What are your top priorities for the office and how would you
address them?
My top three priorities are affordability, business growth, and resident-driven decisions.
On affordability, the town has taken some positive steps to reduce water rates by negotiating with NPIC, but sewer and drainage rates keep climbing with no real plan. When the town raises rates, residents conserve water, which reduces water revenue and makes the problem worse. Short term, I will cut expenses. Long term, the answer is growth. The sewer plant's $48.5M loan is a fixed cost. The more customers we add, the lower the cost per household. Every new home and business helps.
On businesses, building here takes nearly three years under requirements often twice as strict as nearby towns. I have heard directly from businesses that traffic studies, parking requirements, and grease trap regulations are driving them away. I will streamline approvals, reduce these barriers, and make Wellington a place that businesses choose, not avoid. More businesses mean more sales tax revenue, lower utility costs, and better services for everyone.
On resident-driven decisions, the Connell asphalt plant showed what happens when leaders rubber-stamp staff. The Planning Commission approved the plant, residents appealed, and the 4 Trustees reversed it. 2 of the 3 who voted AGAINST residents are now running for office. When Connell took it to court, the judge upheld the reversal. Residents were right. The court proved it. I will use common sense, think independently, and always put residents first.
address them?
My top three priorities are affordability, business growth, and resident-driven decisions.
On affordability, the town has taken some positive steps to reduce water rates by negotiating with NPIC, but sewer and drainage rates keep climbing with no real plan. When the town raises rates, residents conserve water, which reduces water revenue and makes the problem worse. Short term, I will cut expenses. Long term, the answer is growth. The sewer plant's $48.5M loan is a fixed cost. The more customers we add, the lower the cost per household. Every new home and business helps.
On businesses, building here takes nearly three years under requirements often twice as strict as nearby towns. I have heard directly from businesses that traffic studies, parking requirements, and grease trap regulations are driving them away. I will streamline approvals, reduce these barriers, and make Wellington a place that businesses choose, not avoid. More businesses mean more sales tax revenue, lower utility costs, and better services for everyone.
On resident-driven decisions, the Connell asphalt plant showed what happens when leaders rubber-stamp staff. The Planning Commission approved the plant, residents appealed, and the 4 Trustees reversed it. 2 of the 3 who voted AGAINST residents are now running for office. When Connell took it to court, the judge upheld the reversal. Residents were right. The court proved it. I will use common sense, think independently, and always put residents first.
What factors guide your financial and budgeting decisions?
My financial decisions are guided by what is best for the residents and businesses of Wellington, not what is easiest for the bureaucracy.
With 20 years of accounting experience, I know how to read a budget, identify where money is going, and spot problems before they become crises.
First, expenses must not exceed revenue. A balanced budget means operations are funded without drawing down reserves, not just a nice presentation award. When I took over the Fire District, it was taking out a line of credit every year and had stopped contributing to the volunteer pension fund. I brought in new accountants, reduced overhead, and created a snowball debt repayment plan that paid off multiple loans while refunding $298,000 in over collected taxes. Three years later the district had $2.5 million in reserves. Wellington is next.
Second, every dollar spent should be justified. Administrative overhead should reflect actual work performed, not estimates. I want to see real accountability in how costs are allocated across departments, especially in the utility funds where residents are footing the bill.
Third, declining revenue is a warning sign that demands attention, not rate increases. When utility usage falls after rate hikes, that tells me residents are being squeezed. The answer is to reduce expenses and grow the tax base, not keep raising rates.
Every financial decision should protect the pocketbooks of the people who live and do business here. That is my commitment to you.
My financial decisions are guided by what is best for the residents and businesses of Wellington, not what is easiest for the bureaucracy.
With 20 years of accounting experience, I know how to read a budget, identify where money is going, and spot problems before they become crises.
First, expenses must not exceed revenue. A balanced budget means operations are funded without drawing down reserves, not just a nice presentation award. When I took over the Fire District, it was taking out a line of credit every year and had stopped contributing to the volunteer pension fund. I brought in new accountants, reduced overhead, and created a snowball debt repayment plan that paid off multiple loans while refunding $298,000 in over collected taxes. Three years later the district had $2.5 million in reserves. Wellington is next.
Second, every dollar spent should be justified. Administrative overhead should reflect actual work performed, not estimates. I want to see real accountability in how costs are allocated across departments, especially in the utility funds where residents are footing the bill.
Third, declining revenue is a warning sign that demands attention, not rate increases. When utility usage falls after rate hikes, that tells me residents are being squeezed. The answer is to reduce expenses and grow the tax base, not keep raising rates.
Every financial decision should protect the pocketbooks of the people who live and do business here. That is my commitment to you.
