Communication.
The most common complaint I've heard from my neighbors is about inconsistent communication from their council member. Clear communication between representatives and constituents should always be a top priority. I am committed not only to timely replies to e-mailed concerns from my neighbors, but also to quarterly in-person meetings so that you can ensure your concerns are being addressed. I won't be able to solve every problem, but I promise to let you know your voice is being heard.
Transit, safer streets, affordable housing.
These issues are intrinsically linked and contribute to a better quality of life for all Nashvillians. Accessible housing is often further from the city's central area and can be a hassle to travel to and from without a personal vehicle. Improved transit means people can move about the city with ease and access areas that are currently inconvenient for bus riders. Life-saving protections for cyclists and pedestrians encourage transportation beyond cars. In addition to our failing urban design, we need easy and safe transit access linking affordable housing with area jobs.
Transit:
More people on buses means fewer cars on the street, and thus safer roads for pedestrians and cyclists. Too many of our streets are without sidewalks and bicycle lanes, which discourages people from choosing walking or biking over driving. Our streets need to be addressed and improved from a non-driving point of view. The new 12th Ave S bike lanes are a great starting point for reimagining our streets and should be the standard going forward. Using protected bike lanes and properly maintained sidewalks to connect our neighborhoods to our greenways ensures accessibility for all Nashvillians.
Whether biking into Midtown, walking to the Belcourt, or taking the 77 to an NSC match; my family and I routinely utilize alternative methods of transportation. I have hands-on experience with inconsistent bus times, limited accessibility to bus lines, and streets that are unsafe for cyclists. We need to add new connector lines, restore former lines, and approach all new infrastructure with an emphasis on reducing car travel in our city.
Affordable Housing:
Accessible housing in Nashville has vanished, particularly for those who make our city run. Our own district has seen a significant rise in housing costs, loss in section 8 housing, and many families forced to move elsewhere.
Our district is plagued by widespread short-term-rentals (STRs.) These STRs are commonly owned by people who don’t live in our communities. Tourism is an important part of the city, but the average Nashville tourist isn’t interested in any of the aspects that make our neighborhoods great. While the Council has taken good steps to ensure STR owners are held accountable, there are still loopholes that keep too large a percentage of our housing supply unavailable for residents. In order to build a holistic housing plan, we must address the abundance of STR’s.
While the State doesn’t allow us to negotiate for affordable housing via the rezoning process, Metro should explore the use of city-owned land for affordable housing developments. Converting unused/underused Metro properties to affordable units would open much needed new housing in most of our neighborhoods. Ensuring our youth, working families, and all Nashvillians can stay in the city they call home needs to be a top priority.
Taking care of our
civic employees.
Our budget is a moral document; it reflects the values of our community. When I think about the people who work for Metro, helping our city thrive, I want to know that they can afford to live in the community they serve. I want to prioritize working class Nashvillians over tax incentives for multi-billion dollar corporations.
It is unacceptable that Metro Government pensioners are no longer allowed to keep their preferred health care coverage. We should not cut retiree benefits while also handing out the largest subsidy of a private sports entity in U.S. history. Revenue sources are going to be an issue in the coming cycle, but it will be a priority for me to ensure that prior commitments to workers are restored and honored going forward.
When the Metro Government makes promises to its workers, it needs to follow through.
Taking care of our
communities.
Police and Mental Health Resources:
MNPD has roughly 137 fully-funded yet unfilled officer positions. We don't need more police officers. We need an unarmed, trained, and dedicated mental health task force that is available 24/7. We ask every single department to make budget cuts (some of these departments are already woefully underfunded) and yet the MNPD budget continues to rise every year. This is unacceptable. Our communities deserve to have non-violent civic services available to them during any time of need. The safest neighborhoods don't have the highest police presence; they have the most resources. We need to stop relying exclusively on reactive measures to crime and begin to develop preventative measures. This is the only effective approach to crime reduction.
MNPS:
Our teachers deserve to be able to afford to live in the communities they serve. Metro’s budget shows where our priorities are. Education should be our number one priority. I believe Metro teachers should have a starting salary of $60,000 per year with a reasonably fast path to the area living wage of $72,000 per year. We need dedicated subs in each of our schools and they should be paid $25/hour whether full or part time. Teacher turnover has been a consistent part of my children’s MNPS experience. Fair pay reduces turnover and helps alleviate burnout.
Non-magnet high school start times are too early. This means for part of the year students are standing at bus stops in the dark and some students may be driving their cars while suffering from a lack of sleep. Not only is it dangerous for students getting to school but there are many studies that show early start times have detrimental effects on teenagers' mental health. We need to push back their school start times.
Parks and Greenways:
Nashville should be a city where people can freely and safely travel from one neighborhood to the next without relying on a car. Our greenways are a fantastic and safe way to explore the city; unfortunately they are still disjointed and we need to push for the completion of integrating our greenways with new protected bike lanes. This is the most affordable way to begin to remedy pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure inequality in our city.
Community Education:
For decades, Nashville had a strong community education program. This brought together Nashvillians of all backgrounds, providing over 115 accessible classes in a remarkable variety of subjects. The Community Education Commission lost Metro support from the Cooper administration after more than 40 years of serving our neighbors. With a recent push to reinstate this essential program, I endorse the work that community organizers are doing to bring community education back. This would be a day one priority of mine.
Efficient City Services
Smarter Waste Management:
Trash problems are mounting up as Nashville continues to grow and we are currently facing a landfill crisis. Metro Public Works says in the next 3 to 5 years it could be difficult to find somewhere to take Nashville's trash. We need to find ways to divert solid waste from our landfills such as a weekly curbside compost pick-up. During Mayoral forums this cycle, we’ve heard about the need to create a new department to handle our solid waste, separating this responsibility from Metro Water. I fully support this and will work to ensure it happens.
Traffic Calming
District 18 is a cut-through for many area commuters heading to work at our neighborhood Universities, hospitals, or to the CBD. We all see that in spite of our efforts to promote pedestrian friendly streets, cars still speed recklessly through our neighborhoods. NDOT has taken steps to streamline the traffic calming process, but they are still unable to keep up with requests. Our neighborhoods shouldn’t have to wait years to address safety on our streets. Nashville should better fund the traffic calming process. I also want to encourage NDOT to explore a wider variety of traffic calming measures beyond speed cushions and the limited other options they currently employ.