I STAND for COLLABORATION!

“… to work jointly with each other”

I believe strong, vibrant working relationships among civic, business and nonprofit leadership are vital to being a strong, dynamic city!

What is the role of civic leadership?

Several years ago I attended a college basketball game. 

At the end of the game, as the refs walked in front of me, I realized I actually knew one of them!

I told him I had watched the entire game and somehow hadn’t noticed him!

I have never forgotten his response…

“That means I did my job! I am not supposed to be noticed.”

LIGHTBULB moment for me! 

I have watched games where the refs were way too “noticed!” They were over-regulating the players, therefore, stifling play and reducing the teams’ ability to score!

As I have thought deeply about the role of government, his response has come back to me often!

I believe government should function like a great referee! 

It should strive to find the proper balance

of appropriate regulation that ensures, and even encourages fair play

without tipping to over-regulation that impairs play!

Government

at its best

is “under-noticed!”

If elected mayor, I will seek to forge catalytic working relationships with both the business and nonprofit leadership in our community!

There are strong leaders in the business community with a great passion for our city

and

there are strong leaders in the nonprofit community with great compassion for our city!

THEY are key players that make winning as a city possible!

In the city’s role as “referee,” I will work to ensure city regulations activate initiative and innovation instead of having them complicate and frustrate. This would allow leaders to accelerate the impact they seek to make in, on and for our city!

Switching metaphors… 

Government is to be the preparer of the community “soil”

ensuring everything is present for fertile growth,

removing anything that would impede growth,

which then allows businesses and nonprofits to plant their seeds, grow a harvest and bless our city! 

If elected mayor my focus would be on health

believing that all healthy organisms grow

BUT

not all growth is healthy! 

Cancer is a growth

tumors are growths

weeds grow!

As a city we want growth that is cultivated in the rich soil of fiscal responsibility

growth that is protected from an overgrowth of taxes that would stress its yield 

and growth that is sustained on the trellis of a maintained infrastructure!