Where I stand

The issues, in detail.

Where I stand on the issues facing Boulder, and what I'd actually do about them. No slogans without a plan behind them.

Housing Budget Commercial vacancies Parks & open space Climate & wildfire Flock & digital surveillance
Housing◆ Budget◆ Commercial vacancies◆ Parks & open space◆ Climate & wildfire◆ Privacy
01

Housing

Like the rest of America, Boulder has not built enough housing to keep up with demand, driving up prices and rents beyond affordable levels for many. We need to build housing that attracts families and that families can afford.

The reasons we haven't built are multifaceted, but a large driver is the municipal code, which was originally laid down to prevent growth through administrative complexity. Fast forward to today and Boulder is closing schools because we lack sufficient student enrollment to keep them open, and our civil servants can't afford to live in the city they work for.

What I'll do
1

Start reworking our municipal code to simplify rules around zoning and permitting and reset review thresholds to allow more projects to proceed by right.

2

Enhance our affordability programs towards the missing middle who help make Boulder work: our teachers, our first responders, and our civil servants.

3

Explore using community land grants as a way to remove land costs as a factor for homebuyers.

02

Budget

That we have allowed a backlog of maintenance and capital improvements to grow into the hundreds of millions of dollars is an outright travesty.

Our charter allows us to hire an independent city auditor and I believe we are well past the point in time to do so. Before we ask voters for new taxes, which make Boulder even less affordable, we should ensure the money we are spending is going towards projects with tangible outcomes.

What I'll do
1

Hire the independent city auditor our charter already allows, structurally a peer to the city manager.

2

Confront the deferred maintenance and capital backlog directly instead of letting it compound.

3

Judge spending by tangible outcomes that benefit the city as a whole, before any new tax goes to voters.

03

Commercial vacancies

Boulder is filled with driven individuals who want to open up businesses, and yet we see For Lease signs across commercial properties around town.

Talk to people trying to open these businesses and they will tell you horror stories of zoning, permits, reviews, and processes that delayed their ability to open their doors. Yes, rents are high, but the city doesn't need to make it worse by creating delays that prevent these businesses from even opening.

What I'll do
1

Overhaul our municipal code to make it far easier to change how our spaces are used, simplifying the process of turning a disused office into a nail salon or an empty warehouse into a collective art space.

2

Push city staff to create clear guides for all permit types.

3

Get the city into the business of moving applications through the process as quickly as possible.

04

Parks & open space

Public spaces are shared spaces for all of us, housed and unhoused, and everyone has a right to enjoy our parks and open spaces. That right comes with responsibilities, however, both to the environment and to other people.

Leaving trash all around or pitching a tent is not responsible use of our shared spaces, nor is setting off fireworks in the midst of a drought.

What I'll do
1

Stronger, more regular enforcement of existing rules to ensure our shared spaces are treated with respect.

2

Enhance wildfire mitigations across our open spaces to better protect it and the homes which are near it.

3

Partner with BPD to enhance foot patrols in high use areas such as Pearl Street and Boulder Creek to reduce response times and deter crime.

05

Climate & wildfire

I believe the city's current policies and spending on these two areas is backwards: we spend a fraction on the pressing dangers of wildfire prevention that we do on the long-term challenges of climate change. I propose we flip that script.

Climate change is real and ongoing, but the millions Boulder spends annually is a rounding error for oil and gas companies. While our climate work is noble, I want our tax dollars spent on initiatives with clear, immediate wins for the city, because fire doesn't care what your home cost.

What I'll do
1

Shift spending on climate initiatives towards wildfire prevention to address our immediate challenge first.

2

Update our climate guidelines and goals to better balance the needs between affordability and environmental stewardship.

3

Hold city climate spending to the same standard as everything else: clear, immediate wins for Boulder.

06

Flock & digital surveillance

Yeah, no thanks. Boulder does not need to be part of the surveillance state, and I'll push back on any initiative that infringes on our inherent right to privacy.

Camera networks like Flock and similar digital surveillance tools normalize blanket monitoring of ordinary residents going about ordinary lives. Once that infrastructure is in place, it is very hard to take back.

What I'll do
1

Oppose Flock expansion and other forms of digital surveillance and work to remove it across our city.

2

Treat privacy as the default, and put the burden on any proposal to justify monitoring residents.

3

Push back on any initiative that infringes on our inherent right to privacy.

Agree? Add your name and let's get to work.

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