I am FOR providing affordable housing in a thoughtful and community driven manner and welcome ALL citizens who are FOR helping achieve that goal. Dividing the community into warring camps will not further the effort to create affordable housng. My hope is to bring together ALL County citizens to solve our many challenges not to perpetuate and deepen our differences.

Officials are trying to simplify zoning categories for sites and are proposing to rezone approximately 9,300 acres that are currently zoned “residential” to “rural.” These new restrictive rezoning regulations would harm county residents, decreasing the supply of available housing, increasing prices to build new homes or purchase existing homes, and stalling economic development.

The county commissioners have known that a new jail facility was necessary for the past 15 years, but their response has been dilatory and dysfunctional. Monroe County officials agree that what is needed is a justice center where county offices, including the prosecutor and public defender, are co-located with related mental health, counseling, and recovery services in a facility with expanded and technologically current courtroom space.

Monroe county residents deserve engaged elected officials who work together to form a local government that is responsive, collaborative, and transparent. Voters deserve county officials who are present both in the courthouse and in the community, attending important community organizational meetings, inviting diverse constituents to be part of planning processes, and listening to and being responsive to stakeholder questions and concerns.