As a Councilmember, there are a few ways I would build structures for ongoing community input.

Tempe already has extensive Boards and Commissions in place for a wide-range of topics and community feedback. I would make it a priority to attend as many of these meetings as my schedule allowed, so that I could keep my finger on the pulse of the community, rather than wait for the official updates from these groups at Council meetings.

I would also host quarterly town halls in different neighborhoods at varying times (evenings, weekends) with childcare and translation provided, so that I could meet people where they are, instead of expecting them to always come to City Hall. In addition, I like the idea of holding regular “office hours” in neighborhood parks, community centers, or local cafés.

Centering equity in public outreach is important to me, so something like a Community Ambassador Program would help, where we could count on trusted community members in different areas of demographics - youth, the elderly, faith leaders, neighborhood organizers - to facilitate listening sessions and relay information to and from hard-to-reach residents.

Lastly, I would like to stay involved with local organizations that already connect with underrepresented groups, so that their needs remain at the forefront of my mind, and are continually taken into consideration when making difficult decisions.

1) Like the other candidates, one of my top priorities is affordable housing. I believe we need smart, sustainable development, and a drastic increase in the number and variety of housing stock to combat this issue. 

We can accomplish this by offering density bonuses, expedited permitting, or reduced fees for projects that meet our request for compliance with the International Green Construction Code.

Developers are here to stay, and they are the key to helping us solve this issue. I don’t aim to demonize them - my goal is to work WITH them, and find solutions that benefit everyone. How can we find ways to build housing that’s affordable to the general public and also profitable for those that are willing to take the financial risks to build it? That’s the kind of compromise and solution I’m looking for.

2) Getting creative with our City resources and budget. Re-allocating our tax dollars from a punishment model to a pro-active model can go a long way towards saving money while tackling issues in our community, like public safety and mental health. (See my answer to question #3 for more details on this one.)

3) Elder care. I would love to tackle this issue, which is only going to get “worse” with time. 

I’ve knocked on a lot of doors in Tempe throughout my years running various political campaigns, and one thing I noticed was the number of elderly folks in their 80’s and 90’s living alone in our community. I brought this up to a current Councilmember - that this was a problem that needed solutions, and soon - but it’s been four years and there’s been little-to-no movement on this issue.

I understand the desire to age in place. So many folks have been living in their homes for decades and don’t want to leave their community. However, this leads to a couple of things - declining school enrollment and lonely older adults.

I’d love to look into creative solutions to this issue. We need to be inclusive and considerate of older adults in our City communications and cultural programming, as well as figure out how we can keep these residents in the communities they know and love while freeing up some housing for new families to move into our neighborhoods and populate our local schools.

If I could start and lead one subcommittee to investigate and write legislation, it would be one that deals with our city budget and how we spend tax dollars. Let’s call this “Participatory Budgeting.” Not only would I love more input from residents in how our City budget is constructed, but I would love to take a look at the data of how the transfer of City dollars away from responsive spending and into proactive, preventative spending could help transform our City.

For instance, in Denver they implemented the STAR program - the Support Team Assisted Response - which sends mental health clinicians and paramedics to certain 911 calls instead of police. So situations like mental health crises, substance misuse, or homelessness concerns were handled with compassion from trained professionals, instead of by the police where such instances are treated as criminal behavior.

The result was that STAR resolved thousands of calls in its pilot with zero arrests, freeing police to focus on serious crimes while preventing escalation. Their base budget for this was 3.9 million in 2022, and it was so successful that the budget grew to 7.2 million in 2024.

What do you mean by “successful,” Brooke, if the costs went up? I mean that the cost per incident or call when handled by STAR is ~$151, versus ~$646 per incident via traditional police response for similar low-level crises. So STAR is about 4x less expensive per incident. Money was reallocated from policing to prevention, while crime rates went down.

This kind of re-direct of our City funds and tax dollars can have a beneficial effect on our budget while keeping Tempe and its residents safer. The old models AREN’T WORKING. It’s time to think differently and more compassionately about how to spend our tax dollars.

