Campaign Platform

Since March, I have been out in the neighborhoods to reach our citizens and hear what they have to say. What is working? Why is Saline amazing? Where do we have deficits? What could be improved upon? Where do we see ourselves in 3, 5, and 10 years? The information I gathered from residents strongly informs my platform and from these interactions with residents; I have narrowed my platform down to five areas of importance. This does not meant there aren't other issues to consider - see the Community Page (under construction) for more information.

  • Lack of Diversity: As a collective, we are at our best when our community is rich in diversity including other races, ethnicities, abilities, religions, and gender expressions. We need to become safer and more welcoming for everyone in ways we have previously fallen short. I will work with our city's newly forming DEI Task Force to make sure we are rolling out initiatives that help support a more diverse Saline. I will also work with the 109 Cultural Center to bring in ethnic festivals and cultural activities to broaden and add to the wonderful events we already have here.

  • Growing Pains: How do we keep our small town charm and simultaneously continue to grow? Growth will happen around us whether or not we, as a city, are involved. We do not want to remain stagnant. I will take a deep dive into the city's current Master Plan to see if we are following it and what changes should be made. I am a firm believer in being proactive and creating a 3, 5, and 10 year plan. Where should our city be in 10 years? Once we figure that out we can work backwards to ensure we will meet that goal when the time comes.

  • Downtown and other business areas: Thanks to Saline Area Main Street, our downtown is moving along nicely. However, it will take continued out-of-the-box thinking to make Saline a destination, not just a place to come home to. We need options that bring families to Saline for activities, events, shopping, dinner, and socializing. We have limited space available and US12 running through downtown so we have to be intentional when planning. Additionally, I want to ensure that all of our businesses feel connected, not just those downtown.

  • Infrastructure and Resources: Growth goes hand-in-hand with burden on resources. Although stagnant growth is not desirable, neither is burdening our resources. Most of us are familiar with the problems we have with our Waste Water Treatment Plant. Although city council has been hard at work to fix this situation, it's still not where it should be. There seems to be a reactive approach to infrastructure and I want to work towards being more proactive. If we have a robust 3, 5, and 10 year Master Plan, we can see what's coming ahead and make sure we are timely when it comes to protecting our resources.

  • Diversity and Affordability in housing: When I was 13, my single, working-class mother moved us to Saline. This was after a year of living and going to school in Ann Arbor. She sought out the best schools she could find and felt Saline was it. She was able to pull this off and I am grateful for it. This really is not feasible anymore. I'd love to see available housing options for all socio-economic situations and abilities. We don't want to cut too much into our green space but we should look at re-purposing what land we have available. We could use some dense, single and multi-family developments either in the city or via annexation. We need options for those who work in town but are forced to live elsewhere due to costs. We need options for young, single families starting out. We need options for those who may prefer smaller, single-story housing due to age or ability. We need options for our seniors. It will be difficult to bring in affordable housing. It will take intentional long-range planning and patience. We cannot say that we want diversity in Saline without offering diverse housing options. *Note: Affordable housing is important but must be carefully planned out taking resources into consideration. Before any new construction plans are made, we must be sure our resources and facilities are working efficiently.

*Again, these five items reflect issues that have continually and consistently come up when I am talking with residents. In no way does it represent my entire platform. Other issues, thoughts, and concerns will be addressed on the "Community Page" of this website. I encourage residents to reach out to me with their thoughts as well!*