Dannah Thompson
Name: Dannah Thompson
Public Office Sought: Roseville City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (763) 438-6572
Website: https://dannahforcitycouncil.com/
Twitter handle: @DannahThompson
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DannahForCityCouncil/
Candidate Bio
I graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelors in Political Science and a minor in Justice in Peace Studies. My educational background has introduced me to how city government works, ways to execute my vision for the city, and balancing the systemic barriers and equity issues that we face here in Roseville.
Since graduating, I have worked at a small downtown law firm for ten years. Both have developed my solution oriented focus to address the needs around us. As a supervisor, I have to address the needs of my department while being mindful of its budget requirements and impact.
In my personal life I have faced many challenges: at age 12 my family and I were homeless for nearly 6 months after my mother fled an abusive long term relationship. I grew up in poverty and I have escaped that cycle. Having this experience has allowed me to look at city issues from a lens that often is not included in city government and it has also familiarized me with what would help other families.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities are:
Affordable housing and making renting or owning a home more accessible. I will focus on policy designed to remove barriers to access such as a Just Cause Ordinance, ending discrimination of renters with criminal history, removing credit checks; and addressing transportation access for renters to community hubs and job centers.
Environmental sustainability and reducing our Carbon emissions: I will prioritize the City’s investment in sustainable energy; create policy guiding our business owners and property management companies toward sustainable design; and continue our involvement with the Green Steps program.
Rebuilding and re-innovating the City’s relationship with residents by encouraging resident participation and actively seeking insight and engagement. Creating Community Advisory Boards; the expansion of the Volunteer Coordinator position; support the removal of SROs in Roseville Public Schools; and work with the community to rethink policing strategy in Roseville, including mental health professional(s) and addressing the root cause of residents’ emergency needs through policy addressing systemic inequality.
How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Roseville promotes to attract national chains and large corporations as seen in Rosedale and Har-Mar malls, the several car dealerships, and a variety of chain restaurants throughout the City. It has not focused as carefully on small business.
On a City level spending must prioritize and support small local business ownership, including financial investments and prioritization (ie TIF Financing to support the local over corporations who can flip the bill without City funding.). We also as a City need to better address the concerns interfering with small business ownership such as cleaning contaminated soil as a City priority in order to absorb the cost from business budgets. This would allow the City to preserve the cleaned land for locally owned small business and affordable housing.
Business is pivotal in supporting quality of life issues. It must start with our business owners to ensure fair and equitable wages are paid and hiring and promotion practices do not discriminate against a protected class.
Support for quality of life issues also comes from ensuring equitable access to business ownership for our minority and immigrant communities. As a City we must support the diversity present in Roseville through active policy measures, rezoning as necessary, and building useful relationships with like-minded organizations.
Lastly, the City must also hold high standards in its own execution with business partnerships and contractors to ensure that we are awarding contracts to companies with ethical histories and a proven track record of supporting equal opportunity for advancement, wages etc.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Roseville?
The City’s role in attracting and retaining jobs should be on a policy level and directed by the residential communities. We must make our decisions based on the input of the community because that is our job as elected officials; individuals vote, corporations do not. We must pass policies and ordinances which ensure Roseville’s employees are treated fairly, paid fairly, and given an opportunity for success. We should protect our residents from corporate entities who have the means to practice in darkness.
If elected, my work will be focused on promoting new business ownership amongst those who often have not had the opportunity: mainly minority, immigrant, and women owned businesses. Working with these communities to provide resources and assistance allows the City to refocus from these large corporate entities, while also being accountable to their employees on an entirely different level.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Roseville (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Roseville and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I will advocate for a minimum wage increase to $15.00 an hour, though I still do not believe that is enough. I will also support accessibility and opportunity for employment through policies which deter discriminatory and inequitable hiring and advancement practices like calls for mandatory scheduling notices from employers, mandatory paid sick time, PTO options for all employees, and support for six months or more of paid maternity and paternity leave. Furthermore, my plans to ensure Roseville takes urgent action in the climate fight, I am also proposing policies which will require our businesses to operate on solar energy and/or neutral Carbon Emissions.
