Why This Race Matters
this city deserves a government that delivers.
Growing up in Bend, I learned what it means to live somewhere people really know one another. You couldn't go to the grocery store without bumping into a neighbor. My dad was a teacher, and so were a lot of our family friends. Bend was the kind of place where the people who made the community work could actually afford to live alongside the families they served. That sense of belonging, the feeling that a place is for everyone in it, is what drew me to Milwaukie. And it's what I'm fighting to protect.
I came here working for our former state representative, Karin Power, and fell in love almost immediately. There's something unique about this place. Each summer, I count down the days until I can swim at Elk Rock Island; spring doesn't really start for me until the farmers' market kicks off; I while away winter nights at Chapel Theater watching some amazing community theater; and every fall, I mourn my last warm bike ride of the year before the rain sets in. My partner and I are building our life here. We want to raise our kids in a Milwaukie that welcomes everyone, not just those who can afford it.
But something is slipping.
Since 2020, housing costs in Milwaukie have risen more than 30%. Utilities are up more than 50%. The average home here now costs over $500,000. To afford that, you'd need a household income of around $150,000. The average Milwaukie family earns about half that. I watched this same pattern hollow out Bend. I don't want to watch it happen in our city.
But responding to that challenge requires a government that's willing to act. In the last four years, efforts to build affordable housing, create walkable mixed-use neighborhoods, and get our budget on solid footing have stalled. Our relationships with regional partners have frayed, making it harder to solve the problems we can't solve alone. We've struggled to reach resolution with Clackamas County on the future of our parks district. We've missed opportunities to work with Metro on affordable housing. And we've too often failed to show up as a reliable partner in the region. We've left too much on the table, and Milwaukie families are feeling it.
I've spent the last two years on council fighting to turn that around.
As Council President, I'm proud of what we've built together, and I'm convinced our best is still ahead.
Invested in our small businesses. We launched a business grant program that has been central to revitalizing our downtown, awarding over $1.2 million across 33 grants and creating an estimated 150 jobs. I fought to expand the program beyond downtown so neighborhood businesses across the entire city could access it too.
Made our streets safer. I helped the city deliver real results our neighborhoods had been fighting for: stop signs on 29th after a decade of advocacy, speed table crossings on Washington, and rapid flashing beacons on Harrison. We're now investing $600,000 a biennium in street safety and building a six-year plan to fix potholes and repave our roads.
Expanded public safety. I fought to add two new police officers and a behavioral health officer, investing an additional $1.6 million each biennium to keep Milwaukie safe and make sure we're sending the right resource to every call.
Cut red tape for affordable housing. I championed code reforms to make it easier for nonprofit developers to build homes here, helping secure 22 new units at the Sparrow site with nearly 500 more in the pipeline at the Hillside development.
Stood up for our trees. We responded to what residents were telling us and delivered a stronger tree code, one that holds developers accountable and preserves our large heritage trees while making it simpler for residents managing trees on their own property.
Kept utility rates fair. We held rates steady and created a new tiered water rate structure so residents who use less pay less, aligning affordability with our climate goals.
In my day job as a policy strategist at the Oregon Legislature, I've spent my career translating what voters care about into law. When communities raised alarms about data centers driving up electricity bills, I helped pass the POWER Act, requiring large energy users to pay for the infrastructure they demand instead of passing the cost to families. When private equity started crowding Oregon families out of the housing market, I wrote the bill banning these mega-corporations from competing directly with individual homebuyers for single-family homes. And when the federal government began weaponizing ICE to conduct unlawful immigration enforcement, I helped pass a law creating legal protections for individuals whose rights are violated when officials enter private property without proper judicial authorization.
I know how to get things done.
And I know Milwaukie is capable of more.
Here's what I believe Milwaukie can look like in four years.
Neighborhoods where you can walk out your front door and walk less than 15 minutes to grab a coffee, sit down with a neighbor, and feel connected to the place you live. Parks that are well-maintained and accessible in every corner of the city. Streets safe enough to send your kids out to play in the road or bike down to Main Street without a second thought. Growth that has added to our city rather than diminished it, bringing new neighbors and new energy — all while helping keep property taxes manageable for the families already here.
A downtown that is truly alive, with shops new and old lining the full length of Main Street. Milwaukie Bay Park finally built, with kids from across the county coming to splash in the water, catch a summer show at the amphitheater, or swim off the dock at the riverfront. A city where the Willamette River isn't just a backdrop but a destination.
And a city government that has earned the trust of its residents. Where civic engagement is up because people know that if they raise an issue, something will happen. Where the hard calls get made, the regional relationships get built, and the work gets done.
And perhaps most importantly, Milwaukie is welcoming to everyone who lives here, not just those who can afford to stay.
Getting there will require new leadership that moves with urgency. It will require a mayor who listens to residents, and who brings the experience and relationships to turn those conversations into action. It will require someone willing to make hard calls and to bring this council together around a shared vision.
That's what I'm running to do. Not to manage the status quo, but to finally break through.
Let's build the Milwaukie we deserve. Together.