The "People-First" (Downtown-Talk)

When we talk about the future of North Lauderdale, we’re talking about our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our homes.

The current Mayor is pushing a 'downtown' plan that feels like it was designed in a boardroom, not in our living rooms. To him, some of our properties are just 'eyesores' that need to be cleared away for high density buildings.  But to me, those aren't eyesores; they are the foundations of families and the lifeblood of our local economy.

We can modernize without being reckless.  I want to see our city grow, but it has to be done the right way.  The current administration has neglected the most important part of leadership: listening to the people. They’ve moved forward with zoning changes and consultant plans while residents felt left in the dark about things like eminent domain and the potential for displacement.

My commitment to you is a bottom-up approach, not a top-down mandate:

• Every major redevelopment project will start with a seat at the table for the residents who will actually be living next to it.

•  Instead of threatening property owners, we should be offering grants and low-interest loans to help our local businesses fix their own storefronts.

• We need to fix our aging roads, lighting, and drainage before we talk about massive new downtown hubs. If we take care of our infrastructure, the growth will follow naturally just like we've seen in cities like Coral Springs.

A downtown shouldn't be something that is done to a community; it should be something built by a community.

I’m running to make sure your voice is finally the loudest one in City Hall.