As a Council Member I will work with our community to ensure I offer creative solutions to any barriers our small business owners may face. Such solutions include the exclusion or phase-in of meeting the requirements of a new policy whether a business earns under a certain annual net profit or employs less than a certain amount of employees. Other examples in practice have organized businesses in tiers to meet requirements within certain time frames.
Other solutions to the problems business entities may face in compliance to new policies can be offset by smart budgeting and better prioritization of our goals. I will ensure our City’s focus is on the investment of our neighborhoods, residents, and small businesses. We have used TIF Financing to support large, multi-million dollar businesses, so I would work to ensure that the taxes our residents pay is reinvested in our community and accessible to small businesses.
These policies as well as any exceptions or caveats (detailed above or not) would have to undergo rigorous vetting within one of the several City Commissions, public input, and a City Council vote. To ensure I understand the adverse effects of any policy I am proposing, I will be sure to seek out input and testimony from the residential and business communities. I will also research similar policies in other cities and/or states to ensure adequate research surrounding potential problems and/or solutions.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
I believe these needs are intersectional and in order to effectively create policies our solutions must also be intersectional. My strategies include intentional city design focused on increasing housing and transportation; financial empowerment and independence to increase community accountability and eliminate factors which contribute to the crime rate of Roseville; and the building meaningful relationships with our elected officials, public agencies, and various organizations to have a multi-level response to Roseville’s housing and transportation deficiencies.
Intentional city planning can increase accessibility through sidewalks and public transportation which in turn increases the safety of our neighborhoods and reduces our dependence on policing. Designing our city improvement areas with multi-use functions (residential, business, recreational etc.) also increases community accountability as far as residents and business owners know their neighbors/community and look out for one another.
I will address the financial burdens of residents which consequently contribute to crime in Roseville. That is why I am prioritizing housing, financial empowerment, and local business ownership. The statistics alone in Roseville show that conglomeration economies are placing an unequal burden on our budget, especially as far as policing is concerned. We cannot continue to promote these conglomeration economies, but rather, should focus on promoting and expanding business ownership to those with a vested interest in caring for our community.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the City’s budget are to find innovative ways to increase revenues (such as Conservation Taxing, Occupational Privilege Tax etc.) while also decreasing our spending through a re-prioritization of our investments. If we spend our revenues wisely while investing in our residents we can solve real issues rather than band-aid the problems budget year after budget year. Investing in our residents’ basic needs creates a healthier and more equitable Roseville (ie business, transportation, housing, sustainable/green technology, policing), which in turns creates a positive feedback loop reducing City spending, increasing the individual tax-payer base, and reinvests local dollars in the local economy.
In ensuring we have a balanced budget I have reviewed our relationship with Walmart and Rosedale Mall and their burden on city resources. They must be held accountable to the residents in Roseville. I will work to ensure WalMart and Rosedale Mall are financially contributing to the community.
It is long past due for Roseville to choose people over profit, especially in our business contracts. As a council member I will strive for a Roseville which chooses people over profit in our business contracts as well as our budget decisions.
What will you do to expand Roseville’s tax base?
I will suggest alternative revenue generating sources such as Conservation Pricing and taxing; Occupational Privilege Tax; and again, smart investments and prioritization to ensure taxes are used effectively. My platform is designed to address the root of many issues for residents in Roseville. The return of Roseville’s investments in its people will be seen in the long term, decreasing the expenses of Roseville’s spending. If we address issues which may be rooted in similar economic or social barriers, we can solve two issues with a single investment.
Promoting equitable business practices and access to home ownership and education, we can eliminate homelessness and cost burdened households and promote small business ownership where money is more likely to be reinvested in the communities, which result in both a decrease in City spending and an increase in revenue.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Actively ensuring access to experiential learning opportunities is important to the development and success of our youth, while advocating for our student community also allows alternatives to sometimes inaccessible college degrees for our minority and immigrant communities.
