Policy Platform
I’m fighting for a city full of safe, vibrant, and good neighborhoods that our neighbors want to stay in and our kids will want to raise their kids in.
Here are some policies I’ll support to help achieve that goal:
Vacancy Tax
Baltimore City has over 13,000 abandoned homes that cost the City $200 million a year and tell far too many of our young people there’s no future in their neighborhood. We can solve this crisis by increasing property taxes on vacant and blighted properties.
You can see my full strategy in my recent Baltimore Sun commentary.
Priorities:
Families
We need neighborhoods that young families will feel good about staying in, and have the support to do so. This means better childcare opportunities and social connections for families, expansion of Pre-K and Pre-K-3, and implementing the Baltimore Baby Bonus Fund.
Public Safety
Unlike my opponent, I’ll find whole-government, whole-community solutions that actually make our neighborhoods safer, like reducing truancy and expanding the successful Group Violence Reduction Strategy.
I also fully recognize the impact that violent crime has on neighborhoods. I will ensure we both hold perpetrators of violent crime accountable and provide the needed services to victims.
Transportation
We shouldn’t have to beg our local government for traffic calming. I’ll be proactive in making our streets safe for pedestrians, strollers, wheelchairs, bicycles, and cars. I’ll lead in making Baltimore’s transit an asset instead of a liability, and that’s why I am the only challenger for a city council district endorsed by Bikemore.
We have the density to break the 11th District’s dependence on cars, which benefits residents who can afford a car, and is transformative for the one-third of city households who can’t.
Youth
For our future, for our safety, for our economy, we have to do a better job of giving our young people opportunities to play a positive role in our neighborhoods.
I’ll fight for better vocational training, after-school programs, and school sports. I’ll fight for inclusionary housing so working families aren’t trapped in concentrated poverty. And as a Digital Harbor High School football coach, you can trust my focus on young people won’t end on Election Day.
People-Powered Campaign
If you want to lead at the grassroots, you need to fundraise at the grassroots. That’s why I’m not accepting any contributions above $150, or from hard-to-track sources. My constituents will never need to worry about me being “bought out” by special interests.
Public financing is going to be transformative for Baltimore City politics, and I am proud to be a leader in using it. My focus on getting money out of politics is a major distinction between myself and my opponent. You can learn more about my use of public financing in this Banner article.
A 311 that works
We need a 311 that inspires confidence in City government, rather than undermines it. You shouldn’t need a 311 file number - or be on the ‘good side’ of your councilmember - to get city services. I look forward to getting to work making a system that empowers people who care about their neighborhood.
Ending Concentrated Poverty
Baltimore census tracts are 5x as likely to be disadvantaged as the rest of Maryland, our homicide rate is 5x as high, and our violent crime rate is 4x as high.
Ending concentrated poverty is a public safety strategy. We can do that by removing unnecessary zoning restrictions, supporting inclusionary housing legislation, and - specifically for the 11th District - supporting more housing and more residents in our Downtown.
Ending Gerrymandering
Elected officials should not be drawing maps, whether it’s the mayor or the council president. Redistricting should be done by an independent commission right after a census, and I’m proud to have been on the team that drafted the first bill to bring independent redistricting to Baltimore.
And while we’re fixing Baltimore’s democracy, we should institute special elections for city council seats. When a councilperson steps down mid-term, we should have a special election to pick their successor, just like in most of America. The council president should not be able to hand-pick councilmembers.
More Grocery Stores
If you can’t walk to a grocery store, your neighborhood isn’t complete. We need to: (1) support grocery vendors who can thrive in our dense urban environment; (2) we need to push the state to allow beer and wine sales in grocery stores; and (3) we need to support the neighborhood leaders fighting for grocery stores in their neighborhood, like the recent successful effort to reopen the Eddie’s of Mount Vernon.
Permitting Reform
Whether it’s rehabbing an abandoned storefront near Lexington Market or hosting a block party, it is far too difficult to get permits in Baltimore City. This hurts entrepreneurs and it hurts neighborhood leaders. You should not have to go through your councilmember to do good things in Baltimore - the process should be transparent, customer-friendly, and apolitical.
