Why City Council? Why Now?....

People often ask me why I'm running for Vernon City Council, or when I decided I wanted to run. I've been thinking about running for at least the last two elections—but I wanted to wait until my son was a little older and I could commit the time a councilor truly owes this city. That time is now.

I'm running because I believe I bring a perspective to council that hasn't been fully represented there. I'm a parent with a child in Vernon's public school system, currently in elementary. I'm a single-income homeowner who has felt the pressure of aggressive property tax increases and I want to be part of understanding and deciding where that money is best placed. I'm a mom volunteering in classrooms, paying for recreation programs, and thinking about my son’s safety in our community. 

But my concerns go beyond my own household. I'm a resident who sees how petty crime is affecting not just our downtown core, but our entire city and its surrounding areas. I worry about if I’ll be able to water my own garden next year and if our local farmers will be able to provide for all of us if we don’t find a proper solution to our water issues. I’m a nature lover who wants to see our lands protected, and an employer who sees the desperate need for better housing options for our team. 

I've lived within the City of Vernon for 17 years, and have called the Okanagan my home since I was in elementary school. I plan to be here for the rest of my life, and I will give everything I can to making Vernon a city we can all be proud of for decades to come, not just for my family, but for all residents of Vernon.

Vernon's future matters to me because it's my future too.