If elected, I will work with our school board and post-secondary educational institutions to create and support programs designed to invest in our youth through paid and unpaid internships. Developed relationships with our educational institutions allow for more accessibility with a student’s schedule while also creating more opportunities for students to work and earn credits.
I will also work to foster the relationship between unions and students to promote a workforce of various skills and trades. Accessible options for our students is the best way to ensure a variety of employees with varying sets of skills and education.
As one of my solutions to proposed policy changes aforementioned is to fully utilize our students to cover temporary shifts (ie if an employee is away on m/paternity leave). For example, if an employer needs an 8 hour shift covered, they could utilize one student, or four students over 2 hours. This not only allows students an opportunity for real work experience but to also improve their resume with work experience other than traditional ‘first time jobs’. It also opens up, for employers, potential candidates with the necessary experience to fill future positions.
Retaining an educated workforce is a reflection of the business climate and not so much a reflection of its employees. Creating a business culture of competitiveness where success is measured by increases to its employees’ quality of life rather than a certain profit margin is the best way to retain any workforce, but certainly an educated workforce. That is why I will also work to ensure businesses offer competitive benefits and access to a basic standard of living.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Roseville’s two largest areas of spending (other than operational costs of city government, like wages and equipment upkeep) are within the Police Department and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Reducing spending in both can free up our budget to reprioritize our needs as I have previously mentioned.
In Roseville we are attracted to the natural beauty of the Roseville area yet we spend millions on manufacturing this beauty. I do support a reduction in the budget for Parks and Recreation, Park spending should focus on invasive species, controlling our deer populations, and maintaining accessibility. Furthermore, we must reduce the spending on our golf course or increase the cost for its use. It’s unjust that we are spending money, as a city, on luxuries, when we cannot even provide basic needs and services for its residents.
Due to its recent budget constraints the Roseville Police Department has already eliminated parts of its SWAT program, responses to Animal Control calls and drive-offs at gas stations. I do not believe these services should be handled by Roseville Police now or in the future. These are services/needs which other agencies can better respond to. I further support calls to eliminate School Resource Officers out of Roseville Area Schools. Additionally, we must re-evaluate other calls the Police Department responds to and as Council Members decide how we can address city crime more effectively through policy decisions. A simple example is with gas drive-offs and mandating our gas stations to allow only pre-paid options at the gas pumps. As a Council Member, I will be effective in identifying ways to free up our budget and allow the city to redirect funds towards policy, programs, and already existing alternatives which better address our needs and goals.
Lastly, if Roseville seriously considered organized trash hauling, we can reduce the costs of road maintenance and take immediate action on our environmental impact in a practical way.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Roseville?
Roseville must proactively foster increased minority and women-owned businesses. By focusing our policy efforts, we can create a Roseville which is prosperous for all of its residents, and one that is pivotal in providing additional freedoms to start and own a business. Addressing deterrents through creative policy efforts like housing density allows the city to reduce the financial burdens of renting or owning a home, child care, and accessibility or feasibility.
We need to prioritize economic empowerment by developing relationships between its residents, law makers, and organizations to allow opportunities for equitable interest rates, financial independence, and affordable loans. We must expand beyond traditional models of financing to community alternatives like cooperative investing and micro loans.
What further policies can Roseville adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
As the shelter in place order was lifted I would have advocated for a mandatory mask order in Roseville. This protects our service industry employees and small business owners from potential closures and financial stress during a second shelter in place order. Masks also protect our senior population, those with high risk factors, and our minority and immigrant communities who are adversely affected by COVID-19.
I would have advocated for a stay in rents for businesses and residents alike who have been impacted by COVID closures and furloughs to ensure their return upon re-opening.
When I discuss WalMart paying its fair share, funds collected could be used in a variety of ways, including emergency loans/grants the City could have provided during an unexpected pandemic.