My campaign is about putting Tempe residents first. Most of the groups in this question - monopoly utilities, corporate lobbyists, and for-profit corporations and PACs - don’t typically donate to or influence city elections, and I have no plans to seek or accept their contributions.

The one area where donations sometimes do intersect with city business is real estate developers and land-use attorneys. Tempe’s future depends on smart, sustainable growth, and we need to be able to work with those stakeholders in a way that benefits everyone - whether it be housing affordability or thoughtful infrastructure. Because of that, I won’t rule out donations from individuals or organizations in that space, but I will hold every contribution to a high standard of transparency and public reporting, and no donation will ever influence my decisions. My priority will always be a smart, sustainable Tempe and a decision-making process that serves the entire community.

While the City Council doesn’t oversee our school districts, Tempe plays a critical role in creating the conditions where students and teachers can thrive. My top priorities are:

Strengthening city–school partnerships such as Tempe Pre.

Ensuring safe and accessible routes to schools, with investments in sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes, and traffic calming to keep kids safe and encourage walking and biking.

Supporting workforce development by connecting high school and college students to internships, mentorships, and city-led STEM and arts programs that prepare them for good jobs right here in Tempe.

Addressing housing affordability for educators. We know that talented teachers are leaving the profession - or leaving Tempe outright - because they can’t afford to live where they work. I will champion policies and partnerships that expand affordable housing options for teachers and school staff, such as mixed-income developments, incentives for workforce housing, and city-school collaborations to dedicate units for educators.

By focusing on these areas, we can help our schools succeed, support our educators, and give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Both affordable housing and social housing are going to be necessary to combat today’s housing crisis - not just in Tempe, but all across Arizona.

Tempe’s existing Hometown for All initiative provides a strong foundation for affordable/social housing, because it uses city funds and developer donations to purchase land and properties for affordable housing. In addition, the Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing (TCAH) currently manages over 70 permanently affordable homes, and the city has already acquired properties (like the former Food City site) for mixed-use redevelopment including affordable housing.

However, I think more could be done. For instance, Tempe could expand public ownership by establishing a municipal housing authority, create a Community Land Trust to separate land ownership from housing ownership to keep housing permanently affordable, and use public-private partnerships and collaborate with nonprofits and mission-driven developers to build and manage housing.

Tempe could also leverage bonds and grants, like the recent voter-approved $32 million bond, with the addition of federal funds, to finance construction on city-owned housing properties. We could also establish a Social Housing Subcommittee, which would be tasked with drafting legislation, identifying funding sources, and engaging community stakeholders to help solve this problem for our community, by our community.

However, Arizona law restricts several key tools commonly used in other states to support social housing. For instance, Mandatory inclusionary zoning is prohibited in Arizona, so cities cannot require developers to include affordable units in new projects. Only voluntary inclusionary zoning is allowed, with incentives like density bonuses.

Also, rent control is banned. Arizona prohibits any form of rent stabilization, limiting long-term affordability guarantees - unless the properties are city owned/social housing.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a common tool to fund redevelopment in other states, is also prohibited in Arizona. And the Private Property Rights Protection Act means that any regulation that reduces the market value of private property may require compensation. This limits the city’s ability to impose affordability requirements on private developments.

However, we have a few opportunities in the State Legislature that could change things for Tempe and other cities in our State to help solve this housing crisis. There are several bills under consideration that could help Tempe move toward a social housing model, including HB 2595, which would allow cities to require up to 20% of units in large developments to be affordable, and HB 2191 (YIGBY - Yes in God’s Back Yard) which would allow faith-based institutions to build affordable housing on their land.

As a councilmember, I believe our approach to supporting unhoused residents must be rooted in compassion, coordination, and practical solutions. Instead of criminalizing or ignoring people experiencing homelessness, we can actively partner with the organizations already providing food, clothing, and essential services. These folks are already out there doing the work and building the relationships and the trust with the unhoused. 

