Priorities and Initiatives

Initiatives

Mayoral Priorities

Regardless of Any Identity You Hold, You Can Succeed

You should be able to succeed here regardless of race, class, disability or sexual orientation. A commitment to equity and inclusion goes beyond using buzzwords and requires consistent commitment from leadership to confront uncomfortable topics. As mayor, I will reinstate the position of Deputy Mayor for Racial Equity and require that they incorporate a racial equity lens into governmental decision-making and expand economic opportunities to minorities, women, and immigrants. Establishing Saint Louis as an inclusive and equitable community and reducing the racial wealth gap will help to rebuild our population, incentivize large corporations and small businesses to invest in our community, and make our city stronger and safer.

A Strong COVID-19 Recovery

The City’s response to this pandemic is an issue of life and death. Effective COVID-19 recovery is going to require a multi-faceted approach, which emphasizes both getting our economy back on track, while preparing our city for the possibility of future health crises.

Recovering from the Coronavirus pandemic must start with the acknowledgement that the pandemic is not yet over. Our priority must continue to be social distancing, wearing a mask, and proper hygiene.

In the meantime and when the pandemic is over, we must immediately begin pursuing policies to improve our public health infrastructure, protect people’s economic livelihoods, and prevent unnecessary suffering.
 

Putting the Public Back In Public Safety

Our current system of policing is inefficient and ineffective. Every St. Louisan, including me, has been affected by violence. Too many of our conversations in person or online are filled with fear. We have not taken care of our city, and therefore, we are failing at our response to crime. St. Louis suffers from neighborhood disinvestment, poor mental health services, low officer morale, and strained community relations with law enforcement. The city must reject the false choice between being “tough” on crime and addressing the root causes of violence. We must address the small groups responsible for the large percentage of violent crimes. Officers are spending too much time responding to routine calls instead of addressing violent crime. We must invest in resources that will actually make us safer, such as treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders, programs that help lift people out of poverty, and meaningful criminal justice reforms.

• Domestic Violence Assaults in St. Louis City, Missouri: A Trend Analysis of 2015-2021

Review the findings released on September 16, 2021 from a seven-year analysis of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) policing practices and behaviors.

• National Justice Database Study Findings

Saying Yes to Investment in You

It’s time to say NO to business as usual and YES to the equitable, growing and unified Saint Louis we could have.  It is past time for our city to start investing in its greatest asset: its people. There is no better investment than in small businesses, entrepreneurs, workers, and families who are the backbone of this city. I will focus on equitable growth by being a champion for small business, assisting St. Louisans in building assets, and reducing poverty.

The city must enforce the right to earn a living wage and use every tool of government to do so.

A Saint Louis for our Children, Youth, and Families

If the federal and state government will not invest in children and families, then the city needs to step up to fill the gap. St. Louis needs a progressive mayor who will re-imagine local government to help support children from birth, through college, and beyond as they start their own families. I will work towards making St. Louis a thriving place for families by providing quality education options, access to safe recreation, and equitable parental leave policies.

Sustainable, Equitable, and Intentional Investment

The strength of St. Louis is in its people and unique neighborhoods. Unfortunately, many of the city’s development decisions do not reflect this fact. Since 2000, St. Louis has spent over $700 million in tax incentives with little evidence that such benefits are effective. As mayor, I will push development North and South, where it is needed most. Development incentives and tax breaks take away money from city schools, make it harder to provide basic city services like policing and trash pick-up, and are often awarded for projects in areas that need them the least. This practice must stop. As mayor, I will reform tax incentives and change the culture of development to help neighborhoods and small businesses all over the city.

The People's Government: Ready for the 21st Century

St. Louis is considered a tech hub, yet our government processes are outdated and make doing business with the city inconvenient and inefficient. As Treasurer, I am the only candidate who has hands-on experience reforming a city department, managing a budget of millions of dollars, increasing credit ratings, and overseeing hundreds of people. As a department, we use technology to help citizens effectively work with their government through streamlined processes that save the city money. As mayor, I will open the City’s Charter and administrative processes for comprehensive review and create the transparent, efficient city government that St. Louisans deserve.

Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation

For far too long, our regional economic development efforts have focused the majority of attention and resources on large corporations and developers. However, small businesses account for 44% of US economic activity and create two of every three jobs. As mayor, I am committed to supporting entrepreneurship and small business to foster economic growth.

The People’s Agenda: A Plan for Federal Stimulus Funds

Deep racial inequities, compounded by an unprecedented pandemic, economic recession, and wave of violence have brought St. Louis to a crossroads, one we’ve been at before, and families across our city are on the brink. The over half a billion dollars coming to the city through the American Rescue Plan Act represents a lifeline, and my first priority as mayor will be to expedite delivery of direct relief in the form of mobile and stationary mass vaccination clinics, rental and mortgage assistance, relief for small businesses and their workers, and wraparound support for the unhoused.

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