The Issues
Mecklenburg County is a thriving community. My goal is to make it even better. Our elected leaders talk about affordable housing, education, health care, and violence. But nothing will change if we don’t address the root cause of many of our problems – poverty due to inequity.
Right now, thirteen percent of our neighbors live below the poverty line. That’s about 136 thousand people out of a population of a little over a million – people who struggle to keep a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, and provide the most basic needs of their families. Even worse, twenty-one hundred people are living on the streets.
I am a proud member of the Board of County Commissioners and I want to continue to serve the people of Mecklenburg County. I want to extend a helping hand to people in need and ensure that all citizens succeed and prosper.
Equitable Schools
How can we expect children in lower income areas to succeed if they don’t have the same access to resources as children in affluent areas? I want to help pass a budget that supports Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools’ needs, one that provides enough resources for safe, equitable schools with uniform access to school materials, career programs, arts programs, counselors, teaching assistants, and advanced placement classes.
Additionally, I continue to build and maintain relationships with the CMS school board, something that I firmly believe will help create harmony so that we can all work toward our common goal: our children’s futures. I will continue to advocate for teachers to receive the respect they deserve, including better pay. Good teachers are essential to our children’s futures. But because of political gamesmanship in Raleigh, counties across the state are having their budgets stretched thin over the need to meet teacher supplements.
At the same time, a lack of access to Pre-K programs means many children who start kindergarten aren’t at grade level and will continue to struggle throughout their academic careers. I support the county’s Pre-K program that ensures that all our children are given the tools they need to be successful when they start school.
Housing
Mecklenburg County is experiencing tremendous growth and prosperity, which is terrific news for many business owners and residents. Unfortunately, it’s also forcing an increasing number of our neighbors to move elsewhere.
A rise in property values and rental rates means teachers, police officers, firefighters and other people we’ve come to rely upon can no longer afford to own or rent a home in many parts of the county.
I am proud to say that I have supported programs in the county that provide NOAHs (Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing) in our community and rental subsidies. I will continue to build relationships with Charlotte city officials, developers, and civic leaders to find a solution to the problem. In addition, I want to make sure people aren’t forced out of their homes and that homeownership is a dream everyone can attain.
Land-use plans must make sense for all citizens, not just a few.
Parks and Recreation
While Mecklenburg County has increased its rating with the Trust for Public Land, scoring 93 out of 100 among American cities (up from 97th) Mecklenburg County is still far below where it should be with our green space and parks land.
In District 5, residents can enjoy the beauty and tremendous facilities of Freedom Park, Park Road Park, and Marion Diehl (in a partnership with Queens University) and many neighborhood parks, yet the county’s parks as a whole are not equally maintained. I support a budget that increases funding for bringing these county parks up-to-date. Additionally, I support Mecklenburg County’s plan for land acquisition to create more green space for our residents.
I am committed to continuing to advocate on behalf of all our parks, green spaces and greenways.
Mental Health
Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in children in the U.S. Additionally, thousands of county residents struggle with mental health issues. But our mental health system is overwhelmed and unable to handle the growing problem. Even worse, the majority of mental health services aren’t located in lower income neighborhoods.
This is a situation that cannot be tolerated. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Children everywhere need great access to counselors. Plus, all programs and resources in the mental health system should be readily available to everyone, regardless of income level. Currently, some people are forced to wait months for scheduled appointments, resources are inconsistent, and programs are unequal.
Serving on the Health and Human Services committee, I support additional funding to supply our schools with the mental health staff they need. Our children are crying out for help, and we all must listen.
I support Atrium’s efforts to increase their presence in the behavioral health field, particularly for our most underserved neighborhoods.
Safe Neighborhoods
I am committed to working with our local and state leaders to help develop a plan to address the alarming problem of youth violence in our community. It is imperative that our children always feel safe and secure in their schools and neighborhoods. The county, city and school leadership, community leaders and neighborhood activists must work together to solve the rising crime rates, and I pledge to support these efforts.
Serving on the Intergovernmental Committee, I am pleased to say addressing this particular subject has become a priority across all forms of local government, and I pledge to continue the conversation.
