I have decided to run for re-election to the South Bend Common Council because we still have more work to do. Working together we can build a South Bend to be proud of and one where all residents can thrive.
In the not-so-distant past, South Bend was caught up in the naysayers story. Working together with residents, community stakeholders & business leaders, Council, city staff & the Mayor, we’ve now begun to witness a new story in South Bend. South Bend’s new story is growth and energy, happening all over our city, with even more in the years to come. South Bend’s new story is one that outside businesses & investors want to be part of and one where our existing businesses are expanding and growing. Our population increase is at its fastest pace in over 70 years. This coming year we will see the most dollars ever invested into our city.
Working together the city has funded affordable housing & leveraged development incentives for even more affordable units. Parts of the city are seeing housing built for the 1st time since the 1940s & 50s. Street repaving, better lighting and new sidewalks are top funding priorities in South Bend today, with over $20 million being invested into our neighborhoods from the American Recovery Plan.
We’ve worked together to update aging water infrastructure and ensure adequate funding so that all residents have clean safe water. We’ve worked with a community non-profit to fund pre-K programs when the state won’t. And we are a city that provides the funding and incentives needed to recruit, retain and reward police officers and provide the latest in crime fighting technologies.
During my 1st term on the Council I’ve been a voice of common sense and always voted for infrastructure improvements and additional funding for our police department. I’ve pushed for development that provides a return-on-investment in the form of jobs, affordable housing, and increased tax revenue and accountability for developers that do not keep their commitments.
I’ve done lots of heavy lifting; chairing the committees overseeing 21st Century Police Reforms and the funding of water system upgrades, and chaired over 30 “Build the Budget” public meetings & hearings for the 2022 American Recovery Plan funds & Budget and distributing an extra $58 million in infrastructure & community programs into the city.
In our 2023 City Elections I will again offer the voters my common sense approach to city government, a commitment to support infrastructure & public safety funding, and my legal expertise. Working together we can continue to write a new story for South Bend, a story we are all proud of and where all residents can thrive.
