Our Platform
Term Limits
Being an elected official was never supposed to be an occupation, it was always supposed to be an act of civil servitude. Term limits prevent career politicians and help keep our governing bodies caught up with current values and keep solutions modern. I believe three terms (12 years), is more than enough time on a city council to pass the agenda and promises a candidate ran on.
Energy Independence
Our energy usage and grid should be a lot like a good stock portfolio, diversified. Investing in newer and cleaner energies not only allows individuals and our governments to save money on their bills and taxes, but it also creates a more sustainable and clean environment. I believe all government buildings should at least partly run on renewable energies to cut back on the money spent running them and using those saving in better ways.
Improve Law Enforcement
Police officer training should be modernized and humanized, with a strong focus on de-escalation and knowing signs of mental distress. Being able to differentiate between a violent offender and someone who just needs a little help and understanding will save lives, both civilian and uniformed. I support our police and believe they deserve the best training that can be provided.
Sunset Clause
A sunset clause can easily be described as an expiration date, whereas after the specified amount of time has been reached, the contract or statute is no longer valid. In the context of a law or ordinance, if the rule is popular or successful, another vote would be done to extended it another term. Adding a sunset clause to all new ordinances would make the process of removing older rulings that are no longer relevant or outdated a more streamlined process, as it would take care of itself. It also has the added benefit of making our city council and governing bodies look at the effectiveness of each new ordinance and decide if it's worth continuing to enforce. Under this system, all new approved ordinances will come with a ten (10) year clause.
Home Buyer Grace Period
The current housing market is facing problems we haven't seen at this scale in arguably decades. One of the many causes of this competitive and inflated market is due to private and institutional investment firms buying out first time home buyers. In many cases new homes put on the market are sold within minutes, typically in cash at a price way above the asking, making it close to impossible for families and home owner hopefuls to even put in an offer they can afford. According to Redfin, almost 20% of all home sold in the final quarter of 2021 were done by such firms, https://www.redfin.com/news/investor-home-purchases-q4-2021/. To prevent our city from becoming another victim of this market and becoming too expensive to live in, I suggest that only after fourteen (14) days of a single family home being put on the market may such firms make an offer. This allows families and hopefuls a chance to live in the city we all call home and allow them to see what makes our town so great.
Fiber Internet Investment
In this day of age we rely so heavily on access to fast and reliable internet, whether it's for school, working from home, or our simple day-to-day tasks like paying bills. Affordable and dependable internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. It's strange that in a developed city, especially one with a major university, that many of us simply don't have these options. To put it into perspective, here in Kennesaw according to Inmyarea we have 3 internet service providers that offer fiber: AT&T with just under 60% availability, Xfinity with 10%, and Google fiber with 5%. Our local government needs to work with ISP and invest in the infrastructure required to give the citizens of Kennesaw the options of fiber at competitive prices before we fall too behind. We can't afford to have our progress stippled by a loading bar.
Airbnb
I believe one of the biggest debates with Airbnb is the pattern of property being bought solely for the purpose of being used as short-term rental property. I’m a supporter of finding ways to create passive income or another sources of revenue, but sometimes these ventures do get out of hand. Likewise, I believe in a reasonable limit in purchasing property and converting them to short term rentals, such as a maximum number of properties a single person or entity can run. In a housing market as competitive and filled with private equity firms buying units at prices normal people cannot afford, limits like these can ensure at least a fighting chance for everyday folk and first-time home buyers to purchase property.
Downtown Golf Cart Usage
Many towns, including ones around us like Acworth and Woodstock, allow Golf Carts (PTV Vehicles) in downtown areas and streets with speed limits of less than 25 MPH. It’s been done and can be done here in our downtown. Like any vehicle, rules need to be followed: drivers must be licensed, must have turn signals, not permitted on sidewalks, and vehicles must be registered, to name a few. If implemented properly, I see no problem why PTVs shouldn’t be allowed.
Apartments vs Single Family Home Development
I believe in utilizing our lands as effectivity as possible and create a balance of accommodating buildings like apartment complexes to our rising population and traditional single-family homes for those who enjoy suburbia. Projects like Prichard Park in downtown utilizes space nicely while still allowing a sense of land ownership. For those who prefer the renter’s lifestyle of cheaper living expenses or simply not wanting the stress of a mortgage, high quality apartment complexes are a great way to do just that. Like all things, balance is the key to sustainability.
More Key Issues to Come