Racial Justice

I first examined my racial identity and the social location it affords me during my time with a social justice theater troupe at Amherst Regional High School. Since then, anti-racism learning and work has woven through my education and career as a social worker. I joined local organizers calling for reallocating funds from policing to community-based interventions led by those with lived experience. this led to my support of the Community Safety Working Group. Their reports, Part A and Part B, have still not been fully realized four years later. I will continue to advocate for these policies and programs, as I have as co-chair of the Community Safety and Social Justice Committee.

• Implement African Heritage Reparations Assembly plan

• Embed anti-Racism in all town departments

• Fully fund Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department

• Provide financial support to BIPOC-owned businesses

• Give stipends to committee members to increase diversity of participation

• Create BIPOC Cultural Center

• Engage in community visioning and healing process

• Provide robust translation services for town meetings and events

Affordable Housing

My first job out of college was working with tenants at risk of eviction. I collaborated with legal aid, community services, property managers and funders to help preserve people's housing. However, housing affordability is a systemic issue which merits more financial and political support. I believe everyone deserves a safe, stable affordable place to call home. Since joining the Affordable Housing Trust in 2021, I have consistently voted to fund opportunities for people to find and stay in their homes, from affordable homeownership projects with Amherst Community Homes and the Amherst Community Land Trust to vouchers for supportive housing through Craig's Doors. I was a member of the Homelessness and Rehousing Working Group in 2021 and am currently the chair of the Housing Trust's Education and Outreach Subcommittee. Additionally, I have organized community forums in 2023 and 2025.

• Implement Housing Production Plan recommendations that maximize affordability

• Create bylaw for local transfer fee on high value and non-owner occupied LLC home sales

• Support VFW project for permanent supported housing

• Revise inclusionary zoning to increase affordable units or fees in lieu of units

• Build more UMass student housing on UMass campus

Family-Friendly Amherst

Amherst is a town that prides itself on education- with three higher education institutions here it makes sense! However, years of disinvestment have left our schools underfunded as the needs of our students increase. I, along with other parents, have consistently advocated for increases- not cuts- to our schools. This advocacy has occurred on the local and state level, and must continue. Our children also need enrichment opportunities, and a location for these outside of school. I remember squandering my time after school hanging out in front of the Bangs Center because I had nowhere else to go- our youth deserve better!

• Fully fund public education- no more cuts to teaching and support staff

• Build youth empowerment center

• Invest in recreation opportunities

• Invest in early childhood education opportunities for all families

Public Safety

Working in the legal system, I see too often race-based disparities in policing and punishment. I believe the safest communities are well-resources, not over-surveilled. Most 911 calls in Amherst stem from non-violent incidents. I believe unarmed responders are the appropriate responders in mental health, wellness checks, noise complaints and disputes not involving violence. We have yet to increase staffing hours for CRESS and have in fact frozen two positions. Additionally, the Central Fire Station needs to be moved so that it can accommodate modern equipment. However, this has not been prioritized by the current Council.

• Fully fund Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service to be operational 24/7, as other safety departments are

• Prioritize South Amherst Fire Station in capital plan

• Reallocate police funding to community and social services

• Review police policies to eliminate pretext vehicle stops and consent searches

Climate Justice

• Implement the Community Choice Aggregation with a robust Community Advisory Committee

• Reduce waste via a contracted waste hauler with composting

• Support a Solar bylaw that prioritizes solar on rooftops, parking lots, brownfields, multi use agricultural land - not clearcutting forests

• Implement net-zero energy for all new town buildings

• Install solar canopies on the High School parking lot

• Retrofit housing with energy efficient upgrades

Infrastructure

• Partner with colleges to increase revenue for road repair and other intersecting concerns

• Allocate more funding from capital spending to road and sidewalk repair

• Expand Wi-Fi

• Prioritize Department of Public Works in capital plan

• Expand public transportation

• Renovate senior center

• Establish ongoing maintenance plan for buildings

• Improve accessibility

Governance

• Increase transparency in committee appointment process

• Encourage robust public participation through comment periods, forums and online tools

• Incorporate translation services into all town meetings and events to increase accessibility and participation for marginalized communities

• Adopt a meaningful participatory budgeting process

• Fulfill resident public records requests

• Review Town Charter with citizen input