That’s not to say that Tempe isn’t - our CARE and HOPE teams are actively trying. But when you show up with police to “help” the unhoused, an instant barrier of fear and mistrust is put up between the City and those they are trying to help. We’ve GOT to fix this issue. 

So, my main goal as a Councilmember would be to bring all of these efforts back into the same “sandbox,” to quote Aris Foundation’s Katherine Kouvelas-Edick. I would work to strengthen partnerships. We need to be holding regular meetings with mutual aid groups, nonprofits, faith-based groups, and service providers to understand their challenges and identify gaps in care.

Right now, it seems like we are dividing resources, when we should be aligning them.  I would love to connect city programs, public spaces, and funding opportunities to support these groups in a way that amplifies their impact rather than duplicating efforts.

I will advocate for systemic solutions, and support policies that provide permanent housing, mental health services, and employment opportunities, rather than temporary fixes or punitive measures. I would also work to engage the community. I want to encourage residents and businesses to participate in volunteer programs and resource drives, building a citywide network of support.

The goal is to treat every resident with dignity and to create a Tempe where no one is invisible, and where our resources are used to solve problems instead of simply managing symptoms of a larger problem that is frankly being created by forces outside of the City’s control.

Tempe is a welcoming city, and every resident, regardless of immigration status, deserves to feel safe in their home, at work, and when interacting with local government. While immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, as a councilmember I will use every municipal tool to protect our community.

That means supporting policies that prohibit city resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement, ensuring our police do not question residents about immigration status or honor ICE detainers without a judicial warrant. It means funding legal aid and immigrant resource programs, expanding language access, and providing ‘know your rights’ education 

I appreciate that Tempe’s leadership has already publicly affirmed that the Tempe Police Department was not involved in recent ICE operations, which is a good start. But we need binding protections. As a councilmember, I would push for a city ordinance that clearly forbids city law enforcement or resources from participating in immigration enforcement. For example, refusing to honor ICE detainers without judicial warrants, and prohibiting immigration-status questioning by city agencies.

I would also call for transparency about any federal operations in Tempe, and build partnerships with legal aid and community organizations so residents can access justice safely. I will advocate at the state and national levels for humane immigration laws. Tempe must stand firmly against fear and oppression and work to ensure every resident can participate fully and equally in our community.

I’m committed to making it easier for all Tempe residents to register and participate in elections. While voter registration and election administration are managed at the state and county level, Tempe leadership can play a strong supporting role here. We can host voter registration drives at libraries and community centers, partner with local organizations to reach underrepresented communities, and provide clear information on how and when to vote. I also support advocating for state-level reforms that expand access, like online registration and automatic voter registration. My goal is to ensure that every resident has the tools and resources they need to participate fully in our democracy.

It’s a passion of mine to educate everyone - particularly younger voters - on the vital importance of voting, particularly in local and State elections, where their voice matters the most and can have the strongest influence on their own lives.

The challenges facing Mill Avenue’s small business owners are real, and anyone who remembers the old Mill knows exactly what we’re trying to preserve. Those independent cafés, record stores, and one-of-a-kind shops gave Tempe its creative pulse. But now rising rents, redevelopment pressure, and construction disruptions have made it harder for small, local business owners to survive. Citywide vacancy numbers might look stable, but the constant turnover on Mill weakens our local economy and erodes the character that made downtown Tempe a destination. We can’t just watch Mill lose its local identity. We need to make it feasible again for small businesses to stay and succeed here.

That means taking practical, policy-driven steps to level the playing field. Tempe can establish construction mitigation grants to help merchants weather projects like “Refresh Tempe,” and require contractors to maintain safe pedestrian access and clear “businesses open” signage throughout construction. Oftentimes promises are made by city contractors to do these things, but don’t always deliver. We need to do better about holding them to their promises.

