Issues

League of Women Voters' Primary Candidate Forum

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Topics discussed at the forum.

1. Opening Statement = 2:55 - 4:12.

2. Financing Park Maintenance = (5:52 - 6:48) I think that we need to explore the creation of a metropolitan park district. This would require voter approval, but could spread costs across the entire county and allow for shared revenue with cities to help sustain and grow regional parks.

3. Public Engagement = (8:17 - 9:17) Meaningful outreach involves being proactive and hosting forums in various cities, such as Ridgefield, Camas, and Battle Ground, rather than expecting residents to always travel to council meetings. My experience on the Historic Preservation Commission has shown that I welcome learning from public input and use it to inform decisions.

4. Tax Increases = (14:48 - 15:57) Regarding the 1% permissible property tax increase, I believe that not utilizing it has contributed to the county's deficit. According to sources, the cost would be minimal per household (estimated at $5–$6 annually) compared to the impact of inflation. The continued budget cuts threaten essential services like public safety, roads, and parks. We don’t need to exercise this every year, but we do need to find ways to increase revenue.

5. Fireworks = (17:10 - 18:14) Fireworks are entertaining. Balancing their use is difficult due to the noise affecting pets and residents with PTSD. We need to finding funding to bring back large, organized community displays or drone shows to reduce the reliance on individual neighborhood fireworks.

6. Budget Priorities = (19:39 - 20:44) 75% of county costs currently go toward law and justice, leaving only 25% for all of our other needs. Roads, parks, public safety, and housing are my primary spending priorities, because neglecting these areas would impact our county's livability.

7. Housing and Growth = (25:42 - 26:52) The county is projected to grow by roughly 200,000 people by 2045. I believe that we should be building "up, not out" and utilizing existing infrastructure to keep costs down. We also need to promote building a mix of housing sizes to support people through different life stages and economic ability.

8. Homelessness and Behavioral Health = (28:16 - 29:26) The county needs to be more proactive. We need to be taking a holistic approach. Data shows that the main reason for houslessness is affordability. It is not the what my opponent stated when they talk about drug use. I would love to see the mental health facility on 134th Street opened. That is is a state funding issue, and I would leverage my relationships with state lawmakers to advocate to the funding to open it.

9. Closing Statement = 30:55 - 31:52.