Priorities
I am running for Ulster County Legislature in District 19 because I have a deep commitment to the community I am proud to call home. I believe that hard work, partnership, and collaboration will make our Ulster County’s future brighter. I am running for Ulster County Legislature to:
Ensure Ulster County has more affordable housing options for both homeowners and renters;
Advance economic development in our county, including supporting small business growth and job creation;
Serve as a responsible steward for our environment and combat climate change;
Expand and improve the service of our public transportation; and
Ensure access to quality public health and social services.
Why I’m running
High Falls is the first and only place my husband and I have ever bought a home. We feel so grateful to live in this wonderful community. Ulster County is an incredibly special place bringing together the vibrancy of our county’s only city, Kingston, with our special towns and villages including Rosendale, Stone Ridge, High Falls, New Paltz, Woodstock, and many others that are a critical part of our history and our future. In so many ways, Ulster County is a leader - in protecting our environment and preparing for future climate challenges; investing in the education and vocational training of our youth; and especially more recently, finding new ways to tackle the rising affordability crisis and make Ulster County a more affordable place to live for more people.
That said, there is still so much work to do - for example, Ulster County has become unaffordable for both renters and homeowners - including those who have lived here for generations as well as relative newcomers. While our community benefits from sales tax revenue driven in part by the booming tourism we generate, housing costs have skyrocketed while income levels have stayed relatively flat. Increases in the number of short-term rentals have meant it is so much harder for both renters and prospective homeowners to find housing that is affordable. As I say to individuals who might feel lucky about “getting in early” and having a housing situation they are happy with, I remind them that affordable housing is everyone’s issue. If a schoolteacher has to drive over an hour every day to teach our kids because she can’t afford to live nearby; if a nurse or hospital worker can’t find affordable housing; if childcare workers can’t afford to live here; if a restaurant owner can’t hire servers who can make a living wage to live here - we all suffer.
We must look at this issue in context of other critical policy priorities - including supporting renewable energy goals and combating climate change. Through strategic investments in smart development, we can both create more affordable housing stock and increase financing options available to those seeking homes, while also investing in sustainable building practices that protect our environment.
Further, these issues are connected to small business and economic growth. Having spent many hours with our local small business owners, many of whom are lifelong residents of our towns, it’s clear that the odds are not in their favor. They struggle with high energy costs, lack of public transportation and unsafe busy roads (many of which do not have functioning sidewalks to promote pedestrians visiting their businesses), and finding reliable, consistent employees due to the cost of living in our area.
Importantly, a happy, connected, productive community must have access to affordable, quality health care and social services. That means being able to find and afford quality medical services within a reasonable distance from our home - and not getting stuck on months-long waitlists for a general practitioner. We need to support our residents battling substance abuse and ensure we’re prepared for the health impacts brought upon by climate change. And, we must continually protect and defend reproductive rights.
I want to fight for these issues and do the hard work especially at the intersection of these issues - thinking strategically about how they are all connected and finding creative solutions that bring together the right stakeholders to get things done.
About Ulster County Legislative District 19
District 19 is comprised of the Town of Rosendale, as well as the hamlets of Stone Ridge and High Falls (both of which are a part of the broader Town of Marbletown). These three communities have centuries of history and today are vibrant communities filled with small business owners, working families, farmers, builders, authors, innovators, artists, and more. Explore the Legislative District 19 here.