Tackling litter head on has been a passion of mine. We all benefit when our community is clean and tidy. Our home values increase along with our overall well being. I have worked tirelessly with local community leaders to combat the influx of litter in the Donelson/Hermitage/Old Hickory areas during my tenure as President of the Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Alliance. Together, we have removed over two tons of trash off our streets! While our work has made a difference, we have a long way to go.

I will prioritize making our community beautiful if elected by continuing to work with our Metro Beautification Commissioners to provide litter pickups and ongoing education regarding the importance of keeping our community clean.

I will also work to make data from HUB Nashville more proactive by analyzing high traffic litter areas in order to combat this ongoing problem.

Development in our city has gotten out of hand. We continue to allow developers to tear down one home to build several on the same lot. We all lose when this happens. It is essential that we prioritize incoming development that is good for our community. Its as simple as this: Development should be done for us, not to us. I will work tirelessly with developers who have our communities best interests in mind and will take a stand against those that want to build to maximize profit without considering the best interests of our neighborhoods.

Hermitage Precinct has the largest service area of any in Metro Nashville. It spans from Cayce Homes to Antioch as well as extending to the Wilson Co line and all the way up to Rayon City. This is not acceptable as it stretches our officers thin.

I will work to do the following:

• Increase compensation rates for MNDP officers so that we can recruit and retain top talent.

• Increase the number of crisis intervention officers. This will allow our patrol officers to focus on more pressing issues.

• Work with the Metro Council and the Office of the Mayor to see through the vision of opening an Antioch precinct in order to allow our Hermitage officers to focus on crime here in our community.

Our city is decades behind where we need to be in many key infrastructure areas, yet we are categorized as an “It City”. I firmly believe that we must pursue improvements to our city’s infrastructure before we can claim that title. I will work with my colleagues on the Metro Council and Mayor’s office to catch our city up. We must stop kicking this can down the road and address it head-on.

Make Our Streets More Walkable:

Our city lost 50 individuals due to senseless accidents in 2022 alone. This is unacceptable. There are preventable measures that can be taken.

-Sidewalk Additions: Only 19% of roads in Nashville have a sidewalk. Our community is no outlier to this growing problem. I will work with city and community leaders to identify high-traffic pedestrian areas to begin the process of solving this problem.

-Implement Protected Crosswalks: There are several key areas in our community that would benefit from a protected crosswalk. Most notably there are several points along Lebanon Pike that are candidates.

Fixing Our Roads:

Many of our community’s roads are in need of improvements. An increase in traffic along with the overall increase in the size of vehicles traveling these roads make this a safety issue. I will advocate for these projects on the state and local levels by leveraging data that shows this problem is only going to get progressively worse over time.

Creating More Community Green Space:

Having access to a green space nearby is essential to our well-being and has been proven to lower premature mortality. Creating and conserving green space is a passion of mine. I was involved early on in the process to keep the Cook Recreation Area publicly owned. We were able to win that fight because we worked together as a community. We are also fortunate to have Ravenwood Park opening in the Spring of 2023. There are additional opportunities within our area that I will pursue when elected including additional greenway access points, pocket parks/parklets, and community gardens.

More Protected Bike Lanes:

Increasing the amount of protected bike lanes will continue to offer residents safer options to get from point A to point B without having to walk or drive.

Stormwater improvements:

Our changing climate and a heavy increase in new construction require us to address stormwater issues. Flooding issues along with potential sewage exposure are only the tip of the iceberg. I will work to ensure we are implementing protocols that help combat these issues.

Homelessness has grown at an exponential rate across Davidson County. Our community is no exception to this. There is no easy solution to this issue, but we must first realize that these are human beings that have been placed in a tough position.

We can begin to work towards solving this problem by expanding the Metro Nashville Homeless Impact Division. This department coordinates housing solutions by partnering with local non-profits such as the Nashville Rescue Mission and Home Street Home Ministries to allow them to further their programs and services throughout Metro Nashville.

A key part of our homelessness strategy should also include more proactive ways to handle substance abuse and mental health issues within our homelessness populations. It is our moral duty to put these folks in a position to get back on their own two feet.

Twelve years ago, I remember I could rent a one bedroom apartment here in Nashville for $900 a month. That same apartment today rents for $1,700 with little to no upgrades. This is unacceptable. We must work to create housing opportunities that are affordable and equitable for individuals who have found themselves in a tough spot.

A large majority of the MNPD force, MNPS teachers and NFD employees are not able to reside in the community that they serve. This is fundamentally wrong. I will work to create housing opportunities that don’t break the bank for these individuals

Our city has been a fortunate recipient of an enormous economic boom in the last 15-20 years. This trend is likely to continue for many years to come. I will work to ensure that we are creating economic opportunities that are beneficial for our community by partnering with those that share that same goal in mind.

My vision for our community involves the creation of a “Downtown Hermitage” that would be located in the area surrounding the Hermitage Library, MNPD Hermitage Precinct and Hermitage Community Center.

Two years ago, I led an effort that was a key step in this vision by planting the first community Christmas Tree in Hermitage. This Christmas tree was planted in front of the Hermitage Library as a symbol that brings our community together. The tree currently stands at around 9 feet and will grow a foot a year. As this tree continues to grow, so will the Downtown Hermitage Vision. The Christmas Tree lighting was originally coordinated through a partnership consisting of The Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Alliance and The Friends of Hermitage Library and has been widely successful over the past two years. We have grown the event to over 500 attendees and have added other community partners as we continue to make this event better every year.

The Downtown Hermitage Vision also consists of added shopping and restaurant space along this corridor that contribute to the overall goal of enriching our community. We must also ensure that we make this area walkable by adding sidewalks throughout this area to connect our surrounding neighborhoods.

Our city is behind the curve regarding mass transit. We must continue to expand current transit offerings such as WeGo, but begin planning for a long term solution. Most major metropolitan cities offer a light rail option and we should not be any different. I will work to ensure that our city government partners with surrounding areas to begin solving this problem.

In the near term, I will work to create a park and ride for the Music City Star in Hermitage. I envision this connecting to the “Downtown Hermitage” area through an expansion of sidewalks.

Growing up as the son of two public school teachers, I saw firsthand the passion and dedication that is required from our teachers every day.

I believe we must take every opportunity to fund our public education. I will support every effort that strengthens MNPS.

This includes:

-Ensuring all MNPS employees are paid a thriving wage

-Replacing/renovating school facilities in dire need of repair

-Expanding funding focused on creating opportunities for gifted students

-Supporting the continued progress of MNPS Extended Learning after-school programs