PLATFORM

Protecting Our Neighborhoods

We live in a great part of town but we also have issues, whether it's break- ins or theft. While the Milwaukee Police Department has done a thankless job of keeping the neighborhood safe, they need help. Like mentioned, a shortfall in revenue to the City causes shortfalls everywhere. One area is in public safety. Too often we must make tough choices when it comes to putting more police officers on the street or if we can even afford to. My proposal to bring in more revenue to the City can will help offset the shortfall of our much needed public services.

Below are my proposals in regards to crime and safety:

1. Working with neighborhood associations and the Milwaukee Police Department to reinforce neighborhood block watch programs to deter speeding, break-ins and theft

2. Utilizing cost saving measures like replacing older police vehicles with hybrid cars. This could save the Department in fleeting fueling costs and maintenance.

3. Using more police technology to help police officers on the streets.

"To me, local government is the last bastion of civility in government."

Finding New Revenue Streams

Revenue is what keeps a city solvent and able to provide for its citizens. This issue is the basis for my run for office. As the other issues that I am also advocating for are reciprocal matters that all flow from the issue of revenue. The way Milwaukee receives and raises revenue is a case study in and of itself. Milwaukee has its hands tied behind its back when it comes to revenue coming into the City. We have become too dependent on our shared revenue between the State and the City. Over time, this revenue steam has decreased, leading to larger and larger budget shortfalls year after year. Instead of looking at new and innovative ways to offset that revenue, we always jump to budget cuts, causing the local citizen to feel the pain of less police presence on the streets, more issues with hazardous roads and less access to local services. We need to reverse this trend:

Working with the State to allow the City of Milwaukee to designate downtown as a premier resort area.
Re-evaluating the law that the City of Milwaukee is required to pledge all proceeds from its 7% room tax to the Wisconsin Center District.
Bringing a referendum to the voters on a “sin tax” on sweets and sugary drinks that would be dedicated to funding public safety.

LIST OF ISSUES

Bringing in Small Businesses into the District

I truly believe in small businesses. They are the anchor to the neighborhood. I will bring more small businesses into the neighborhood to help revitalize parts of the district where small businesses used to thrive. One area of concentration is Burleigh Street. When I drive down Burleigh I either see a shuttered business or a soon to be shuttered business. It’s time we work to bring more business to this area. By bringing in more small businesses we do the following:

Bringing new jobs to the district
Giving the community more places to shop or dine (whether it be a brewery or new restaurant)
Bringing in new revenue to the City
Revitalizing part of the neighborhood will bring up home values

Making our Neighborhoods Safer

During my time meeting neighbors across this district, one of the bigger issues that continue to be brought up from neighbor to neighbor are the safety of our residents on a day-to-day basis. I will work to make our neighborhoods safer by doing the following:

1. Putting more stop signs in crucial intersections of District 5.

2. Putting in speed bumps in parts of the neighborhood where speeding can cause issues for neighbors.

3. Working with the Milwaukee Police Department to install police speed trailers where needed.

Fixing Our Roads

The condition of our roads continue to get worse and worse every year. We need to address this issue and make it a priority or it will make replacing roads more expensive down the road and even become a safety hazard for our neighborhood. There's been different methods that have been utilized through the years to address neighborhood streets like the "High Impact Paving Program" implemented in 2012 to deliver short-term, cost-effective paving projects for both major city highways and local streets. While this program has addressed carefully selected streets throughout the city it has also left others to continue to deteriorate. My proposals are as followed:

1. Continuing the "High Impact Paving Initiative Program" but look into other concepts that can complement this initiative, whether its researching new paving methods or looking for new technology through federal grants.

2. Looking at a 10 year plan to pave all roads throughout the city by finding new revenue streams and cost effective savings.