Key Issues
Leadership Rooted in Transparency and Community
Jackson County deserves leadership that listens first and leads with integrity. I believe in open communication, clear priorities, and public accountability. Every resident should know where their tax dollars go and have a voice in how decisions are being made.
As your Commissioner, I will work for the people and with the people making sure that our local government remains transparent, responsive, and focused on the well-being of every community in our county regardless of political affiliation.
Public Safety
Everyone in Jackson County deserves to feel safe in their homes. As your County Commissioner I will ensure our Sheriff’s Office has the effective tools and support it needs. This requires fiscal stewardship, investing in prevention like mental health and substance abuse programs to reduce the burden on our jail and courts. Being smart on crime is how we use our counties resources wisely to build a safer community for all.
Plan of Action: I would propose an audit of our public safety spending to root out waste and ensure law enforcement have the effective resources they need. Then reinvesting those funds into services that actually address the root cause. This proactive approach is how we use your tax dollars wisely to build a safer community for all.
Affordable Housing Reform
Everyone who works here should be able to live here. Affordable housing means keeping families together and supporting local workers. As someone who was raised in Jackson County and now raising my children here I personally know how hard it is to buy a house as a first time home buyer. As a daughter to older parents I worry about their ability to live comfortably in a house that works for them.
Plan of Action: We have to look at the current zoning laws and how they are holding back our need for more affordable housing. We need to look local in building affordable housing while also using smaller local contractors providing more local jobs and ensuring our tax dollars are staying local.
Emergency Preparedness
Wildfires, floods, drought, heat waves and snow affect us all. Preparedness protects lives, property and our economy. If we saw anything from the Almeda fire of 2020 it is that we were not prepared. Our emergency system failed us when we had to resort to social media to track the path of the fire. As Commissioner I would ensure we have an updated and current emergency preparedness plan, one that is accessible to everyone.
Plan of Action: I would look at creating a county wide Community Resilience Network to ensure every neighborhood has trained, connected and equipped local response teams. By partnering with nonprofits and community organizations we can reach vulnerable populations and coordinate effective communication and support in the midst of a crisis. Regular county wide emergency drills would strengthen preparedness, build trust and save lives when a disaster strikes.
A New Generation of Leadership
It’s time for new voices and new ideas at the table. Jackson County’s challenges are complex, but our people are resilient. By leading with transparency, fairness and collaboration we can build a future for all – rural, urban, young and old, left, right and everyone in between.
Plan of Action: I would look at creating a Youth Advisory Committee so that the next generation can have a say in what their governing body does. This would also promote civic engagement in the next generation of young leaders.
Mental Health & Addiction Services
Everyone knows someone who has been touched by mental health or addiction challenges. When people get the help they need, our whole community benefits. We need a commissioner who understands what people go through and how services can be the difference between life and death.
Plan of Action: I would advocate for funding to help train the next generation of therapists with tangible incentives and to push more funding towards deflection services and fixing the problem with the lack of inpatient beds. In Jackson County everyone deserves access to lifesaving services when and if needed.
Immigration
As an adoptee who immigrated from Ecuador, my commitments to a functional and humane immigration system is personal. The federal government must fix our broken borders, but here in Jackson County the commissioner’s role is to ensure the public safety and stability of our community for everyone. We must foster trust so all residents feel safe reporting crimes, and so everyone can feel safe when leaving their houses. Especially as we see ICE in our communities we need someone who will ask questions and hold agencies responsible. No one should live in fear.
Plan of Action: As your County Commissioner, my focus will be on practical local solutions, not federal immigration enforcement. I will ensure our Sheriff’s Office prioritizes protecting everyone in our community, so all residents feel safe reporting crimes regardless of background. We will proactively manage county resources by conducting a full impact analysis on public health and public safety systems, while formally advocating for federal support to address impacts on our local infrastructure. My approach balances orderly governance with compassionate stewardship of our community.
Water Stewardship
Water is life and in Jackson County it’s the foundation for our families, farms and forests. With droughts becoming more frequent and out groundwater levels declining we must act now to protect this shared resource. Thoughtful water stewardship means balancing the needs of people, agriculture and the environment so that every community from the valley floor to the foothills has access to clean, reliable water for generations to come
Plan of Action: As commissioner I would invest in water conservation and storage infrastructure to make Jackson County more resilient during the dry years. By supporting farmers, small communities and residents in adopting modern irrigation, rainwater catchment and graywater systems we can use our winter more efficiently. Upgrading county facilities to model this would show that smart winter management benefits everyone.