Fiscal Common Sense

          Plymouth residents work hard for their money. The City Council has a duty to spend it carefully.        

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• Prioritize core municipal services: police, fire, public works, parks, and basic infrastructure.
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• Demand clear metrics and outcomes for every major expenditure and program.
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• Resist the temptation to expand the role of city government into areas better left to individuals, families, nonprofits, and the private sector.
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• Support a competitive tax climate that keeps Plymouth attractive for families and businesses without shifting burdens unfairly.
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• Insist on transparency in budgeting so residents can see exactly where their dollars go.
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          Good intentions do not justify open-ended spending. Every dollar has an opportunity cost. I will treat public funds with the same care I would treat my own.        

Constitutional Rights & Founding Values

          Plymouth’s strength comes from residents who know this community and from a City Council willing to lead with a local vision. I will promote local leadership that partners with citizens — not outside agendas — and that treats constitutional rights as the foundation of that partnership.        

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• Protect free speech and open debate in public forums and city proceedings.
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• Defend property rights and due process in land-use, permitting, and enforcement decisions.
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• Invite residents into the work of setting Plymouth’s direction, so local vision is shaped here, by the people who live here.
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• Use federal and state funds with caution when the money comes with mandates that undermine local control.
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• Apply the same rules to everyone. Fair, even-handed government builds trust.
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          Local vision and leadership that partners with citizens — not outside agendas — is how we keep Plymouth free, prosperous, and accountable to the people of Ward 2.        

Local Control & Opposition to External Frameworks

          In 2023 Plymouth joined the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. GreenStep is marketed as voluntary and flexible. In practice, these multi-step recognition programs create ongoing pressure to adopt specific best practices, report metrics, and align local planning with broader environmental and equity agendas that originate far outside Plymouth.        

          The risk is real: over time, the City Council’s practical authority over planning, development, and local priorities can be narrowed by commitments made under these frameworks. Future councils and residents may find themselves constrained by decisions they never fully debated.        

My position is clear:

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• I will oppose any further deepening of GreenStep or similar programs that reduce the City Council’s and residents’ sovereignty over land use, development, and community priorities.
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• Local elected officials answer to local voters. That accountability is the foundation of good government. External scorecards and recognition systems should never become a substitute for it.
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• Environmental stewardship and good planning are legitimate local goals. They should be pursued through open debate among Plymouth residents and their elected representatives — not through adoption of pre-packaged state or national frameworks.
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• I will carefully review existing commitments and work to restore maximum flexibility and local decision-making authority wherever it has been diminished.
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          This is not anti-environment. It is pro-local democracy. The people who live with the consequences of planning decisions should be the ones who make them.        

Public Safety & Quality of Life

          Safe streets, reliable emergency response, well-maintained parks and roads, and a clean environment are the everyday responsibilities of city government. I will support the professionals who deliver these services and ensure they have the resources and clear direction they need.        

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• Back our police and fire departments with adequate staffing and equipment.
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• Maintain infrastructure before it fails — reactive spending is almost always more expensive.
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• Protect the character of our neighborhoods while allowing thoughtful, locally driven growth.
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• Keep parks and recreational amenities high quality without turning them into vehicles for unrelated policy goals.
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How I Will Serve Ward 2

          I will listen first. I will explain my reasoning. I will not treat disagreement as disloyalty. And I will never outsource my judgment to an outside scorecard or ideology.        

          Ward 2 is a diverse, thoughtful community. Residents deserve a council member who treats them as adults capable of weighing trade-offs, not as subjects to be managed toward predetermined outcomes. That is the representation I will provide.