ACTION AGENDA
My top three priorities are public safety, affordable housing, and economic development.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Everyone in Albany deserves to feel safe living and working here.
I believe that future is fully within reach if we work together and invest in the resources that have been proven to drive down crime. As Common Councilmember, I will advocate for investments in job training, community policing, affordable housing, and substance use treatment programs. I will also work with local community partners and government agencies to ensure basic quality of life necessities are met, such as the maintenance of potholes, waste management, and effective delivery of city services.
I will personally hold town halls and office hours to ensure all voices are heard, and will work directly with business owners, residents, police, and government leaders to ensure that concerns are quickly and effectively addressed.
I will be a fierce advocate for alternatives to incarceration, including community service and restorative justice programs - and for investments in the programs that address the underlying root causes of crime, including education, public transportation, and affordable housing. I will also work to strengthen community-based mental health and substance use programs, including crisis intervention services, outpatient treatment, and harm reduction initiatives. I will partner with criminal justice advocates, community organizations, local residents, judges, and law enforcement agencies to foster collaboration and bring together their expertise and perspectives to help address our shared issues.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
There is an affordability crisis in Albany.
As Common Councilmember, I will work hand-in-hand with local stakeholders, housing advocates, homeowners, and government partners to address the root causes of housing insecurity, including by increasing support for wraparound services, mental health care, education, and workforce development. I will advocate for increased funding for CARES, a non-profit organization that is helping Albany to end homelessness through community planning, supportive housing, and awareness-building. I will also support stricter short-term rental regulations to prevent the monopolization by investors looking to turn Center Square, Hudson/Park, Washington Park, and Park South homes into vacation rentals.
Creating more quality, affordable housing for working families requires thoughtful policies, community engagement, and investment. As Common Councilmember, I will advocate for the City to incentivize affordable housing development through zoning reforms, preserve existing affordable housing, and provide pathways to homeownership.
As a longtime tenant in Center Square, I am a champion for tenant rights. I will be a fierce champion for New York’s “Good Cause Eviction” law and I will urge the incoming administration, local courts, and common council members to support the continued opt-in of this law. I will also introduce a city-wide Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (modeled after the New York State legislation) that would provide a pathway from renting to home ownership.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The City of Albany needs economic development that benefits all of us.
Over 20,000 Albanians live below the poverty line, while the current President is continuing to drive the cost of living higher and higher. That’s why the City of Albany needs economic development that benefits all of us. As Common Councilmember, I will fight for increased investments in vital services that allow low-income families to achieve upward mobility, including affordable childcare, affordable housing, and high quality public transportation.
I also know that when our business thrive, our neighborhoods thrive. As Clerk of the State Assembly’s Standing Committee on Small Business, I saw first-hand how key policy choices can make the difference between beloved cornerstones of our community struggling or thriving.
I will work to decrease Lark Street's business vacancy by 50% by spearheading important zoning reforms, as well as grants and tax incentives for small and micro businesses; I will collaborate with the 6th Ward Democratic Committee, local officials, and other entities to double the amount of community cleanups, ensuring our streets remain litter free; I will be a champion for the transformation of I-787 into a community grid that unlocks more productive land uses like housing, shops, and green space; and I will advocate for safer streets that are more welcoming to visitors of all ages and abilities, especially on S. Swan St. and in/around Washington Park.
My other priorities include…
COMPLETE STREETS
I have not owned a vehicle for years, so I understand firsthand the challenges faced by the 20% of Albany households that also don’t have access to a car. When neighborhoods aren’t walkable, bikeable, or lack public transportation, it limits the opportunities for thousands of our neighbors to find good jobs or support local business. As Common Councilmember, I will prioritize increasing community engagement in planning, enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities, and investing in public transportation, sidewalks, and protected bike lanes. I will work directly with local advocates to engage them in the planning process, including Capital Streets, Albany Bicycle Coalition, and Walkable Albany. Read more about my transportation priorities in the 6th Ward Candidate Questionnaire organized by Capital Streets.
LABOR RIGHTS
I have always been proud to stand side by side with unions and labor rights activists. During my time in the New York State Legislature, I was on the ground floor of a movement to establish a “Legislative Workers Union (NYSLWU)”. This movement consisted of dozens of state workers who believed that all workers deserve the right to collectively bargain for better working conditions and fairer wages. I am so proud to now be endorsed by 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East - one of the largest unions in the United States. If elected, I will continue my support for organized labor by joining picket lines, sending letters to employers, and supporting emerging labor movements. I will also support measures to establish gig workers’ right to organize and collectively bargain, enforce minimum wage laws and standards, and expand access to benefits.
