10/04/2025
Thanks so everyone who has reached out to me so far with their support. I would love additional thoughts, comments, suggestions, ideas and opinions of topics outlined and items that you may have concerns or opinions about as it relates to the City of Blue Ridge.
MY PROMISE TO YOU!
I come from a raising that believes a man is only good as his word! My promise to you is I will do what I say I will do. I will stand behind what I say!! My record shows I am a voice for the citizens and a name you can trust. I will stand behind my word and work to restore trust in our local government.
WHY I'M RUNNING?
As a lifelong Blue Ridge resident with deep roots in this community. I value the qualities that make our town special: integrity, transparency, and responsible leadership. I will protect those values while guiding thoughtful, community-driven progress. Priorities for our city include the following items and would welcome your thoughts and feedback.
PROTECT DOWNTOWN CHARACTER
I have supported and will continue to support controlled, respectful growth that preserves the heart of our town. When I was on the council previously, I was one of the council members who proposed, supported and got passed the lowering of the height of building allowed in downtown supporting the controlled growth movement. I will oppose proposals that increase downtown building heights or otherwise erode our downtown’s historic charm. I will stand up to outside special interests pushing inappropriate and over development.
COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
Blue Ridge needs a clear, citizen-driven master plan and zoning strategy to guide growth and prevent spot zoning. I will lead the effort to finally adopt a plan that reflects our community’s priorities. This has been a topic discussed for years and there has been no progress in regard to it.
STOP WASTEFUL SPENDING AND CORRUPTION
Taxpayer dollars must be spent responsibly. I will end frivolous spending and stop costly favors that benefit a few at the expense of our community. Hundreds of thousand of dollars have been spent on frivolous legal expenses and lawsuits to benefit political candidates and/or their sphere of influence. I plan to propose a City Resolution that holds elected officials accountable, so this doesn’t happen again in the future. This city resolution will specify that the elected official who has caused such spending shall personally be responsible for the expenses resulting from their actions should they be found guilty of costing taxpayers unnecessary legal and other related fees. This resolution will also include the creation of an ethics and anti-corruption committee which will be made up of Blue Ridge residents. Other cities that have this system of checks and balances have found things to run noticeably better. Everyone should be accountable to someone! See more about this below.
RESTORING FISCAL INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
I will demand clear financial management, transparency, and accountability across every city department. It is unacceptable for city officials to tell citizens they “don’t know” how much money the city has—especially while running ads and making public claims about being in great financial shape.
The truth is our city has been reprimanded by the state and has lost critical funding due to its failure to meet basic financial reporting requirements. That’s not just mismanagement—it’s a breach of public trust and completely unacceptable.
Accounting principles haven’t changed. What has changed is the level of accountability. There should never be confusion or secrecy when it comes to public funds. City staff must serve the people—not political agendas.
I will work with new administration, new mayor and council members, to restore fiscal stability, enforce responsible budgeting, and ensure our city operates efficiently, honestly, and in full view of the public. Because when it comes to your tax dollars, there should be no mystery—only transparency.
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN RECORDS
I believe our government should serve the people—not hide from them. That’s why I will fight for full, timely disclosure from city leadership and a culture of honest communication. Transparency isn’t a slogan—it’s a standard. And right now, our city is falling short.
Open records requests must be acknowledged and fulfilled within clear, enforceable timelines. I will push for regular, easy-to-access public reporting of city decisions, contracts, and finances—because taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent. I’ve personally experienced the frustration of being denied access to public records. In the past two years, I’ve submitted multiple requests and rarely received the full information I asked for. Despite weekly newspaper ads touting transparency—paid for with your tax dollars—the reality is anything but transparent. It’s smoke and mirrors.
Actions speak louder than words. There should be no secrets in our government when it comes to spending OUR money. I will work to ensure that transparency isn’t optional—it’s the law, and it’s enforced.
UPGRADED AGING INFRASTRUCTURE
I will prioritize a multi-year plan to replace and modernize our water and sewer systems to prevent crises and protect public health. That plan will include a needs assessment, phased budgeting, potential grant-seeking, and a clear timeline so residents know what to expect and when.
FOSTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
One of my main goals is to work to reunite our community by rebuilding neighbor-to-neighbor connections and creating predictable, welcoming opportunities for residents and business owners to meet and collaborate bringing back our small-town environment. One of the most unfortunate things I’ve witness over the last many years is I’ve watched political leaders create divides between residents, between residents and business owners and between city staff, employees, administration and elected officials, all for political gain. It’s time to unite as one town supporting each other. I propose we begin more community involvement from residents who want to participate including:
- Annual Spring Cookout in the downtown park to reconnect neighbors, share priorities, and gather ideas for the year and just mingle and get to know each other better.
- Create “A Blue Ridge Holiday Tradition” for an annual community led holiday decorating weekend where all the residents get together and decorate the town. This would save the $80,000 per year being paid to a vendor for just labor part of hanging and installing Christmas decoration in and around the downtown Blue Ridge area. The city supports logistics and materials while residents lead planning and ex*****on. Not only would this be a ton of fun, but it would also be another opportunity to bond with your neighborhood.
ESTABLISH A LOCAL ETHICS & ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMITTEE
I will create a resident-led ethics committee to provide independent oversight of transparency, conflicts of interest, and ordinance compliance. This committee would be responsible for complaints and responsible for enforcing ethics laws, reviewing conflicts of interest, and overseeing financial disclosure statements to ensure city officials and employees act with fairness and impartiality. The committee will:
- Be appointed with clear eligibility rules and staggered terms.
- Operate under a public charter defining scope, investigation procedures, and reporting requirements.
- Publish findings and recommendations to ensure accountability and restore public trust.
GET INVOLVED
These are my priorities, but your voice matters. Tell me what you want for Blue Ridge and how we can work together to protect what we love while planning responsibly for the future.
