I love Old Town, but it is not the only economic center in Pittsburg. Making sure that attention is given to all commercial centers in Pittsburg has been a passion of mine. I have helped businesses advocate for their needs at city hall. It is time to address the needs of our commercial centers, including the south end of Railroad so the businesses can flourish. Giving city staff the resources they need to streamline the business permit process, as well as the building permit process, will be my first priority. Part of helping businesses is also holding businesses and property owners accountable for the appearance of their property. Local businesses play a major role in the Resident Experience. Residents of Pittsburg deserve the same experience from businesses as their locations in other communities receive.

As a resident of Pittsburg, how do you want the city to look? How do you want your interactions with city staff to be? How do you want to feel when inviting friends and family to visit? How do you want to receive updates about city business and decisions? These questions and more focus on your experience as a resident in Pittsburg. Working with my colleagues on the council to approve policies that focus on the experience of our residents is extremely important. The look and feel of our city directly impacts the Pittsburg economy, our safety, and our ability to attract businesses. To take this one step further, what is the experience our businesses and potential businesses are having in Pittsburg?

Our police department does a great job! I have gone through the process to be an official volunteer with the Pittsburg Police department and have seen a little of what it takes to help keep our city safe. I will work to maintain and hopefully expand current staffing levels. I also learned that the Police department can not tackle all our problems alone. Property owners play a role. Residents play a role. Organizations serving the community play a role. If elected, my goal will be to work with the council to create policies that allow all these groups to work together, maintain local control of our public safety, and look for ways to help our residents with services that go beyond only the Police.

As a father of 6, the youth are important to me. As a council member, I will work to progress existing work to form a youth services master plan and get local groups coordinated so these service providers can do what they do best: serve our youth. Our recreation department was extremely strong when I was a youth here in Pittsburg. It is time to look at allocating funds and resources back to the recreation department. It is also important to connect the youth with our local businesses. I have the experience and relationships to help our youth explore the world of business and to learn that there are lots of high-paying opportunities right here in Pittsburg.