For the last six years, I have called Durango home. This community has been instrumental to my growth, development and advancement as a young adult.
Durango has beautiful landscapes, amazing outdoor recreation, and boasts a compassionate community that strives to make our city thrive through inclusivity and sustainability. I had hoped to find a welcoming community when I relocated to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College. But what I found was my home, my chosen family, and a passion to serve the City of Durango and its people.
The next 10 years will be crucial for Durango. Decisions need to be made on many key issues: housing, growth and infrastructure; all of which are key components of my campaign. Our housing crisis is teetering on a precipice – we need to act aggressively to address the issues that are impacting our community now: lack of affordable housing and inventory. Durango has made great strides to address this growing crisis.
Should I be elected to City Council, I will work to collaborate with government entities throughout the city and county to ensure we create a robust plan that centers our essential workers: firefighters, medical personnel, teachers, support professionals, retail, hospitality, food service and law enforcement. Our vibrant community cannot thrive if Durango isn’t sustainable for our essential workers and college students.
At the City Council retreat in February, the top budgeting priorities were listed as housing, city facilities, streets, parks and recreation, and transportation. Budgeting shortfalls for housing and transportation greatly impact many of our residents, and while I will continue to explore a vision for an improved downtown infrastructure, it’s clear that the Next Step project – at this time – does not serve the best interests of our community and responsible spending is crucial to address our critical issues.
We need leadership that approaches the job with compassion, collaboration and a willingness to listen and learn. I have lived with my own housing insecurities. And I have struggled to put food on the table. This is a reality for many in our community, and my lived experience is a reflection of that reality. Durango deserves to have leadership that represents them and their lived experience.
It’s time for a new generation of leadership. It’s time to re-imagine Durango to be accessible, inclusive and sustainable for all. I humbly ask for your support on Tuesday, April 4.
