On the Issues
Taxes
Keeping Sandy taxes low and fair is my top priority, and I have a track record to prove it. In 2020, I was the only elected official in our city who took a stand against the new state sales tax increase on food. I worked for weeks going door to door collecting signatures, shuttling petition booklets to the county clerk, and informing constituents how to fight the new tax.
I was a daily volunteer at signature gathering tables at our local Harmons grocer. This is another way I'm different from others in the race. I devote my time and energy to inform and protect working families in Sandy. Because of our grassroots efforts, the legislature repealed the new tax rather than face the voter referendum on the ballot. We won!
I'm proud to have earned the endorsement of the original referendum sponsor, Judy Weeks Rohner, who is a fiscal conservative and a new state legislator with a reputation for standing with the people. As your mayor, I'll make spending decisions with your household budget in mind and avoid unnecessary increases that burden working families.
Parks & Open Space
Sandy residents treasure our parks and open space, and we have come together many times to preserve and and protect public land we love.
As founder and president of the Dimple Dell Preservation Community, I’ve dedicated thousands of hours to increase awareness and appreciation for Dimple Dell Regional Park. Each year our open space and large lot neighborhoods become more scarce Among many things we have accomplished, I’m particularly proud of my involvement in the Keep Dimple Dell Wild movement to redirect the $4 million ZAP funding from the asphalt trail project to a number of priority maintenance and improvement projects the park really needs. The process to identify projects and set priorities was vetted and surveyed and designed to improve access for people of different abilities and improve facilities for park users while preserving the wilderness experience.
Dimple Dell is just one of the many parks in Sandy, and I am equally committed to ensuring that these spaces are protected and accessible for generations to come.
Campaign Finance
I recognized the need for increased public access to candidate campaign donations and the Council enacted new laws based on my recommendations and advocacy. These require online campaign disclosures so people can easily view, download, and search a candidate’s campaign funding. What’s more, we moved the public disclosure date up, so the campaign funding is public before the ballots arrive in the mail.
Public Notice
For the first time in our city's history, residents will see bright orange signs posted at a property undergoing a rezone application or other major land use change. Instead of just a few neighbors getting notice of an upcoming public meeting, every person driving or walking by will be able to see the alert.
Public Transparency
Residents can now rely on public comment at City Council meetings to occur at or very close to 6 p.m. each Tuesday. This has made it easier for people to speak on important decisions in our community.
Save Not Pave
The ramifications of expanding Wasatch Blvd are of great importance to the residents of Sandy. It is hard to imagine our communities if Wasatch is expanded to 5-7 lane road with a 50 mile per hour speed limit, but we know if will bisect neighborhoods, increase congestion and contribute to our air quality problems.
It is in our interest as Sandy residents to engage with UDOT to make sure the voice of our local municipalities is not overpowered by private development interests promoting a gondola or train to take resort customers up the mountain at taxpayer expense.
We are in this together and need to stay involved to set reasonable expectations that balance growth while respecting the people who built and live in the beautiful communities along the Wasatch mountains.
Fiscal Responsibility & Public Safety
This year, I ensured that the city set a budget that protected the pay of our city’s essential workers and first responders who had to rise to the challenge of the pandemic and function with greater risk and responsibilities in the workplace.
At the same time, I made sure that the city stayed in it's budget and passed a balanced budget without a tax increase.
The Gondola Project
Growth & Development
Growth should create a more vibrant and connected community, not choke the best things we love about our neighborhoods. Sandy deserves a mayor with the vision to balance housing, transportation, business, community, and environmental needs. As Mayor, I will enhance the best things about Sandy and improve the rest.
