It is essential that Highland plans now for future needs. Being fiscally conservative and responsible now will allow us to have the funds to address problems as they arise without incurring additional debt.
The General Plan serves as the policy basis for decisions made by the City Council. This important document has not been updated since 2008 and needs to be updated thoughtfully and with the input of residents.
We need to use information from the recently commissioned traffic study to work with neighborhoods to address their unique traffic problems and be proactive in implementing traffic calming strategies.
As Highlanders, we should to be the example of how to have difficult conversations in a respectful way. I will always listen to understand and address residents, fellow council members and staff with respect.
While much of the media focus is on national politics, what happens on a local level is what really matters to our lives and the lives of our children. The level of government that impacts us most is the one closest to us. Our city government is where decisions are made that will impact us every day, and as such we need to be active participants in that government. We also need to carefully safeguard the city from overreach by the county and state governments.
There have been many times over the past three years that the federal government, state government, and county governments have tried to exert pressure and influence on the city. I have worked to keep our elections local, not accept grant money that binds our ability to govern ourselves, not raise taxes to benefit outside entities, and have worked tirelessly to retain the power of local government.
I have found that it’s important to study issues and hear all points of view before making a decision. Those who know me tell me that I have a talent for being able to genuinely listen first and then engage in meaningful discourse while maintaining respect and civility, regardless of the other person’s personality type, beliefs or level of passion. I also realize that sometimes it’s easy for government to get stuck. I am committed to making sure we get traction on issues and arrive at mutually acceptable decisions when it comes to city policy.
I have listened to resident concerns and challenges. When residents have brought traffic concerns to City Council, I worked with staff and council to create a traffic calming toolbox so that we can more easily and effectively address traffic concerns. I worked with residents of the Country Club to save their trees during a recent sewer project. When residents of another neighborhood needed to replace dying trees, I worked with the City to create a partnership with the residents to buy and plant trees.
Decisions the City Council makes should be transparent and a result of a thorough research and understanding. Government is designed to move slowly and deliberately and it a disservice to residents when decisions are unnecessarily rushed.