Its time for working class leadership in city hall
Our citizens need more money in their pocket’s. Columbia should be affordable to the very people who build it every day, the workers, the parents, the caretakers, the dreamers. The people who keep the lights on in this city shouldn't be priced out of living here. My policies are built on the realities that everyday Columbian’s face. Everywhere I look, I see people working double shifts, juggling multiple jobs, skipping meals so their children don’t have to. There’s been too little courage in City Hall to fix it. That ends with me.
My campaign isn’t about punishing anyone; it’s about fairness. It’s about demanding that we are given the basic human rights we deserve. It’s about transparency, accountability, and a city budget that reflects our values. Whether I win or lose my race for Mayor, my goal is to fight for real wealth mobility for our communities, and a city where the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive is available to every one of us. I will make that happen in any way I can. We all want a Columbia that lifts us equally, together. Not one that leaves some folks behind while others flourish unchecked. Because progress that forgets its people isn’t progress at all.
1. Standardized Rent & Housing Justice
Policy Goal: Establish city-wide rent stabilization standards and protections to keep housing affordable and predictable.
Explore legal pathways for implementing rent caps tied to inflation or local income levels.
Incentivize affordable housing development with community-first zoning and real penalties for price-gouging landlords.
Expand tenant protections, establish a Tenant Advocacy Office, and create transparent reporting on rental costs city-wide.
2. Direct Financial Relief for Working People
Policy Goal: Put more money in residents’ pockets by cutting unfair costs, expanding economic access, and investing in wage growth.
Reform city fees, fines, and licensing structures that disproportionately hurt lower-income residents.
Support small local businesses with grants and zero-interest loans to grow jobs with dignity and livable wages.
3. A Columbia That Honors Human Rights
Policy Goal: Codify Columbia’s commitment to basic human rights like housing, health, and the right to hope and build a better life.
Pass a Columbia Human Rights Resolution centered on economic dignity, access to opportunity, and wealth mobility.
Develop programs that target economic barriers and create real pathways to education, entrepreneurship, and home ownership.
Create a Civic Dreamers Fund for young adults to pursue creative, educational, or civic projects.
4. Reality-Based Governance
Policy Goal: Govern based on what people are actually experiencing—not cherry-picked data or political spin.
Conduct regular, multilingual, community-wide Quality of Life Surveys to shape policy in real-time.
Require lived-experience advisory boards for issues like housing, youth development, and public safety.
Implement a “Reality Check” report at every city council meeting: a brief summary of current resident concerns, direct quotes, and data.
5. Fair Taxation & Budget Justice
Policy Goal: Shift the burden off of struggling residents and toward those who can afford to pay their fair share.
Overhaul the property tax structure for equity and transparency.
Audit tax incentives and subsidies to eliminate giveaways to developers and corporations that don’t give back.
Create a progressive local revenue model that protects low-income homeowners and renters.
6. A Future for Columbia’s Young People
Policy Goal: Make Columbia a place where young people can dream, grow, and lead.
Create Youth-Led Budgeting Councils to guide funding for youth programs and job development.
Launch Columbia Roots: a citywide youth initiative for creative careers, mentorships, and entrepreneurship.
Expand mental health access, public transit options, and housing for youth aging out of foster care or facing instability.
