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Four generations of my family live in Rochester. The work that I do
on Council is very important to me. My stake in our community is a
personal one.
I was elected to City Council almost four years ago to work with
community leaders, residents and business owners to move Rochester
forward. During the past few years, I have done this by supporting ideas
and programs that made sense, and by seeking public input.
When I first ran for City Council, I stood before
many of you as someone who was about to retire after thirty years of
working for local government. Some people, including the folks at
the D&C editorial board, thought maybe I might be too much of a City
Hall insider to ask the tough questions, expect accountability, and
play a leadership role on the Council.
They shouldn’t have worried. Instead, what I have done is use my
knowledge of local government - my direct hands-on experience - to
ask the tough questions, expect accountability, and play a
leadership role on the Council. I required no on the job training.
Although I generally characterize myself as a liberal on social
policy, and conservative on fiscal matters, I have tended to avoid
putting myself in a rigid policy box.
Instead, on the hundreds of issues that have come before City
Council during the past 3 1/2 years, I have studied each one on a
case-by-case basis. What makes sense and what doesn’t? Can we do
something better and cheaper?
Accomplishments I'm proud of:
•Chaired both of City Council’s most significant Committees:
Community Development and Finance;
•Led Council’s review of the annual Community Development program
which has allowed millions of dollars to be spent re-building our
neighborhoods;
•Led Council’s review of the City’s annual Capital Improvement Plan,
which carefully spends millions of dollars repairing our streets,
bridges, water supply system, and other key City programs;
•As the Finance Committee chair, I have re-designed Council’s review
of the annual City budget, which has allowed for a fuller discussion
of the budget details, and permitted more time for Council’s
questions and concerns about the budget to be addressed;
•To ensure that our citizens’ voices are heard, I have sponsored
public input meetings;
•While we are not in the running for an Emmy award, I have been one
of the leaders on Council to have our meetings televised on City
Channel 12;
The Democratic party is known as a “big tent.” Our party celebrates
diversity, and is home to lots of different people and different
ideas. The fact that we Democrats are often all over the place on
issues - some have compared our party to herding cats - is a good
thing in City Hall because that difference of opinion provides the
necessary checks and balances.
I’m proud of the work I’ve done, the no-nonsense positions I’ve
taken, and the time I’ve spent bringing our community into the
process. I hope you’ll support me for another term on City Council.
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