The city should also expand its façade improvement and tenant improvement grant programs to help small, locally owned businesses make upgrades and stay competitive. We can go further by incentivizing landlords who offer five- to ten-year leases to independent tenants through tax abatements or expedited permitting. For new redevelopment projects, Tempe should negotiate community benefit agreements that reserve a portion of ground-floor retail for local, non-chain tenants at stable lease rates.

And to make sure these efforts actually work, we should create a dedicated small business liaison within Economic Development to help merchants navigate permitting, lease negotiations, and grant applications, paired with a data dashboard that tracks lease terms, vacancies, and the share of locally owned storefronts. These are achievable steps that combine smart policy with local pride. If we do this right, we can keep Mill Avenue growing without losing the heart of what makes it Tempe: a place where creativity, community, and local entrepreneurship thrive side by side.

A)     Strengthen the Connection Between Commerce and Creativity
Tempe’s next chapter depends on how well we balance innovation with inclusion. How do we grow our economy while preserving the culture and character that make this city special? Our greatest opportunity lies in linking commerce with creativity. A strong arts and culture scene attracts tourism, drives spending, and supports every industry, from retail and hospitality to tech and real estate. By investing in our creative ecosystem, we’re not just enriching Tempe’s spirit, we’re fueling its economic engine.

B) Revitalize and Diversify Downtown Tempe
Mill Avenue and the Town Lake corridor should remain our city’s beating heart: a place where local businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs can thrive alongside new investment. I’ll champion programs that give small businesses and creatives access to affordable storefronts, and incentives for developers to preserve space for independent retailers. By continuing to support the re-energizing of our downtown through recurring cultural events and creative activation programs, we can turn vacant spaces into opportunities for artists, makers, and start-ups—bringing life, character, and local pride back to Mill.

C) Invest in Innovation and the Arts as Economic Drivers
Tempe is uniquely positioned to lead Arizona in creative enterprise and innovation. By connecting ASU’s talent pipeline with city-led initiatives, we can build collaborative hubs where entrepreneurs, artists, and nonprofits work side by side to drive sustainable growth. A dedicated arts and culture grant program, which could be funded by a share of tourism revenue, would provide stability and long-term planning ability for the nonprofits and cultural organizations that shape our identity and attract visitors.

Together, by investing in people, creativity, and community, we can ensure Tempe stays vibrant, competitive, and uniquely ours for generations.

Shade is essential infrastructure, and should be treated as such. A strong tree canopy cools our neighborhoods, saves energy, protects public health, and keeps Tempe walkable year-round. But real shade doesn’t come from planting as many trees as possible, it comes from planting the right trees, in the right places, and caring for them the right way. That’s how we build a Tempe that’s livable through every season, for every resident.

I’ve had the privilege of learning directly from Tempe’s City Arborist about the science behind our urban forest. He’s helped me understand that sustainability starts long before a tree ever hits the ground, with smart species selection, water-efficient soil management, and planning for long-term growth. When the Arizona Department of Water Resources restricted the use of water-heavy trees like ficus, Tempe had to evolve. The next generation of Mill Avenue’s trees will use less water, provide reliable shade, and, by introducing more species variation, be more resilient to drought, disease, and pests. That’s progress we can be proud of.

The recent microburst was a painful reminder that we need to think about resilience. Many of the trees lost in the microburst were mature but poorly matched to our soil and wind conditions and planted well before we knew what we know now. We can love our current canopy and still be smart about what we plant next.

Building a shade network that can stand up to extreme weather means choosing desert-adapted species that thrive here, not just survive here, and educating residents about proper care. For instance, many palo verde trees fail during storms not because they’re weak, but because they’ve been overwatered, leaving them top-heavy and unstable.

If elected, I’ll champion a Shade and Tree Resiliency Plan focused on protecting mature trees during redevelopment, expanding planting of low-water desert species, diversifying our canopy to guard against species-specific loss, and empowering residents through education and partnership. Shade is more than an environmental issue: it’s about safety, sustainability, and quality of life.

