Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) aka  “FLOCK”

An ongoing public safety concern for Fridley residents is the use of ALPR technology across the area. Contracts we have with our ALPR platform provider have resident’s  information and cause concern for mass surveillance, data sharing, and long term implications of rapidly changing technology. I do not support the use of ALPR cameras. While proponents often cite public safety benefits and point to years of deployment, the technology of ten years ago has far exceeded the regulations and scope of today. There is little oversight and enforcement for violations of existing legislation which opens up this powerful technology to misuse and abuse. Residents have legitimate concerns about privacy, data collection, and violations of the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure.

Furthermore, this is tied into conversations about fiscal responsibility. ALPRs are costly to implement, maintain, and defend in court as legal challenges rise across the country. This puts us in a financially risky position to continue to open our city up to lawsuits. Fridley should prioritize proven public safety strategies that respect civil liberties, protect taxpayer dollars, and maintain public trust in local government.

Operation Metro Surge/Federal Immigration Enforcement

Operation Metro Surge highlighted the fracture in our community in which city leadership feels public safety is responsive and all encompassing. Meanwhile, community members felt unseen, unprotected, and left behind. I am committed to engaging in policies that view public safety not simply as a police and fire department but as a wraparound approach that centers community first. We saw the strength in hyperlocal organizing and the way that neighbors can keep neighbors safe when our community is strong and united. The city requires strong partnerships with our local schools, religious organizations, and local businesses with proactive outreach to expand what safety in Fridley can look like. We need to be principled in our values and take a stance that ICE does not belong in our city and our residents do not want or need surveillance as a thin veil of “safety.” We can start by re-evaluating our nearly decade old statement on immigration, cancelling our ALPR contracts that assist federal immigration in tracking our people, and say no to allowing ICE to stage on city property.

Safe Streets for All, Safe Routes to School

As a Fridley Resident shared with me, "I want my kid playing safely on the streets or in the yard and not worry about them being hit by a car. But I can't do that if our streets aren’t safe from speeding cars and they can’t be protected on sidewalks." This sentiment is not isolated to one community member. Like many parents of young kids, teenagers walking to school, and seniors in our community, residents face daily hazards navigating our neighborhoods. As a family that lives on the east side of University but is zoned for Stevenson Elementary on the west side of East River Road, getting to school for my children means crossing two major highways and navigating the closed down old Northstar tunnel . Without dedicated, protected infrastructure, this commute is simply too dangerous for a child on a bike. We share concerns with our neighbors in Ward 3 who have reduced access to grocery stores, public transportation, and education.

My family benefits from being on a corner street with one side that is quiet and slow, we see the harmful effects of our cross street being busy and unsafe. My children will not know learning to ride their bikes on that road or walking to the neighbors without a grown up helping them cross. We can bring that peace of mind back, but it requires modern solutions to modern traffic.  This issue does not just impact young families. Fridley has a vibrant, aging senior population. Right now, neighbors with walkers and wheelchairs are forced onto the blacktop, dodging traffic due to a lack of sidewalks, proper curbs, and painted pedestrian crosswalks. We must slow motorized vehicles, increase sidewalks, and prioritize winter clearing of snow and ice on these pathways. Fridley must holistically take into account major improvements such as the renovations of parks or building of apartment complexes and understand the impact that will make to changing traffic patterns.

Community Engagement & Equity

A thriving city is one where every voice is heard, every resident is valued, and every community member has the tools to succeed. As your representative, I am committed to building a Fridley that actively works to dismantle barriers and ensures government works for all of us.

• Establishing a Clear Equity Statement Fridley needs an official Equity Statement that aligns directly with our city's core mission and values. This isn't just about words on a page—it’s a formal, binding commitment to identify, reduce, and fix systemic inequities across our community.

• Adopting an Equity Assessment Tool Good intentions aren't enough; we need accountability. I will push for the implementation of an Equity Tool such as a structured framework used by the City Council, city manager, and city staff to evaluate the impact of every major policy, budget, and decision before it is passed.

• Breaking Down Language Barriers Right now, our city information is only going out in English with requests to contact if there are other languages needed. We must modernize and overhaul how Fridley provides language services and communicates information so that vital city information is accessible to everyone.

• Aligning Our Long-Term Vision Fridley’s comprehensive long-term strategic plan charts our city's future for decades to come. This roadmap needs to be reviewed through an equity lens advocating that our long-term goals support, protect, and uplift every single neighborhood and resident as our city grows.

• Creating an Equity Commission True progress comes from the ground up. I want to solicit direct community feedback on establishing a formal Equity Commission—giving Fridley residents a dedicated, structured seat at the table to advise city leadership on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Schools are the backbone of our communities. They teach future generations, they are a pillar of employment in a small town, and they create space for neighbors to come together to support each other and our kids. Fridley is situated in such a way that not only Fridley Public Schools, but also Columbia Heights & Spring Lake Park Public Schools are zoned for our children. We are privileged in our community to have access to schools that fit needs for many different families such as Al-Amal, Woodcrest Baptist, and Metro Heights Academy. I believe strongly that investing in our schools is an investment in our community and that robust policy and decision making around city tax, development, and jobs is only achieved through developed partnerships with area schools.

Building a cohesive community

One of the functions of local government is to create a framework for which our residents are able to interact in their day-to-day lives. It is the foundation for how we are able to get around, access grocery stores, spend time in recreation. Is there available bussing or streets, parks to congregate at, entertainment and business to patronize? But beyond this logistical view of how that sets a city up to operate, underlying it is the power and role that community… connectedness, support, relationship, care…. Provide for a place like Fridley.

As a person who grew up in a small town and now lives in a place where people often reference “small town values”, I can attest first hand that the way this is achieved is by deep belief, interaction, and connection with local government, schools, religious organizations, neighborhoods, and businesses. Fridley has growth in its future in continuing to cultivate a space in which people feel connected to their neighbors and institutions and City Council and local government can support the city to that end.  Building community is not something that just magically happens, it must be created, encouraged, and supported through meaningful and intentional relationships.

Cost of living crisis
High housing costs, utilities, healthcare, food, childcare, and gas are putting real pressure on Fridley families. In recent years, residents have been taxed at rates approaching 6%. People are not seeing the same match of growth in their paychecks. This is simple math and it's simply unsustainable for most families. Current leadership boasts of not taxing our residents as high as many surrounding cities. While that sentiment is great at face-value, people are still left footing the costs of higher bills across the board.  The current council has voted to tax the residents of Fridley above 5% every single year since 2022 requiring a majority decision to go above its allotted threshold.

As a council member, I will advocate for careful budgeting and fiscal responsibility, ensuring the city evaluates spending with the same scrutiny households apply to their own finances.  My professional background as a social worker allows me to understand the real impact programs such as utility assistance, affordable housing, and grants have on families. The city must continue investments in these programs. Additionally, because property taxes are influenced by multiple jurisdictions, I will prioritize strong partnerships with the county and school, which together account for two-thirds of the tax burden on families.