LEADERSHIP
THAT WORKS
Too often elected officials proclaim that accusation, taking credit, and cancelling opponents is leadership. It is not! Our nation lit the torch of liberty by proclaiming that each and every individual has intrinsic value, and therefore inherent rights – to speak, to worship, to think, to pursue their dreams, to engage, and to participate. Leaders serve to protect these inherent rights while bringing people together to find solutions. It would be my honor to work with you to cancel cancel culture and to build a better community.
WHERE SHOULD WE GO?
The genius of our nation is found in our local communities – people who are experiencing the problems working together to solve those problems, rather than in a newly formed bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. Education occurs where a parent, teacher, and child interact! Jobs are created when the local talent and creativity of a local business owner is unleashed! Safe communities are created where neighbors come together to reclaim their streets and partner with responsive law enforcement!
Too often these issues are nationalized funneling money, and thereby power, to Washington, D.C. Federal monies should come without strings attached, and better yet, more monies need to remain in our community. Here is where the solutions are found!
IMPORTANT
DATES
KEY
ISSUES
Our city has a longstanding history and rich future, but it will take a multi generational outlook to get there.
It takes the Monarch Butterfly four generations to complete a single migration. Simple present action with a future focus.
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN EDUCATION
Fund the classroom, not the boardroom.
Counter declining test scores by ensuring taxpayer dollars go to programs that directly interact with students rather than administration or pet projects like electric buses.
Give parents a voice in our schools.
Establish a task force of educators and parents to create methods for honoring the voice of parents in reviewing curriculum, interacting with educators, and assisting in the education of their children.
Expand student advancement opportunities.
Expand partnership opportunities with CVCC and others for developing trade skills and workforce development. Prioritize academic excellence and job skills through school board appointments.
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Encouraging small business development We must encourage small business development and job opportunities. Local businesses provide needed services and goods while creating jobs.
- Phase out Lynchburg’s anti-competitive business license tax. Currently Lynchburg’s business tax is on the gross revenue of our local businesses. This punishes businesses with large overhead costs and is driving local business into the county. We need to phase out the business license tax and assess ways to make business incentives competitive with the nearby counties.
- Reintroduce incentives (“the $1 program”) that encourage businesses to develop blighted property, thereby diversifying the tax base. Offering business owners the chance to compete for unused city properties by proposing development plans will incentivize investment in Lynchburg -especially our downtown areas.
- Streamline regulations that adversely impact business expansion. Old regulations -such as mandated sidewalk development, can have negative impacts on businesses and stifle growth in the city.
Leverage existing resources. Explore grant opportunities and public-private partnerships with surrounding counties. We can preserve our heritage by creatively revitalizing the river and access to rail service, and should highlight the trail system to attract businesses and visitors to our community.
Remove barriers to family and individual independence. Reform current government aid programs, which create dependency, into an on-ramp for independence through transparent and accountable public-private partnerships. These partnerships should expand the workforce, promote dignity, and break the cycle of multi-generational poverty.
PUBLIC SAFTEY
Optimize officer resources. Optimize our police officers’ focus on public safety by shifting mental health issues to appropriate providers. This will keep our officers focused on our streets and get citizens the health care they need. Fill police officer vacancies and adequately resource officers and emergency services.
Provide the tools for drug free schools. We need more involvement from local security, police officers, and parents to help maintain our schools as drug free zones.
Champion fathers. Address fatherlessness in broken homes through creative nonprofit-public partnerships promoting families and mentoring.