The City of Tempe’s current goal of a 25% shade canopy is more realistically going to have to be 20% trees (closer to the percentage of shade canopy that covers the Sonoran Desert naturally) and 5% manufactured shade. The City can partner with developers and private business owners to incentivize the provision of external shade in future business and development plans.

I am currently working with a small group of interested residents to find a solution to this very problem. We’d like to propose the creation of a new Board or Commission that would help guide development projects from the community level at a much earlier phase in the process, saving time and money for both the city and private development by informing design with public input from the start and avoiding the potential pitfalls and wasted efforts that stem from the current public process.

I am committed to implementing evidence-based policies that prevent homelessness by keeping people in their homes, improve efforts to reduce eviction rates, and by electing compassionate constables for times when evictions do become necessary. Drawing from successful models in other cities, I propose the following strategies:

1)      Rapid re-housing (RRH) offers short-term rental assistance and services to help individuals and families quickly obtain housing. Studies have shown that RRH is a cost-effective intervention - the average monthly cost of RRH is $880, significantly lower than transitional housing ($2,706) or emergency shelter ($4,819). Cities like Cleveland have successfully implemented RRH programs, housing over 150 individuals through partnerships with landlords and tailored support services.

2)      Invest in targeted homelessness prevention strategies that can stop homelessness before it starts. Communities, on average, receive $2.47 in benefits for every net dollar spent on emergency financial assistance, highlighting just how cost-effective these programs can be. Plus, “Tempe loves data”, and the statistics are on our side: Individuals and families receiving financial aid are 81% less likely to be homeless within 6 months and 73% less likely within a year.

3)      Implement Housing First models that provide permanent housing without preconditions, followed by supportive services. This model has proven effective in reducing homelessness and improving housing stability, and is more effective than treatment-first approaches. Economic evaluations indicate that Housing First programs can lead to significant cost savings – an average of $31,545 per person over two years.

4)      Support Public-Private partnerships and collaborations between public agencies and private organizations that can enhance the effectiveness of homelessness prevention efforts. While implementing these strategies, it's crucial to tailor solutions to Tempe's unique needs. Engaging with local stakeholders, including service providers, residents, and individuals with lived experience, will ensure that our approach is effective and inclusive.

By adopting these proven strategies, Tempe can proactively address homelessness, reduce costs, and improve the quality of life for all residents. I am committed to working collaboratively to implement these solutions and, in-turn, create a safer and more inclusive community for all of our residents, while being a forward-thinking steward of city funds and resources.

While the idea of publicly owned utilities may sound appealing in theory, it’s not a fight that makes sense for Tempe to take on right now. SRP, a publicly owned non-profit utility, already provides power to the majority of our city, while APS, an investor-owned company, serves a smaller footprint. SRP operates independently of Tempe’s jurisdiction and is governed by a landowner-elected board rather than the voter-elected Arizona Corporation Commission, as APS is. In short, Tempe has limited authority to influence how either utility operates.

Transitioning to full public ownership would involve extraordinary costs, all the way from infrastructure to administration, and the cost-benefit analysis simply doesn’t hold up. Both SRP and APS are facing rate increases driven by global supply chain pressures, inflation, and the rising costs of modernizing the energy grid. Even in other cities with publicly owned utilities, such as Los Angeles, residents pay roughly 16% more per month than Tempe residents. The financial reality is that shifting ownership models won’t insulate us from the macroeconomic forces driving current energy costs.

As a candidate, I believe it’s important not to make promises I can’t keep. Our focus should be on pragmatic solutions within the structures we have - strengthening sustainability programs, modernizing our grid, and supporting innovation in renewable energy and recycling. While renewable sources like solar are a critical part of our future, we must acknowledge their current limitations, such as energy storage and end-of-life disposal challenges, and look at the way companies like First Solar are creating a circular chain by recycling solar storage waste materials and diverting metals from the landfill for re-use.