What would you do to address environmental issues such as drought,
wildfires and air quality, if anything?
On drought, I support water supply diversification through groundwater exploration, partnerships with nearby cities, and better water supply agreements. These steps reduce our dependence on a single source and improve long-term resilience.
Wellington residents deserve credit for their conservation efforts, but declining water usage creates a real problem. Our water utility depends on water sales to pay fixed obligations including loan repayments and operational costs. When residents use less water, revenue drops, the town raises rates, residents conserve even more, and revenue drops further. It is a cycle that punishes the very residents doing the right thing. The answer is more customers sharing fixed costs, not higher rates.
On wildfires, Wellington's coordination with the Fire Protection District is already strong. My focus will be on keeping emergency response plans current and funded and supporting community education on defensible space.
On air quality, the Connell asphalt plant situation showed why this matters locally. Our zoning code exists for a reason, including a mandatory 2,640 foot setback for industrial uses that emit toxic chemicals near homes. This is a public health issue, not a rule to be ignored. I will enforce our codes as written so residents do not have to hire lawyers to protect the air they breathe.
Where Wellington has jurisdiction, I will act. Where issues fall under state or federal authority, I will ensure our town's voice is heard.
wildfires and air quality, if anything?
On drought, I support water supply diversification through groundwater exploration, partnerships with nearby cities, and better water supply agreements. These steps reduce our dependence on a single source and improve long-term resilience.
Wellington residents deserve credit for their conservation efforts, but declining water usage creates a real problem. Our water utility depends on water sales to pay fixed obligations including loan repayments and operational costs. When residents use less water, revenue drops, the town raises rates, residents conserve even more, and revenue drops further. It is a cycle that punishes the very residents doing the right thing. The answer is more customers sharing fixed costs, not higher rates.
On wildfires, Wellington's coordination with the Fire Protection District is already strong. My focus will be on keeping emergency response plans current and funded and supporting community education on defensible space.
On air quality, the Connell asphalt plant situation showed why this matters locally. Our zoning code exists for a reason, including a mandatory 2,640 foot setback for industrial uses that emit toxic chemicals near homes. This is a public health issue, not a rule to be ignored. I will enforce our codes as written so residents do not have to hire lawyers to protect the air they breathe.
Where Wellington has jurisdiction, I will act. Where issues fall under state or federal authority, I will ensure our town's voice is heard.
What steps would you take to ensure affordable housing is available?
Affordable housing starts with making it less expensive to build in Wellington. Right now we make development longer and more expensive than it needs to be, and those costs get passed directly to buyers and renters.
Our process can take up to three years before anyone breaks ground. We mandate 13 inspections while other towns use a risk-based model. We require 8-inch water and sewer mains where other cities allow 4-inch or 6-inch pipes for residential projects. Our requirements are sometimes twice as strict as nearby cities and these all add cost to every home built. Streamlining inspections alone could shave months off the timeline and thousands off the price of every home.
Smaller lot sizes are worth exploring. More homes per development reduces per-lot land cost and makes homeownership accessible to more residents. A smaller, affordable home on a smaller lot is far better than no home at all.
Developers should not fund public infrastructure beyond their property line. Roads, sidewalks, and streetlights serve the entire community and should be funded through community taxes. Shifting those costs onto developers raises the price of every home built.
I want to be honest about what a mayor can and cannot do. Wellington cannot control land prices, interest rates, or state and federal housing policy. But we can control how long our process takes and how welcoming we are to residential development. Removing these barriers is the most effective tool we have, and I will use it.
Affordable housing starts with making it less expensive to build in Wellington. Right now we make development longer and more expensive than it needs to be, and those costs get passed directly to buyers and renters.
Our process can take up to three years before anyone breaks ground. We mandate 13 inspections while other towns use a risk-based model. We require 8-inch water and sewer mains where other cities allow 4-inch or 6-inch pipes for residential projects. Our requirements are sometimes twice as strict as nearby cities and these all add cost to every home built. Streamlining inspections alone could shave months off the timeline and thousands off the price of every home.
Smaller lot sizes are worth exploring. More homes per development reduces per-lot land cost and makes homeownership accessible to more residents. A smaller, affordable home on a smaller lot is far better than no home at all.
Developers should not fund public infrastructure beyond their property line. Roads, sidewalks, and streetlights serve the entire community and should be funded through community taxes. Shifting those costs onto developers raises the price of every home built.
I want to be honest about what a mayor can and cannot do. Wellington cannot control land prices, interest rates, or state and federal housing policy. But we can control how long our process takes and how welcoming we are to residential development. Removing these barriers is the most effective tool we have, and I will use it.
You can find the other mayoral candidates' answers here: https://www.vote411.org/ballot