These aren't just campaign promises - they're commitments born from years of experience working in and organizing around our parks.
Equitable Funding & Management
The Park Board's approach to challenges like emerald ash borer has placed unfair burdens on working-class homeowners, threatening both housing stability and our property tax base. When I was hit with a surprise $3,850 ash tree removal bill shortly after buying my modest home, I learned firsthand how park policies can create precarity for Minneapolis residents. I'll fight for more equitable funding approaches so that working families aren’t left to shoulder the burden of environmental challenges.
Safe & Accessible Transportation
Everyone deserves to safely reach our parks, whether by foot, bike, transit, or car. Our current board majority has become an obstacle to transit options, damaging relationships with county and state partners while making our parks less accessible. I'll champion complete streets, expanded bike infrastructure, and better transit connections to our park system.
Centering Our Youth
The youth of Minneapolis are one of our community’s greatest resources. We must build spaces for our young people to thrive now and into the future. I will always center the health and wellness of youth in our park access, drowning prevention programs, afterschool programs, and employment opportunities.
Standing With Workers
Our park system's greatest asset is its workers. As someone who led coworkers in organizing Minneapolis' first lifeguard union and supports park workers' right to organize, I understand that worker stability is community stability. When the Park Board saw its first-ever worker strike in 2024, many commissioners showed they either didn't understand or didn't care about worker contracts. I'll be different - reading and understanding union contracts, ensuring good-faith bargaining, and fighting for wages that allow park workers to live in the communities they serve.
Community-led Decision-making
Our local leadership too often treats "community engagement" as a box to check rather than the discursive, relational process it needs to be. I believe the answer is always in community, and I'll support centering resident voices to guide park decisions.