Contacting Me Until January 2025
Note: I talk to and listen to all people and all groups. That doesn’t change who I am, it’s just the way a City Council representative should act. Everyone has a voice and they should all be heard. Other candidates don’t see it this way.
I want to be your Councilmember
I have lived in Peoria for 23 years with all six of my children attending Peoria schools. I have served in public office and demonstrated strong leadership through fiscal responsibility and decision making transparency, while maintaining a positive attitude with integrity. Peoria is a great city to live and work and spend time with family and friends. I will work to ensure that Peoria stays the enjoyable community that it is, while still growing our economic development opportunities, in the right places, at the right times.
- I am the founder and owner of two technology companies and have created over 300 jobs
- I was elected to the Peoria school board, serving as President for 2 years, and saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars
- I volunteered with Boy Scouts of America for 10 years
- I am a professional public speaker
- I am a father of 6 children, with 5 grandchildren
The issues affecting Peoria
Some residents want Peoria to stay as a “Mayberry” community and some want it to become the next Silicon Valley. Is there a way to have some of both. Yes. Planning now for where we want housing, parks and open areas, and businesses to grow is important to keep Peoria from becoming something we tell our grandkids “when I was your age, Peoria used to be the best place to live”. Let’s keep it the best for us and them, by planning now.
There goes Paloma Park
We the voters of Peoria approved phase 1 and phase 2 of Paloma Park. Phase 1 was completed, but the $20 million for phase 2 was taken away from the park and swept back in the general fund. The reason was that costs have gone up too much since the park was approved many years ago, and they won’t be able to finish all of phase 2. Yes, costs have gone up, but $20 million still buys a lot of construction to expand what we love about Paloma Park. I will be a loud voice to re-fund the park and get it finished.
Airports and Helicopters
We have four airports and a military base within 20 miles. Do we really need another one in northern Peoria? Are you ready for low-flying airplanes over your home coming in for a landing? I’m not. What would be the actual benefit? And now we’re told we need a helicopter. Neighboring cities have already offered the use of their helicopters, which we’ve used only 3 times in the last 10 years. Who’s going to pay the $2 million each year for maintenance, fuel, and staff for a helicopter? We are.
Our fees are going up
Tax dollars are being reallocated from city services to fund projects such as an aviation department to plan for an airport in north Peoria. Meanwhile, fees for City services have risen by as much as 50%. Shouldn’t we be holding fees steady during an inflationary period? Sports usage fees are also much higher. Our youth sports programs are already relocating to Surprise to avoid these higher costs. I bring experience in managing public funds, prioritizing needs over wants.
Emergency services planning
Peoria is growing faster than emergency services can keep pace. Thankfully, we have an incredible fire department, but we are 2 fire stations behind, promised to firefighters years ago, to properly cover all our growth and in-fill areas. In some parts of north Peoria, it can take up to or more than 15 minutes for emergency services to arrive. A drowning or heart attack needs attention within 5 minutes. We need to do a better job of adding emergency services resources to keep pace with our growth.
Economic Development
I agree with the Mayor and City Council on the need to enhance the economic development in Peoria to create a more diverse tax base (which lowers taxes and fees). I believe Peoria can increase its economic engine and footprint without giving up what we love most about Peoria – open spaces, parks, well-planned housing communities, restaurants and shopping, trails and great schools. Where we allow larger economic development ventures is where we differ. I agree that the Amkor facility will be a great addition. I would have pushed to locate it a few miles northeast of Vistancia, not in the community of Vistancia. As a small business owner myself, I will work to make it easier to open and do business in Peoria.
Education
As a business owner, I firmly believe that a strong education is the key to economic development. The only way we attract true economic growth is to have a system in place to teach our children at the highest levels. I served as the President of the Peoria school district governing board through 2016. I saw firsthand how a great educational environment can create a thirst for knowledge in our children. I fully support public, private, charter, parochial and home school programs. The city should not choose who wins and who loses with building schools and having access to city support and involvement. All educational options should be equally supported and celebrated. If we start picking one type of school over another, we will harm our future stability and economic opportunities.