So you're from the Sixth Ward?

-Yes, I grew up near 29th and Broadway (1991-2013) and after a short break from my parents I live now on the west side in the sixth ward near S Erie and W Calumet (2013-present). I played in the Fremont School playground and sometimes ventured all the way to Roosevelt Park. I now work at RWC Inc. on S Euclid and Woodland. My Uncle Ray was a pastor at Fremont United Methodist (now Grace East Campus UMC). My brother owns Freedom Wireless on Broadway. I don't think you can get much more Sixth Ward than that for someone my age.

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Why is an accountant by schooling running for public office?

-In Scouts the Citizenship merit badges, and specifically Citizenship in the Community, had you learn about how government operates and requires you to go to a public meeting. I don't remember what the meeting was about but I remember thinking "I would like to do that!" and have been slowly getting to that point. Accountants by stereotypes are bean counters who don't think outside the box. I think my track record on the podium at City Hall and on the Charter Commission show that I can definitely think outside the bean counter box. 

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What are some major flaws you see in Sixth Ward?

-For one fund prioritization. I understand without a heart a body can't function and downtown is that heart, but it's weird that instead of working to getting this metaphorical body into physical therapy we keep performing blood infusions and CPR. We're giving almost any developer who asks multi-year, or even multi-decade, tax free abatement while the tax collected by downtown goes to a special fund the rest of the city can't touch. There's a point where the ones downtown are just spending money to spend money and I believe that paint mural at Water and Center and the Wenonah Park Pavilion are perfect examples of that disconnect. Especially when our major park is in need of massive rehabilitation and our other park, Bigelow, got priority on a second playground even though the City's largest park doesn't have a safe playground. It just doesn't make sense to me. Currently Roosevelt is not expected to be even looked at until 2024.

-Secondly our ward, as of the 2010 census, is the largest by both size and population but curiously has some of the lowest voter turnout. I feel that partially has to do with the voting precinct being out of the ward and few concessions made to make it work. With the precinct now on the middlegorunds it's a start, but with the Lafayette Bridge construction starting soon we need to keep voting accessible to the majority of the population on the East Side of the river.

-Speaking of bridges, let's talk about the infrastructure right now. With the City not dedicated to any option and the Liberty and Independence Bridge's taking up almost 50% of the city's yearly road funds every year something has to be done. Voters turned down building Liberty Bridge in the 1980s but City leadership at the time gave it to us anyway. Now it's time to drop that liability and get that portion of road funds back to the city so we can fix our crumbling side streets, remove our lead connection pipes and wooden water mains, and improve our sidewalks.