My top three priorities are all connected with Fostering Thriving Neighbourhoods:

1. Improving Livability: accessible, enjoyable, connected, dynamic, safe, inclusive spaces and lifestyles for all our residents, in all our communities is something I am extremely passionate about and will work hard towards.
2. Spending Smarter: holding council to more accountable, purposeful spending plans and leveraging tax revenue to benefit Ward 12 residents and businesses will be my constant priority. Advocating for what makes sense without leaving anyone behind will be my mission, particularly as individuals recover from pandemic impacts. 
3. Growing Jobs & Opportunities: with respect to Ward 12 being one of the most diverse small business and commercial business communities in Calgary, I am committed to nurturing equitable opportunity to access council support and ensure continued investment in Calgary’s deep southeast.

I have always and will continue to, support female entrepreneurship efforts, including mentorship programs, and I will seek creative ways to remove barriers for women with great ideas and big dreams.  Local efforts will be enhanced by bringing together Federal and Provincial programs and resources and marrying those to a local strategy dedicated to identifying entrepreneurial women and connecting them with useful and actionable resources.

I strongly support efforts to remove barriers that prevent women from joining the workforce whether those barriers be transportation, education, child care, or static work locations.
 
I commit to protecting funding streams that support women who may be lower-income, racialized, newcomers, or vulnerable in any way. Reviewing and working to initiate, enhance, or preserve supports such as subsidized transportation options, reasonable and accessible childcare, and emergency support programs is critical to creating a safe environment for women to thrive.
 
My commitment is to advocate and speak out for how this is impacting the larger community of Calgary and the residents of Ward 12.

The City has been pushing off the financial reckoning with their use of the Fiscal Stability Reserve (FSR) fund to offset the tax burden for Calgary, effectively created a “bow wave” that future councils will have to navigate. 

Difficult decisions will need to be made about how to bridge that gap, as we nurture our local economy, without continual use of the FSR. In the short term there will likely need to be an increase in user fees to access City programs and services while also ensuring that Calgarians in disadvantaged financial positions continue to get the support they need through programs like Fair Entry.

Other changes to the tax structure and the mill rate could potentially be utilized to aid our transition to a more e-commerce dominated landscape. As our brick and mortar businesses adapt for the future economy we will need these creative alternatives to ward off the need to drastically reduce City programs and services.

I will be encouraging investment in downtown and Ward 12 neighbourhoods, business, and industrial areas. I commit to forming strong private/public relationships and to be an advocate in addressing roadblocks and inefficiencies. Regardless of industry or sector, private investment needs to have confidence that they have a strong ally at City Hall. I will advocate for their needs while holding them accountable to triple bottom line practices and strong corporate social responsibility.

People need to know that policy is here for them -- this includes the private sector. I commit to exploring policy changes that help emerging sectors find a home in Calgary. Micro investments from organizations like Calgary Economic Development (CED) - through funds like Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF)- enable strong partnerships between the private and public sector, encouraging and expediting growth. The OCIF tech start up grant, which supported local venture capital companies, shows how The City is learning how to do this better every day and I am a strong proponent of these initiatives as the data comes back proving their efficacy.

I will be a vocal advocate for anti-racism. I commit to following the example those people who have spent significant time and energy advocating for anti-racism and mapping a way forward for our governance structures.

The City must ensure we have active anti-racism policies in our systems and Calgarians need to have active anti-racism conversations in our communities.

I commit to ensuring these conversations continue to have a place in City Council and that Calgarians are heard regularly about our collective progress.

Responding to acts of race motivated violence and displays of racism need to be addressed directly and in solidarity with the impacted communities. I will prioritize the de escalation of the “us vs. them” rhetoric that dominates much of our collective discourse.

I look forward to seeing the work of the Anti-Racism Action Committee in early 2022 and interacting with the proposed actions for The City.

I am strongly in favour of education efforts to enhance cross-cultural awareness of Indigenous peoples and their culture. I commit to educating myself need to better understand the importance and implications of Treaty 7 to better fulfill those promises to our indigenous brothers and sisters.

I will continue to support efforts by The City to identify opportunities, early on in City projects, to honour and incorporate the history and culture of Treaty 7 First Nations in meaningful ways.

I commit to actively looking for opportunities to invite participation from the Treaty 7 First Nations leadership in the governance structures of our municipality as a Calgary City Councillor.