Furthermore, I would be a proactive council member in the area of racial equity, which only perpetuates the effects of COVID-19 on our minority and immigrant communities.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Public Office Sought: Roseville City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (763) 438-6572
Website: https://dannahforcitycouncil.com/
Twitter handle: @DannahThompson
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DannahForCityCouncil/
Candidate Bio
I graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelors in Political Science and a minor in Justice in Peace Studies. My educational background has introduced me to how city government works, ways to execute my vision for the city, and balancing the systemic barriers and equity issues that we face here in Roseville.
Since graduating, I have worked at a small downtown law firm for ten years. Both have developed my solution oriented focus to address the needs around us. As a supervisor, I have to address the needs of my department while being mindful of its budget requirements and impact.
In my personal life I have faced many challenges: at age 12 my family and I were homeless for nearly 6 months after my mother fled an abusive long term relationship. I grew up in poverty and I have escaped that cycle. Having this experience has allowed me to look at city issues from a lens that often is not included in city government and it has also familiarized me with what would help other families.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities are:
Affordable housing and making renting or owning a home more accessible. I will focus on policy designed to remove barriers to access such as a Just Cause Ordinance, ending discrimination of renters with criminal history, removing credit checks; and addressing transportation access for renters to community hubs and job centers.
Environmental sustainability and reducing our Carbon emissions: I will prioritize the City’s investment in sustainable energy; create policy guiding our business owners and property management companies toward sustainable design; and continue our involvement with the Green Steps program.
Rebuilding and re-innovating the City’s relationship with residents by encouraging resident participation and actively seeking insight and engagement. Creating Community Advisory Boards; the expansion of the Volunteer Coordinator position; support the removal of SROs in Roseville Public Schools; and work with the community to rethink policing strategy in Roseville, including mental health professional(s) and addressing the root cause of residents’ emergency needs through policy addressing systemic inequality.
How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Roseville promotes to attract national chains and large corporations as seen in Rosedale and Har-Mar malls, the several car dealerships, and a variety of chain restaurants throughout the City. It has not focused as carefully on small business.
On a City level spending must prioritize and support small local business ownership, including financial investments and prioritization (ie TIF Financing to support the local over corporations who can flip the bill without City funding.). We also as a City need to better address the concerns interfering with small business ownership such as cleaning contaminated soil as a City priority in order to absorb the cost from business budgets. This would allow the City to preserve the cleaned land for locally owned small business and affordable housing.
Business is pivotal in supporting quality of life issues. It must start with our business owners to ensure fair and equitable wages are paid and hiring and promotion practices do not discriminate against a protected class.
Support for quality of life issues also comes from ensuring equitable access to business ownership for our minority and immigrant communities. As a City we must support the diversity present in Roseville through active policy measures, rezoning as necessary, and building useful relationships with like-minded organizations.
Lastly, the City must also hold high standards in its own execution with business partnerships and contractors to ensure that we are awarding contracts to companies with ethical histories and a proven track record of supporting equal opportunity for advancement, wages etc.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Roseville?
The City’s role in attracting and retaining jobs should be on a policy level and directed by the residential communities. We must make our decisions based on the input of the community because that is our job as elected officials; individuals vote, corporations do not. We must pass policies and ordinances which ensure Roseville’s employees are treated fairly, paid fairly, and given an opportunity for success. We should protect our residents from corporate entities who have the means to practice in darkness.
If elected, my work will be focused on promoting new business ownership amongst those who often have not had the opportunity: mainly minority, immigrant, and women owned businesses. Working with these communities to provide resources and assistance allows the City to refocus from these large corporate entities, while also being accountable to their employees on an entirely different level.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Roseville (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Roseville and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I will advocate for a minimum wage increase to $15.00 an hour, though I still do not believe that is enough. I will also support accessibility and opportunity for employment through policies which deter discriminatory and inequitable hiring and advancement practices like calls for mandatory scheduling notices from employers, mandatory paid sick time, PTO options for all employees, and support for six months or more of paid maternity and paternity leave. Furthermore, my plans to ensure Roseville takes urgent action in the climate fight, I am also proposing policies which will require our businesses to operate on solar energy and/or neutral Carbon Emissions.