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
Everyone who lives and works here deserves to feel welcome here, regardless of where they are from. New York has a proud legacy as a refuge for those fleeing hardship to make a better life for themselves. Immigrants are an essential part of our communities and it is vital that New York continues to stand strong against the current President’s anti-immigrant agenda. As Common Councilmember, I will support expanding access to healthcare, housing, and legal services for immigrant residents. I will disseminate information through public awareness campaigns to ensure that local immigrants know their rights if ICE approaches them, and I will work to ensure that all public facing documents and city services are made available in the top 12 most commonly spoken languages in Albany, to ensure everyone can access vital city programs and services. I will also work with our state and federal representatives to ensure that the voices of local immigrants are represented at all levels of government.
AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
Healthcare is a human right, and I am passionate about ensuring access for all people. As Common Councilmember, I will leverage my position to advocate for expanded healthcare coverage and more affordable, high-quality healthcare - including by fighting for the New York Health Act at the state level. I will initiate community outreach efforts - particularly to underserved communities - to connect more families with Medicaid and other important healthcare resources, ensuring that as many residents as possible are aware of and enrolled in available programs. I will collaborate with community health centers and local organizations like Whitney M. Young Health, the Alliance for Positive Health, and Catholic Charities to support integrated care models that address physical health, mental health, and substance use together. I also believe we must do everything we can to fight for the safe staffing, fair wages, and resources our nurses need to provide the best possible care. In August 2024, I joined the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and hundreds of nurses and labor leaders to picket outside of Albany Medical Center (AMC), urging the institution to deliver a fair contract. By investing in our nursing workforce - through fair wages, competitive benefits, and workplace protections - we can retain experienced nurses in our hospitals and ensure safe working conditions.
EDUCATION
Access to affordable childcare, high-quality early childhood education, and strong public schools are essential for working families and the future of our city. As Common Councilmember, I will support and advocate for the full educational pipeline - from early learning to high school graduation - and advocate for equitable funding for Albany’s public schools. I will support expanding access to affordable, community-based childcare options and work to remove barriers that prevent families - especially low-income and single parent households - from accessing early education programs. I also believe we must uplift the early childhood workforce by fighting for fair wages and student debt forgiveness programs.
CLIMATE ACTION
I believe climate change is the greatest existential threat of our time. As a climate activist in my day job, I educate the public and elected officials on how they can hold the oil and gas industry accountable, both legislatively and legally. Before joining the Center for Climate Integrity, I spent six years in the New York State Legislature, where I helped introduce the Climate Liability Act (S4799/A72), a bill that would establish a right of action for private citizens, small businesses, and local municipalities to sue oil and gas companies for damages. Previously, I interned for the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY). I have dedicated my life and career to environmental advocacy, and I am committed to bringing that same energy to the Albany Common Council. I will work with fellow local city and county officials to ensure that publicly owned buildings, land, and parking lots use energy from renewable sources. I will also advocate for the adoption of green building standards for new residential and commercial construction, and for the city to expand its recycling programs including by implementing curbside compost collection. I will work hand-in-hand with schools, restaurants, and government partners to develop waste reduction plans and implement educational awareness programs about the importance of recycling. I will advocate for increased funding to modernize our water infrastructure, push for proactive maintenance to prevent costly emergencies, and work to ensure that every resident in the 6th Ward has access to safe, reliable water. Additionally, I will advocate for traffic calming measures such as speed humps and safer pedestrian infrastructure to reduce congestion and emissions from vehicles.
CIVIL RIGHTS
The lasting impacts of systemic racism are not only present throughout our community, but heightened given the recent rise of hateful rhetoric on the national level. A 2020 report by the Urban Institute ranked Albany worse than the national average by nearly every metric when it came to racial segregation and poverty gaps. It is vital, now more than ever, that local governments invest in the services that are proven to increase equity and tackle systemic racism, including healthcare, housing, education, and equitable economic development. As Common Councilmember, I will prioritize these critical investments in Albany and fight for much needed reforms to our criminal justice system. I will work directly with advocates, labor activists, and local organizations to provide community education about systemic racism and develop solutions to current problems together. I will also work with fellow members of the Common Council to develop city-wide solutions and introduce legislation that improves the economic disparity among residents.
LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
At a time when the LGBTQ+ rights are under attack across the country, it is critical that Albany and New York State remain safe haven for all. As Common Councilmember, I will be a champion for the protection of LGBTQ+ rights, including access to gender affirming healthcare, marriage equality, and the right to live and celebrate freely without oppression. I will fight for increased investments in critical supports for LGBTQ+ residents including community gatherings and support groups, mental healthcare, and sexual health and wellness services. I will also introduce legislation to designate Albany a sanctuary city for LGBTQ+ people, making our mark as a beacon of freedom and equality for everybody.
AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE
As Common Councilmember, I will fight for increased investments in the creation and expansion of childcare services, including grants, subsidies, and tax incentives that both make childcare more affordable and enable childcare providers to pay competitive wages. I will also work hand-in-hand with other city and county partners to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for childcare centers, including by working with zoning authorities to ensure childcare facilities can be established in residential areas, commercial zones, and near workplaces. I will support expanding access to affordable, community-based childcare options and work to remove barriers that prevent families - especially low-income and single parent households - from accessing early education programs.