Knowledge and Experience

I chose to buy a house in Englewood because I knew this was a community where anyone's voice could be heard if he or she chose to participate. Immediately upon moving here, I began to attend city council meetings, listen to the audio recordings, follow the minutes, and even occasionally meet with a member of city council. I didn't want to be the kind of citizen who complained about government but refused to do anything about it. Instead, I wanted to contribute. 

I served two years on the Liquor and Medical Marijuana Licensing Authority before I joined the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) in 2013. My time on the liquor board taught me quite a bit about the local environment and how difficult it can be for citizens to have their voices heard. Marijuana was becoming a contentious issue in Englewood during my time on the Authority. We had several public hearings where citizens showed up to oppose licensing. Unfortunately, the Board's majority did not find in favor of the citizens. We cannot always predict outcomes; the grow facility that we licensed has been a good neighbor, and unless you knew where it was located, a citizen would have no idea it was even there.

When I took my seat on the Budget Advisory Committee in 2013, Gary Sears was still the city manager. Englewood is now on its third city manager since 2013, and as a member of the BAC, I had the opportunity to meet and work with each of them. The Budget Advisory Committee also met with a number of department heads. The BAC is a prime example of how the city's leaders should operate. The group is collegial; its meetings are conversations, not arguments. Each member has a mutual interest in the success of the committee as well as the success of our city.