My wife and I felt very welcomed here when we first moved to the area and have found it to be a wonderful place for us. We are grateful to call Waterloo home. But still, there are challenges we, like many young families face-- stagnant wages, limited opportunities, the rising cost of childcare, scarce city services, and outdated infrastructure. As a teacher, I hear from my former students who struggle to support themselves with minimum wage jobs; I hear from some who would love to come home after college, but struggle to find career opportunities in their field.

I want our children and future generations to live in a prosperous, equitable, and thriving community where their dreams have worth and possibilities are limitless. While the economic revitalization taking place downtown has made a lot progress, some families and small businesses are still left behind. I firmly believe Waterloo can be a place for ALL PEOPLE to thrive.

 

I’m ready to stand beside workers here in our community and fight for higher wages, greater worker protections, and more opportunities for entrepreneurship and economic development.

 

We need to help young families. I want to focus on family friendly policies that encourage young people to move and stay here. I want to work with nonprofits, local businesses and community leaders to expand access to quality, affordable childcare and pre-kindergarten across the city. By investing in our children now we can ensure that Waterloo remains a great place well into the future.

 

I’m ready to work with community leaders to create a plan for Waterloo’s development that does not just span a few years but looks decades down the road. We need to not just maintain but invest in quality infrastructure. We need to make Waterloo walkable, bikeable, and accessible through quality public transit. In a century when internet access determines who can and who cannot succeed we need to look at establishing a municipal internet utility. And we must always continue to prioritize resurfacing and repaving our roads.

 

I’m also ready to stand up for quality city services. We need to ensure that our fire stations are fully staffed, and our community services, including parks, pools, and the public library are among the best in the state.

 

As a husband, dad, and a teacher I’m constantly thinking about the future. But we don’t get from point A to point B without vision and commitment. If we are going to encourage development in this city that is equitable and fair for all of us, we need leaders who will look at the whole picture, not just part of it. By envisioning the prosperity of tomorrow and working with others today, I am confident we can build a thriving future.