Why Should You Vote For Me?

Good question. If you follow city politics, or even just our local race in Stittsville, you’ve probably noticed most candidates agree that transit, infrastructure/growth management and affordability are dominant election issues.  So if candidates largely share the same ideas, ideals and policy direction, your choice might come down to which candidate can be the most effective advocate for Stittsville residents. Here are my top 3 reasons why I think that person is me, and why I am asking for your support and your vote:

1. Pop my name into your search engine of choice and you’ll see a consistent record of advocacy on key Stittsville issues. I am invested in this community and I’m putting in the work because I think it’s worth the effort, not just because it’s an election year. For example:

• Stittsville Main Street’s Community Design Plan: I was part of the public advisory committee that advocated hard for more balanced development on SMS.
  
  
• Dump expansion: I was there for the years-long process, attending community meetings, speaking out at committee, promoting engagement, and otherwise fighting for a safer and more beneficial deal for Stittsville.

• Saving the Bradley-Craig barn: Again, I was there at meetings, actively organizing strategy and coordination, planning committee and more.
  
  
• Or how about the proliferation of high-rise developments in Stittsville while we grapple with lack of infrastructure to support all of these new residents? I’ve been part of that conversation for years, too, working with residents to help them learn how to engage in the process, questioning how everyone will move about and access services, and showing up to speak with councillors at committee.
  
  

If you look back even further, you’ll find my advocacy efforts began in high school when I started asking questions at township meetings and getting involved with initiatives like operating a student-driven recycling depot before municipalities were on board with waste diversion programs. In college, I was elected to the student senate. And as a young adult, I threw myself into a variety of community service roles.

Candidates will show up for every photo opportunity during an election year, but there is value in looking at what they do the rest of the time, too.

2. I am comfortable with governance, legislation, policies and guidelines. The fine print matters, and you can count on me to read it, understand it, and to do my best to make sure I am as informed as possible before making a decision at committee or council meetings. It’s easy for new councillors, faced with a big learning curve, to vote alongside more experienced colleagues. I appreciate the perspective and experience of others, but I won’t let their views replace my own due diligence.

3. My professional background includes journalism, administration, legislative analysis, and now legal services. That mix has given me a solid set of skills useful in the work of a councillor: parsing information, communication, consensus building, budgeting, effective questioning and research. I want to put those skills to work for Stittsville’s benefit.

I'd love to hear more about what you're looking for in a councillor, and about the issues that concern you most over the next four years and beyond.