The Work is never done

My plan for progress is rooted in my deep understanding that I am a future ancestor.
In the distant future, when my children ask me, "What did you do to improve our community?",
I can look them in the eyes and say, "Everything I possibly could."

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Here are a few areas where I am committed to continuing the work into my second term:

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• Continue to stand up for our immigrant, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, low-wealth, and underestimated communities. This is not only about continually speaking out and showing up at rallies and walkouts, but also about looking for ways to serve our communities in creative and responsive ways.

  • What does this look like?​

    • Regularly meeting with our immigrant-led organizations to build trust and learn about more dynamic and responsive ways we can respond.​

    • Funding our social services to the fullest extent possible to bridge state and federal funding gaps that are increasingly unstable.

    • Leveraging and creating committees that include community members and non-profit organizations to inform the county's actions and priorities.
       

• Create county budgets that are resilient in the face of the state legislature's continued efforts to decrease our General Fund. As the state looks to pass a property tax reform and is thirsty to impact income taxes, we need to make sure that the county retains our most valued asset- our people. This means there will be difficult but necessary decisions.​

  • What does this look like?​

    • I am currently on the county's Budget Assistance in Preparation Committee, and we are tasked with developing recommendations to review our financial policies, increase efficiency, and discuss current salary ranges.

    • Consistently ask Department Directors for their ideas on budgetary expenses and revenue generation. Our directors know their departments best and have brought forth innovative ideas to improve their financial outlook.

    • Research other county practices and contact elected officials and staff to inquire what is working best for them. There isn't always an apples-to-apples comparison available, but there have been helpful examples that I bring back to Johnson County
       

• Work to establish a multi-million dollar affordable housing bond. Under Iowa Code 331.441 (2)b(10), the county can bond for essential purposes, and housing is an essential purpose noted in this section of the code. My goal is to address some of the predatory practices that out-of-state manufactured housing park owners use to extract higher rents from our residents, who often have nowhere else to go.

• What does this look like?​

  • Exploring land acquisition that is geared towards affordable housing best practices, such as:​

    • Land located near a municipality to utilize water/sewer infrastructure

    • Land near public transportation service lines

    • Base housing model on current manufactured housing zoning ordinances and relevant examples that prioritize safety, connectivity, and a neighborhood feel

    • Utilize a rent-to-own legal/financial structure 

    • Create loan programs that remove barriers to first-time home ownership