My vision for how to make Hillsboro great begins from the ground up.  It challenges the idea that there is any value in the trickle down effect we always hear about.  An idea that is outdated and was created to justify policies to enrich those who already had power and money and a voice. 

I want to focus on building connections between communities.  Working on foundational policies to help guide how we grow and develop.  Concentrating on those things that bring us together rather than dwelling on what drives us apart.  I think this is a path to providing equal opportunity to what is in some ways, right now, a sprawling city that is only continuing to grow outward. 

I think the more open we can be and the more diverse opinions we gather, the stronger our community will be.  Creating venues where people feel comfortable sharing their views, knowing they will be heard and considered is an important step.  Meeting people where they are, rather than having them come to us.

I am also a strong believer in inter-generational equity.  I would like to develop programs which help the next generation’s leaders gain the skills and confidence they will need to continue the good work that we start.

The strength of our community is our diversity, the thing that will allow us to come up with creative solutions to the pressing problems of our time.  To ignore this in defense of the status quo, to not put these values at the forefront of our communty’s decision making would not only be a disservice to those excluded but to our community as a whole.

I hope whoever wins that this is something they believe as well