My sense of civic duty and commitment to public service from my early childhood has not waned. I enjoy solving complex policy problems, and I love working to represent the people of Portsmouth. As a City Councilor, I feel I have accomplished many goals in my first term, but there is still much to be done. I would like to continue my work to bring more affordable housing to Portsmouth, improve planning for Climate Change, and foster strength in the Arts and Cultural Community. Portsmouth is facing a housing crisis. This crisis exacerbates our workforce staffing challenges, specifically in retail, hospitality, non-profits, childcare, education, and public safety. The upcoming Master Planning process provides an opportunity for the City to re-evaluate our zoning to take a housing-first approach to planning for the next 10-15 years. I believe I bring a progressive voice to these discussions. I will work to alter policies and ordinances that stand in the way of building affordable housing, while being mindful of the historic character of our city. We must consider expanding gateway zones in our Master Planning process, and alternative housing options like live-work spaces, micro-unit housing, tiny homes, and boardinghouse style housing to help fill housing gaps. I also bring experience lobbying in Concord to the job as a City Councilor. I will continue to lobby for better housing laws, more funding for affordable housing, and regulations that allow us to limit rentals by absentee owners. Ultimately, this is a discussion about accessibility, and who will have access to our wonderful community. I believe we must continue to be a warm, welcoming, and inclusive community, and we can only do that by confronting this ongoing crisis.

The City of Portsmouth must address the impact of climate change on our infrastructure, and the lives of our residents. During my first term, I focused on supporting the Climate Action Planning process as a member of the Sustainability Committee, and bringing locally controlled, renewable power options to the City through Portsmouth Community Power as a member of the Energy Advisory Committee. During my second term, I would like to address sea level rise adaptation measures and bringing climate-related infrastructure improvements forward in the Capital Improvement Plan process, while focusing on transitioning the City to an electric vehicle fleet and green building improvements. I will also continue my support for the arts through implementation of the new Cultural Plan, promotion of public art projects, and support for the newly established Arts and Cultural Commission and Public Art Review Committees. After working to bring changes to our Ethics process, committee structure, and Council rules, I would like the opportunity to continue my work as the Governance Chair to proceed with our review of city ordinances, policies, rules, and procedures to further improve the workflow and transparency of our local government. I will work to make sure the City of Portsmouth works well for our entire community.