As a Council Member I will work with our community to ensure I offer creative solutions to any barriers our small business owners may face. Such solutions include the exclusion or phase-in of meeting the requirements of a new policy whether a business earns under a certain annual net profit or employs less than a certain amount of employees. Other examples in practice have organized businesses in tiers to meet requirements within certain time frames.
Other solutions to the problems business entities may face in compliance to new policies can be offset by smart budgeting and better prioritization of our goals. I will ensure our City’s focus is on the investment of our neighborhoods, residents, and small businesses. We have used TIF Financing to support large, multi-million dollar businesses, so I would work to ensure that the taxes our residents pay is reinvested in our community and accessible to small businesses.
These policies as well as any exceptions or caveats (detailed above or not) would have to undergo rigorous vetting within one of the several City Commissions, public input, and a City Council vote. To ensure I understand the adverse effects of any policy I am proposing, I will be sure to seek out input and testimony from the residential and business communities. I will also research similar policies in other cities and/or states to ensure adequate research surrounding potential problems and/or solutions.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
I believe these needs are intersectional and in order to effectively create policies our solutions must also be intersectional. My strategies include intentional city design focused on increasing housing and transportation; financial empowerment and independence to increase community accountability and eliminate factors which contribute to the crime rate of Roseville; and the building meaningful relationships with our elected officials, public agencies, and various organizations to have a multi-level response to Roseville’s housing and transportation deficiencies.
Intentional city planning can increase accessibility through sidewalks and public transportation which in turn increases the safety of our neighborhoods and reduces our dependence on policing. Designing our city improvement areas with multi-use functions (residential, business, recreational etc.) also increases community accountability as far as residents and business owners know their neighbors/community and look out for one another.
I will address the financial burdens of residents which consequently contribute to crime in Roseville. That is why I am prioritizing housing, financial empowerment, and local business ownership. The statistics alone in Roseville show that conglomeration economies are placing an unequal burden on our budget, especially as far as policing is concerned. We cannot continue to promote these conglomeration economies, but rather, should focus on promoting and expanding business ownership to those with a vested interest in caring for our community.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the City’s budget are to find innovative ways to increase revenues (such as Conservation Taxing, Occupational Privilege Tax etc.) while also decreasing our spending through a re-prioritization of our investments. If we spend our revenues wisely while investing in our residents we can solve real issues rather than band-aid the problems budget year after budget year. Investing in our residents’ basic needs creates a healthier and more equitable Roseville (ie business, transportation, housing, sustainable/green technology, policing), which in turns creates a positive feedback loop reducing City spending, increasing the individual tax-payer base, and reinvests local dollars in the local economy.
In ensuring we have a balanced budget I have reviewed our relationship with Walmart and Rosedale Mall and their burden on city resources. They must be held accountable to the residents in Roseville. I will work to ensure WalMart and Rosedale Mall are financially contributing to the community.
It is long past due for Roseville to choose people over profit, especially in our business contracts. As a council member I will strive for a Roseville which chooses people over profit in our business contracts as well as our budget decisions.
What will you do to expand Roseville’s tax base?
I will suggest alternative revenue generating sources such as Conservation Pricing and taxing; Occupational Privilege Tax; and again, smart investments and prioritization to ensure taxes are used effectively. My platform is designed to address the root of many issues for residents in Roseville. The return of Roseville’s investments in its people will be seen in the long term, decreasing the expenses of Roseville’s spending. If we address issues which may be rooted in similar economic or social barriers, we can solve two issues with a single investment.
Promoting equitable business practices and access to home ownership and education, we can eliminate homelessness and cost burdened households and promote small business ownership where money is more likely to be reinvested in the communities, which result in both a decrease in City spending and an increase in revenue.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Actively ensuring access to experiential learning opportunities is important to the development and success of our youth, while advocating for our student community also allows alternatives to sometimes inaccessible college degrees for our minority and immigrant communities.
