My Priorities

Prices, from groceries to homes, continue to increase. As a mom with young kids and senior relatives, I have felt firsthand the financial pressures on our community increasing. My family has felt the squeeze between trying to find (and afford) daycare while also helping support our aging relatives. At the same time, it’s also been more challenging for the City to continue to offer excellent services as costs for the city go up as well while revenues remain flat. I am invested in policies to reduce financial pressures on residents while maintaining the services our community depends on and make Beaverton an amazing place to live.

Everyone needs to be able to move through our city safely. However, on average, there is a vehicle crash that results in an injury every 10 hours in Beaverton. Every 11 days, there is a crash that leads to a life-altering injury or death. This is in line with national trends; a car crash is the second likeliest cause of death for children. It’s personal for me - my husband and son were hit by a car pulling out of a driveway while they were biking back from school, and it’s luck that they weren’t seriously hurt or killed. As vehicles get heavier and higher, the damage they can inflict, especially at high speeds, increases significantly.

At the same time, cars, insurance, maintenance (both routine and surprise), and fuel are all getting more expensive, creating an increasingly large financial burden. To top it off, more motor vehicles that drive on our roads means that road maintenance expenses continue to increase as well, not to mention being stuck in more traffic.

These facts point to the need for safe streets no matter how you get around, including people who walk, roll, bike, ride public transit, and drive. I will be an advocate on City Council to make it possible to travel safely for people to get to where they are going, no matter the mode.

Climate change is here; it’s up to us to decide how severe it will be and how we will prepare for it. Cities are the front lines for where people can make a difference, including how we get around, how we keep our homes comfortable and powered, and how we can prepare for wilder weather like ice storms, extreme heat, and flooding. I am committed to implementing policies that will prepare Beaverton and help residents reduce their emissions.

My experience participating in my Neighborhood Association Committee as well as various committees has shown me that there is a real desire to serve our community in Beaverton. Neighbors have done some truly remarkable things, from organizing the planting of thousands of trees over the years to rallying neighbors to get prepared for emergencies.

I have also seen how it can be challenging for neighbors to make the impact that they want to see, or sometimes they don’t even know about the opportunities that exist. I will elevate the amazing work that is currently happening, seek new ways to connect people who want do serve their city, as well as being a resource to help navigate how to get started.