STRONG LOCAL DEMOCRACY
Government is one of the ways we take care of each other
In order for the Village of Oak Park to ensure an equitable, affordable, healthy and safe community, we need to defend local democratic institutions and processes.
In times of national crisis and political dysfunction, strong local governments must act as stabilizing forces. We will need the Village of Oak Park to provide governance and protection, and ultimately, help us to survive in difficult times.
We need a Village Hall that can serve all constituents' needs, from the quality of our drinking water to flood prevention, disease prevention and protections against discrimination. As Trustee, I will work to protect our government and democratic processes. I will also work with community members and organizations in collaboration to build our capacity for collective mobilization when needed. I also believe our local government should coordinate more across local municipal bodies as well as regionally to solve problems that don’t begin and end at the Oak Park borders.
Protecting our local democracy will help fight back against rising authoritarianism and a federal government with plans to harm our most vulnerable neighbors.
When voting in 2019, we didn’t anticipate the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, we didn't know the Trustees we were electing would be challenged to support over 200 asylum-seekers. We don’t yet know what crises our Village will have to face next. And so it is imperative that we elect representatives who will lead with and be led by their values. In reacting to whatever challenges lie ahead, I stand firmly committed to equity and inclusion, to our climate, and to each other.