If elected, I will work with our school board and post-secondary educational institutions to create and support programs designed to invest in our youth through paid and unpaid internships. Developed relationships with our educational institutions allow for more accessibility with a student’s schedule while also creating more opportunities for students to work and earn credits.
I will also work to foster the relationship between unions and students to promote a workforce of various skills and trades. Accessible options for our students is the best way to ensure a variety of employees with varying sets of skills and education.
As one of my solutions to proposed policy changes aforementioned is to fully utilize our students to cover temporary shifts (ie if an employee is away on m/paternity leave). For example, if an employer needs an 8 hour shift covered, they could utilize one student, or four students over 2 hours. This not only allows students an opportunity for real work experience but to also improve their resume with work experience other than traditional ‘first time jobs’. It also opens up, for employers, potential candidates with the necessary experience to fill future positions.
Retaining an educated workforce is a reflection of the business climate and not so much a reflection of its employees. Creating a business culture of competitiveness where success is measured by increases to its employees’ quality of life rather than a certain profit margin is the best way to retain any workforce, but certainly an educated workforce. That is why I will also work to ensure businesses offer competitive benefits and access to a basic standard of living.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Roseville’s two largest areas of spending (other than operational costs of city government, like wages and equipment upkeep) are within the Police Department and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Reducing spending in both can free up our budget to reprioritize our needs as I have previously mentioned.
In Roseville we are attracted to the natural beauty of the Roseville area yet we spend millions on manufacturing this beauty. I do support a reduction in the budget for Parks and Recreation, Park spending should focus on invasive species, controlling our deer populations, and maintaining accessibility. Furthermore, we must reduce the spending on our golf course or increase the cost for its use. It’s unjust that we are spending money, as a city, on luxuries, when we cannot even provide basic needs and services for its residents.
Due to its recent budget constraints the Roseville Police Department has already eliminated parts of its SWAT program, responses to Animal Control calls and drive-offs at gas stations. I do not believe these services should be handled by Roseville Police now or in the future. These are services/needs which other agencies can better respond to. I further support calls to eliminate School Resource Officers out of Roseville Area Schools. Additionally, we must re-evaluate other calls the Police Department responds to and as Council Members decide how we can address city crime more effectively through policy decisions. A simple example is with gas drive-offs and mandating our gas stations to allow only pre-paid options at the gas pumps. As a Council Member, I will be effective in identifying ways to free up our budget and allow the city to redirect funds towards policy, programs, and already existing alternatives which better address our needs and goals.
Lastly, if Roseville seriously considered organized trash hauling, we can reduce the costs of road maintenance and take immediate action on our environmental impact in a practical way.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Roseville?
Roseville must proactively foster increased minority and women-owned businesses. By focusing our policy efforts, we can create a Roseville which is prosperous for all of its residents, and one that is pivotal in providing additional freedoms to start and own a business. Addressing deterrents through creative policy efforts like housing density allows the city to reduce the financial burdens of renting or owning a home, child care, and accessibility or feasibility.
We need to prioritize economic empowerment by developing relationships between its residents, law makers, and organizations to allow opportunities for equitable interest rates, financial independence, and affordable loans. We must expand beyond traditional models of financing to community alternatives like cooperative investing and micro loans.
What further policies can Roseville adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
As the shelter in place order was lifted I would have advocated for a mandatory mask order in Roseville. This protects our service industry employees and small business owners from potential closures and financial stress during a second shelter in place order. Masks also protect our senior population, those with high risk factors, and our minority and immigrant communities who are adversely affected by COVID-19.
I would have advocated for a stay in rents for businesses and residents alike who have been impacted by COVID closures and furloughs to ensure their return upon re-opening.
When I discuss WalMart paying its fair share, funds collected could be used in a variety of ways, including emergency loans/grants the City could have provided during an unexpected pandemic.
Furthermore, I would be a proactive council member in the area of racial equity, which only perpetuates the effects of COVID-19 on our minority and immigrant communities.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?