Here’s a summary of my legislative priorities for my new two-year term of office.
- HOUSING
- Pass Right to Counsel bill for tenants facing eviction.
- Finance more Affordable Housing deals throughout the County and raise per-project maximum County housing acquisition and/or infrastructure funds, for AH construction by private developers, to $7.5M.
- Incentivize more Supportive Housing construction for young adults aging out of foster care, adults on autism spectrum, homeless families, and those with drug use and other mental health issues.
- Incentivize municipalities to adopt and promote aspects of the County’s model zoning code, such as 10% (or higher) AH requirement in new construction or renovation; and, in neighborhoods near mass transit, permission to have ADUs (two-family) in traditionally one-family neighborhoods and reduction in some lot sizes.
- PUBLIC SAFETY:
- Oversight of implementation of Mental Health Response Units and recommended Complaint/Accountability Board.
- Continuing support of efforts to keep deadly firearms out of the wrong hands, as well as discussions on procedural issues such as the use of CALEA© standards for County-trained officers relating to vehicular and on-foot stops and pursuits and modern interrogation techniques.
- Encourage a more thoughtful disbursal of BJA/Byrne Memorial funds with a focus on community preventive and restorative programs (e.g., My Brother’s Keeper, Opportunity Youth, etc.).
- PARKS & REC: Oversight of ongoing and proposed capital projects, especially: MV Memorial Field, Glen Island Bridge, and Playland.
- BOARD OF ELECTIONS: Follow-up on how voting tally errors are investigated and handled; future voting machine plans in view of the new Dominion hardware and software products that have been introduced; lack of notice of elections and polling places last year.
- MISCELLANEOUS LEGISLATION:
- Puppy Mill/Retail Ban
- Bicycle Helmet Requirement
- Madison Grant monument issue