Candidate survey responses
Why are you running? Why are you running as a Democrat?
I’ve been an active member of the community in various areas for a long time and I’ve often spoken with city council members and administrations when I had concerns. When I ran in 2023 it felt like the right time to put myself into the roles and serve the community. I’m running as a Democrat because their positions are those I have largely agreed with and because even within the party there is a variance of perspectives.
What is your previous political or public office experience?
This past year on city council was my first experience in public office, prior to running I had no previous political experience.
What do you see as Athens’ biggest issues?
I think communication is one challenge we have in Athens. There is often a lot going on in our community and finding ways to best get information out to our citizens is an area we could work to improve.
What experiences, knowledge, expertise do you think you can bring to council? Relevant major accomplishments?
I’ve lived in Athens as a student, graduate, a business owner, a parent, and in each of those phases of life I’ve gained different knowledge and perspectives on the community. I’ve been involved in several organizations, from the Uptown Business Association, to PTOs, to non-profit boards, and community groups which has given me the opportunity to interact with people from much of the community. This has allowed me to learn from different groups and to know who to connect with when I don’t know enough. Also the knowledge to know that it is better to say when you don’t know something but then to go do the work to find an answer, information, or guidance.
As far as relevant accomplishments, maintaining a 30 plus year business with 25 years of ownership through a lot of changes would definitely be one I would count. This has required a continual ability to consistently learn new skills, to pivot, to recover, to work with others, and grow, and most importantly to show up and get the work done. Small business requires you to handle what comes along and to figure it out as you go while balancing the rest of your life.
Where and how do you think the city could improve life for its residents?
That is a hard thing to pinpoint in Athens. We have a very diverse population with very diverse, and sometimes opposing, views of how our city should be. Over my years here I have seen more citizen engagement opportunities occurring and expect we will see more coming which will help dictate our future which I feel helps to identify what residents want and need.
What committees would you like to serve on?
This past year I’ve been on the planning committee and the city and safety services committee. Both committees play a role in the way our city grows and expands to best fit the needs of the community. I would like to continue on those committees as I’ve followed many of these topics for a while now.
Some hot-button items over the past year have been the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District plan (and Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers becoming Southeast Ohio Recycling Terminal council of governments), construction on West Union and the Lostro Project, a recent cyber theft and an income tax increase. Any thoughts on how the city/council handled problems that arose during these circumstances?
- SORT – I’m glad we as a city joined the SORT COG as it allows us the opportunity to collaborate in the future. I know many, including myself, would like to have stayed with AHRC. It is frustrating and unfortunate that the ORC restricts municipalities and their ability to choose a best fit over lowest bid.
- Construction – For construction in the city I think finding a better way to communicate in a consistent manner would improve projects overall. While some projects may have instances of delays or roadblocks, better communication could help to alleviate the frustrations felt by the community. Addressing old infrastructure and renovations are necessary but complicated and having more conversations that occur before or when issues arise the better. While information about projects can be found on the city website I think more details on the whys of a project could also give residents a better window into the necessity of each. Sometimes understanding why construction is needed can help address frustrations.
- Cyber-theft – As an ongoing closed investigation there isn’t a lot of information out regarding the cyber-crime committed against the city. I don’t know that there a lot to add at this point other than this is a good time to really have more discussions and draw attention to the rise in cyber-crimes happening. Especially as cyber security measures are being removed at the federal level, the more awareness we can bring to citizens the better. Also new additional cyber trainings are available to all city employees, including city council, to further ensure the most up to date information and warnings are accessible.
- Income tax increase – While some of the timelines overlapped the income tax discussion was introduced at the Nov 12 council committee meeting and the need for asking for an increase had come up in the months prior. If the administration would need to reduce services impacting residents, those residents should have a voice in that decision beforehand.
