network must work for everyone: children, seniors, people with disabilities, and families who can’t afford multiple cars.

We’ll use paint, planters, and bollards to test traffic calming measures, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements. We’ll gather real-world data and community feedback on a proposal that people can see with their own eyes to inform permanent changes. We’ll incorporate public art to beautify our neighborhoods. And as soon as we can afford it, we’ll pour concrete to make the changes permanent.

Longmont’s budget is likely to shrink in 2026 because of a reduction in funds from the state and federal government, and reduced tax revenue caused by rising prices.

As a scientist, I think in terms of data. Longmont should be rigorously evaluating programs for whether they serve residents and whether they use taxpayer money well.

Instead of cutting the budget indiscriminately, we should eliminate programs that don’t deliver for residents.

I fully endorse Ranked Choice Voting for Longmont, and will work to ensure our next municipal election uses Ranked Choice Voting.

Our current election system favors incumbents who know all the right people, but who aren’t doing a good job serving their constituents.

By adopting Ranked Choice Voting, the many Longmonters who want to run for office but are kept out by a network of insiders can do so without being forced out by the accusation of being a spoiler.

Longmont doesn’t exist in isolation. Half our residents commute to jobs outside the city, and housing costs affect the entire Front Range. Even if we enact every policy perfectly, if our neighbors keep the status quo then few of our problems can be solved.

Real regional cooperation means learning from what others do well, instead of getting hung up on old disagreements. When Denver streamlines permitting, we improve our processes. When Boulder builds affordable housing effectively, we study their approach. When RTD succeeds at transit, we adapt their lessons.

It also means leadership. By proving that responsive, effective local government is possible, Longmont can become a model for the region. Other cities already look to Longmont for lessons on housing affordability and infrastructure challenges.

Let’s show them that we’re looking to the future, instead of being stuck in the past.

Local businesses are the heartbeat of Longmont’s economy. They create jobs, foster community connections, and keep wealth local. They aren’t nuisances, and we should stop treating them that way.

By legalizing neighborhood corner stores, carnicerias, and veterinarian’s offices, we can give those local businesses a competitive advantage that a chain store can’t compete with—proximity. At the same time, neighborhood businesses reduce traffic by making simple errands walkable.

By streamlining permitting requirements, simplifying processes, and reducing the risk of big fines for honest, low-stakes mistakes, we can help local businesses thrive by making it safe to try new things.

I’ll ensure Longmont lobbies the state to fund enforcement of predatory pricing laws, so that multi-state corporations aren’t using monopoly power to undercut local businesses.

Everyone should have the chance to start a business, not just those who already have the success needed to get a business loan.

By allowing entrepreneurs to start from home, more people will get the chance to create the bakery, machine shop, or clean-energy producer that could become the next iconic Longmont business.

Instead of having to pay commercial rent on Day 1, starting from home gives people the chance to try something. That way, if it doesn’t work, there’s no debt burdening a family.

And even if it never becomes a full-time job, having a reliable home-based business helps families be resilient against economic downturns or rising inflation.

If elected, I would vote for a minimum wage increase in Longmont to $16.50 per hour starting on January 1, 2027.

We have a responsibility to ensure that people who work in Longmont earn a fair wage that is enough for them to feed their families. Just as many people over the age of 35 make minimum wage as teenagers, and 30% of minimum wage workers are parents with children.

I support a regional minimum wage, which helps Longmont workers without asking businesses to pay more inside Longmont than in nearby cities.

And I take seriously City Council’s responsibility to halt cost-of-living increases for housing and transportation, so that people who make more get to keep it, and local businesses don’t get pushed out of business by long-term wage inflation.

Getting to 100% carbon-free electricity isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business. By prioritizing community benefit over shareholder profit, we have real competitive advantages over investor-owned utilities.

We can keep electric rates down by investing in smart grid technologies that store power locally and enhance grid resilience for businesses like manufacturing that need high reliability. 

This is already attracting clean economy businesses like Danfoss (UQM), whose business model relies on ready access to clean energy.

These kinds of businesses hire local workers, pay great wages, and create the kind of economic prosperity that only comes from long-term thinking.