BACKGROUND: What motivated you to run for City Council, and what unique skills or experience make you the best candidate for the role?

2-term Council Member; 22-year resident; 28-year real estate attorney; President, Sentinel Club; 8-year Challenger volunteer, Good Neighbor Team volunteer. The fact that members of the current Council sought for the past year to deny residents a vote on the unnecessary and wasteful plan to demolish our Library, Community Building and Senior Center, relocating them as well as our City Hall, and increase taxes to pay for it shows that a change in leadership is desperately needed.

ISSUES: What are the two most pressing issues you plan to address as a City Council Member, and what specific strategies will you use to solve them?

Water quality and drainage are the most critical issues facing West U, followed closely by the need for staffing in our public works department. In addition to exploring options to fund identified essential infrastructure projects in tax neutral ways, such as public and private grants, we need to focus on recruiting and retaining experienced, qualified personnel to head our public works, building and code enforcement offices so that residents can enjoy the level of service they deserve.

FUTURE: What is your vision for the city in 10 years, and what steps will you take to achieve it?

West U has been a part of my family since 1941, and my home for the past 22 years. My hope is that by our making sensible, fiscally responsible choices today, generations of future residents, young and old, will be able to build their own cherished memories of West U. Ten years from now, we should have a fully updated water and sewer infrastructure, and should be well on our way to retiring any debt associated with it, which will require avoiding unnecessary building projects.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: How will you engage residents in the city's decision-making process?

Major decisions that have significant tax consequences, such as the City's plan to tear down and relocate our Library, Community Building and Senior Center, as well as our City Hall, should always involve substantive engagement with residents before a dollar is spent. This means robust communication efforts, including mail, e-mail and social media, but, most importantly, unstructured town halls in which residents can have a meaningful, open discussion about the City's proposed direction.

COMMUNITY: What are your favorite things about your city?

My favorite thing about our City is our residents. They are a wonderfully smart, talented, creative, friendly, and occasionally very funny group, and I'm proud to have been one of them for the past 22 years. Our parks, amenities and public services have won numerous awards and are second to none, but it's ultimately our friends and neighbors that make West U what it is.