Rather than diverting limited resources toward restructuring our utilities, Tempe’s energy leadership should focus on strategic partnerships, long-term infrastructure planning, and realistic pathways toward cleaner energy. True progress will come not from ownership debates, but from practical, forward-thinking investments and city policies that balance environmental responsibility with economic feasibility.

I realize this is a hot-button issue for some people, so I’m not going to beat around the bush or bury the lede: I voted for the Coyotes Stadium. And I’ll tell you why, and then I’ll tell you how that led to me running for Council, and the type of Councilmember I want to be.

I was asked the other night at a campaign event what was going to stop me from getting on Council and just voting with the others for development projects and ordinances that the public doesn’t favor, and I told her this: When I first started working for the City of Tempe, I was fresh off of running leadership roles on several campaigns, including a brief stint as a Communications lead on the campaign to re-elect Mayor Woods. His re-election campaign was being run by someone who was also actively Tempe 1st and anti-Coyotes stadium, and I respected the way they worked together towards a shared goal in spite of their disagreements on this one issue. I learned a lot about the Coyotes proposal from many perspectives in my discussions with both of them. I was keeping an eye on both of the campaigns, taking in arguments and observing strategies utilized by both sides to forward their agendas…My mind was not yet made up.

I started my role at the City in the Spring of 2023, just weeks before the Coyotes vote. The buzz was in the air that this was going to save us! Financially! Environmentally! That it was necessary for reasons a, b, and c! I was excited to be there and completely rose-colored about joining an organization that I viewed as really focused on the common good. It was nice to be serving in the public sector after so many years in the profit-driven private sector. I voted yes. I attended the Coyotes election-night party. I’ve never heard a room go so quiet, so fast, as when those election results came out.

It was also the start of many dramatic changes at the City of Tempe. In the ensuing months, Tempe replaced the departing City Manager with Rosa Inchausti. They cleared the Salt River bottom, which paved the way for the ensuing kerfuffle between the Tempe and mutual aid groups. They were charged with surveillance of their citizens during the Coyotes vote, a recurring thread they continue to face even now, with the Flock cameras and their ongoing surveillance and detainment of houseless individuals and their advocates. 

After two years, I have had enough conversations with enough people – state legislators, Sky Harbor employees, other community stakeholders – to learn more about all the angles of the Coyotes stadium. And I still don't know what the right call was on that project, for many complex reasons. But it doesn't matter, that vote was two and a half years ago. What does matter is what we learn from it - and that means being more transparent with the residents of Tempe and keeping our voters clearly informed and engaged.

What does matter is that you may or may not agree with me about that vote, but that’s the point: we don’t have to agree on every little thing. But we do have to take a deeper look at the character of who we want filling our elected offices. Because no matter who gets elected, they are occasionally going to vote in a way that someone doesn’t like. That’s inevitable.

My point is: I am not running for Tempe City Council because I have any sort of aspirations for higher office, or heck, even a second term. Therefore, my decisions as a Councilmember will not be based on whether or not so-and-so is going to donate to my re-election campaign. My decisions will be based on a well-researched vote, derived from an inquisitive, multiple-perspective-education and the input of a well-informed public, always focused on the highest good for the people of Tempe.

I currently serve on two Boards - the Tempe Family YMCA Advisory Board and as Treasurer of the Youth Impact Mentoring Board - and one annual party-planning committee over the months of October through March, helping to plan the Big Brothers Big Sisters “Big Night Out” fundraising gala.

Serving on these Boards and Committees are a wonderful way for me to give back to our community via issues I believe in, like the YMCA’s motto “don’t turn anyone away for the inability to pay.” Instead, YMCA administration, staff, and Board work together to find creative ways to make sure we can support the programs and services that we are committed to providing. The YMCA cares for members of our community “from diaper to diaper,” as the saying goes. Their holistic approach to the mental, physical, and emotional health of our residents cannot be understated. I can give of my own talents, time, and treasure to help support an organization like that. All told, my participation in all of my various Boards and committees doesn’t demand more than 5-10 hours of my life on any given month.