Priorities: 

This is a brief outline of my priorities based on observations and communications with the constituents of District 2 Calaveras. Once elected and my communications with staff and constituents continue, my priorities will grow and reflect those who have elected me! 


SCHOOLS

  • I will continue supporting local schools, educators, and families.  Children are the future; their safety, quality of life, and education are very high priorities.   I am a founding member of the Save Our Small Schools campaign, which was established in 2014 to preserve our D2 elementary schools. Having lived through the closure of RRF School, I know that the closure of MHE, or WPE, will be a devastating blow to our communities.  The SOS Campaign has been reactivated, and we are already working towards solutions to sustain our two remaining  D2 elementary schools, support our school districts in sustainable ways, and provide high-quality educational experiences to all of our schools and families. 


FIRE SAFETY 

  • Fire Safety is a high priority; I will work with local fire departments, OES, the sheriff's department, and Cal Fire to continue making our district safe, fire and catastrophe-ready. The efforts underway with various stakeholders such as Cal Fire, Calaveras County Resource Conservation District, Moke Hill Fire, and East Bay Mud for sustainable land management, home hardening, & fuel reduction need to be continued and bolstered.  Our Local Fire Departments and Sheriff's department must have our support and deserve our gratitude! I will work to find additional funding opportunities to bolster those departments and retain our deputies and firefighters. 


  • I want to ensure that all property owners have the knowledge and resources they need to take ownership of their land management. I will bring awareness to available resources for defensible space through USDA grants, CAL FIRE C-FIP(California Forest Improvement Program) grants, state and federal assistance, county programs, and local businesses that help our people manage their land efficiently with sustainable practices. Through these home-hardening efforts, we can help support the efforts of our Senate representatives to make homeowners' insurance affordable. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  • I support all viable economic development opportunities that can be successfully implemented in our district - my priority is to ensure employment opportunities are available to our community. Examining, focusing, and building upon what our district offers is a sustainable way to achieve this. I am participating in the planning meetings for a USDA Slaughter and processing facility in Calaveras County. Not only is this a massive need for our ranchers, but it will also create jobs and bring in tax dollars. Additionally, I support the cogeneration plant in Wilseyville and all Timber, Grazing, Agriculture, and Forest practices utilizing our natural resources, managing our forests, creating fuel breaks, and providing jobs. 


HIGHSCHOOL VOCATIONAL

  • As I mentioned in my interview with the Calaveras Enterprise, I want to support and grow our vocational programs, such as FFA and Medical Science, at our local high schools. Streamlining a direct path for our young adults to graduate high school and continue their education at neighboring county junior colleges or go directly into the workforce of Calaveras County.  Additionally, I would like to see a trade school and am part of conversations about the possibility of one considering a D2 Calaveras location. 


HOUSING 

  • Affordable housing is a County-wide issue and affects D2 significantly.  We need additional workforce housing, fewer short-term rentals, and vacant homes. I want to encourage our county Housing and Economic and Community Development Departments to apply for state housing development grants and work with local developers to identify and develop local housing sites using grant funding to offset costs.  Looking at projects such as the Eureka Oaks Development in Angels Camp – breaking ground – 2024


INSURANCE

  • High Insurance rates, even the - California Fair Plan, are becoming utterly unaffordable for families.  Insurance companies must be held accountable; soon, many homeowners will be unable to insure their homes, further fueling housing unaffordability and devastatingly impacting the housing market. I will support the work being done by Senator Marie Alvarado-Gill and the RCRC Ad Hawk Committee to hold The insurance commissioner Ricardo Laura to develop a legislative plan to provide relief for millions of Californians. Our home, community, and county hardening efforts must be considered when rating our risk, not our proximity to a hydrant. People are losing their homes and moving out of state, and first-time home buyers are being priced out. This needs to change. These things are not a one-size-fits-all, and insurance adjusters must see through a rural lens. 



SMALL BUSINESS 

  • Supporting our small businesses and encouraging additional ones to open is essential to providing jobs and keeping our tax dollars in Calaveras County. Many of us spend the majority of our money in neighboring counties. Helping local businesses get off the ground and ensuring they have the support to be sustainable creates jobs and secures tax dollars for the operations of the county. 


PARKS 

  • I will continue to support our community centers, parks, and outdoor spaces. We need these to enrich our communities and offer healthy and safe areas. Focusing on the beauty and wealth of our district's outdoor spaces can add to our assets and address the mental health and loneliness issues many residents face. I support the county-wide parks and recreation department. 


MENTAL HEALTH

  • In keeping Metal Health at the forefront, I will work with existing departments and groups and search for additional programs to fill the support & recovery gaps in our County so we can provide avenues for those wanting help. We need to focus on finding the cause of homelessness, be it mental health, drug use, or simply lack of housing. We must take a multi-pronged approach to this. Additionally, we need to work to attract more county employees to fill the open positions so we are not playing exorbitant private contractors. 

LAW ENFORCEMENT 

  • We need to continue finding more money from outside the county; a big concern is the state shortfall currently. We need to be wary of this and cautious with our budget. That being said, my priority is to ensure that the Sheriff's Department has all the resources they need to protect our county successfully. 

COMMUNICATION 

  • I will share information with the constituents of D2 regularly. Upcoming events, job opportunities, services available, planned projects, invitations, and board of supervisor meetings summary.

  •  I plan to hold regular town hall meetings and office hours and encourage participation in the board of supervisor meetings. 

  • I am running as a community representative - I have my constituents' insight, advice, and guidance. 

  • I want more community participation in the Board of Supervisors meetings. We need buy-in and invested interest from the majority of our residents to make our county successful. 


COUNTY WORKFORCE

  • I will support all county employees and work to make sure their wages are at the current market rate. 

  • Calaveras Child Care Council, a group I am part of, recently presented about providing employee child care. With a bit of creativity and dedication, this is something that Calaveras County could implement. Calaveras County HR staff was present at this meeting; I plan to pursue this if elected. 

  • Much like our residents- our workforce has real-time knowledge and insight into the needs of our county. I will look to them for input, guidance, and knowledge. 


AIR BNB

  • Trying to ban or limit current air bnbs could set our county up for a takings lawsuit - taking away established ones will be a nightmare. 

  • Many existing Air BNBs are on the Highway 4 corridor and are valued at over $500,000. With the current average 7% interest rate on a mortgage with monthly payments close to $4,000, it will not be realistic for working-class families. 

  • Bringing in more hotels to accommodate our tourism is a project we need to move forward. This is how we can legitimately and realistically bolster our workforce housing and total taxes. 

  • We need to think outside our box and look at outside ideas, such as Tahoe. They can offer incentives to homeowners to transition from vacation to long-term rentals. 




SUPPORTING MEASURE A 

  • The Fire Districts in our unincorporated areas of Calaveras County are essential to our safety. They are often understaffed and underfunded. Passing Measure A will help retain and hire additional staff, improve response time, update equipment, and ensure that safety gear is current and compliant. A large percentage of the income will be captured through tourism. 

    The brave and hard-working men and women who staff our fire districts deserve our gratitude and support. Please consider helping them to help us!

  •  Having lived most of my life in the most rural corners of Calaveras County, I understand the need for neighborhood fire districts to respond to emergencies. 


ANIMAL SHELTER 

  • We need to bolster and support the animal shelter - the bill to finish building the shelter is daunting. While the county is looking at an additional grant, we must continue looking for innovative funding opportunities. This is something we do need to get done. We all love animals! 



SENIORS

  •  With a large percentage of our population being low-income Seniors, we must support and continue programs providing in-home health care, medical appointment transportation, technology, and utility bill assistance.