Accomplishments
Housing
Investments in Roads and Sidewalks
Creative Funding for our Schools
Preservation of our Environment
Somersworth Fire Station
During my first term as Mayor, I created and chaired the Somersworth Mayor’s Housing Taskforce, which tackled zoning issues throughout the city and worked aggressively to make housing more accessible and easier to develop in the city, driving down costs for everyone. Thanks this taskforce, the city was awarded with a 2024 New Hampshire Housing Champion designation - one of only a select few communities to receive this recognition for housing leadership. Somersworth also received the Municipal Leadership Award from the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast in 2024.
I have been an advocate for improving the quality of our roads and sidewalks, including numerous improvements along major thoroughfares such as High Street, and ensured that the city complete an assessment of our sidewalks in order to make improvements, and I pushed for the prioritization of school walking routes.
I helped to make improvements to our wetland buffers ordinances, and further align these ordinances with state standards. I also approved beekeeping on residential properties, and have begun work on the preservation of monarch butterfly habitats, and worked to educate residents about these important species and habitats.
During the budget discussions of this past year, I was happy to balance the needs of our community, students, and schools by using creating budgeting strategies to save over $500,000 which was ultimately used to prevent major shortfalls in our school budget.
During my tenure on the Somersworth City Council, I helped to approve the construction of a new fire station. This fire station now provides 21st Century resources to our firefighters, keep firefighters healthier and safe, and potentially serve as a training location for firefighters throughout New Hampshire. During the funding phase of this project, I proposed an amendment that saved taxpayers nearly $2 million and kept costs reasonable for the city.
Ensuring Safe and Secure Elections
Through my work on the Election Review Planning Commission I helped to ensure that the 2020 elections were held safely and securely in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I helped update the city's polling locations to buildings that were better ventilated and provided more space for distancing - keeping voters and volunteers safe. I helped increase the election volunteer pay, and coordinated with the state to acquire PPE and improve the quality of our polling locations.