Restoring Good Governance to City Hall
Having dedicated my entire career to public service, I understand the importance of listening to our residents and making our government a reliable, responsive resource for everyone.
I pledge to lead with transparency, honesty, and civility as both a candidate and (hopefully) your next Councilmember. Regardless of whether we come from different parts of town or have different opinions on policy, our City Council should always be focused on bringing San Mateo together. I’m proud to have a long record of problem-solving and consensus-building, and I’m running to bring that experience to City Hall!
Our City government has also been severely understaffed for over a decade, with the shortage getting even worse during the pandemic. We need to recruit and retain more experienced City employees, because that’s how we improve the quality, efficiency, and equity of our public services.
Improving Safety in Every Neighborhood
The San Mateo Police Department is especially short-staffed, which lengthens response times, undermines officer morale, and puts our public safety at risk. I will work hard with leaders in SMPD and across the community to fill those vacancies and boost training so we can more effectively tackle rising issues like property crime and retail theft.
Public safety also means making our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. We need to boost resources for traffic enforcement, bike lanes, crosswalk lighting, and road signage. Every traffic-related injury or fatality is one too many.
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Addressing Our Housing and Homelessness Crisis
As District Director for Senator Josh Becker, I work every day to advance common-sense housing and homelessness policies at the state level. Let’s bring that same common sense to City Hall!
We need to cut the red tape that makes rent, homeownership, and development so expensive for everyone. Easing height limits on El Camino and in Downtown would encourage developers to build more multi-family units. Rolling back the excessive restrictions on Accessory Dwelling Units, also known as “ADUs” and “granny units,” would further ease our housing shortage. We should also create incentives for more development along transit corridors so we can reduce street traffic and boost commercial activity. And to really ensure that our housing market is running smoothly, our City government should reach out to landlords, homeowners, and renters, helping them comply with building codes, safety regulations, and tenant protections.
While these housing policies will prevent San Mateans from falling into homelessness in the first place, we must do more to help our currently unhoused population. As both a policy advocate and a board member for Samaritan House, I spend every day bringing federal and state resources back to San Mateo so we can uplift our most vulnerable community members. As your City Councilmember, I will continue to work hard on these critical issues.
All of these policies will make San Mateo a more affordable and healthy place to call home, while still protecting our beloved open spaces, improving the lives of our unhoused population, and preserving the already-existing housing that makes our neighborhoods so beautiful.
Enhancing Our Community Infrastructure
Due to climate change, our housing market is facing another challenge: rising tides, and with them, rising insurance rates. At the state level, I have fought to protect funding for our coastal resilience programs. At the local level, I have fought just as hard to pass Flood Free San Mateo, an infrastructure investment that will enhance the attractiveness, affordability, and safety of our communities for years to come.
We must apply this future-first approach to every part of San Mateo’s infrastructure. I will fight for more resources to make our roads safer, from adding bike lanes to filling potholes. We must also revitalize our community centers, which have been underfunded and overlooked for far too long. San Mateans deserve a wider range of programs for recreation, education, and culture!