Issues

When first elected in 2016, I promised to be a leader focused on the future of Norfolk.  I wanted to support and advance our schools, our environment, our economy, our region and civic engagement and transparency.

Well, four years later, the future is NOW.

I’m proud of the hard work I have accomplished, together with YOUR help, which includes: 

Support for our schools. In 2017 we adopted a school funding formula that provides a predictable, objective means of allocating local revenues. As the city of Norfolk continues to prosper, so do our schools, which gain approximately 30% of any revenue gain that the city sees.  This year, that means $3M more than FY20, or $129M. And, good news, we anticipate seeing an additional $9M in revenue from the state for operational funds next year.

We are also focused on creating an advanced, world-class Career & Technical Education school for our city, as well as developing workforce development opportunities and training for Off Shore Wind.

I know we need to do more, but I’m proud of the progress we have made.  And, as parent of three children who have been educated in Norfolk Public Schools, I can tell you first-hand that NPS can provide an amazing education for our scholars.  Let’s continue to work together to support and do even more for our schools.  They are the foundation and the future of our city.

Support for our environment.  Norfolk and our region is second only to New Orleans in terms of flood risk. I have made one of my primary areas of focus finding funding and support to address flooding, sea level rise and climate change in our city and in our region. 

I created the first-of-its-kind regional committee of elected leaders to address coastal resilience.  I have joined the American Flood Coalition as an advisory board member, giving us national access and insight to flood legislation. I have lobbied at the regional, state and federal level to obtain much needed funding for our many flood projects, which has resulted in the creation of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Coastal Adaptation. We have gotten federal legislation adopted which would allow DoD to spend money outside the base gates to improve flooded infrastructure.

I co-chaired the Mayor’s Commission on Climate Change Mitigation and helped to draft the first Climate Action Plan in this region which will help Norfolk begin to focus on reducing our carbon footprint and reducing our energy costs. 

But, more needs to be done. More state and federal legislation needs to be enacted and more funding needs to be identified.  This is the biggest threat facing our city, and I look forward to continuing to make this a top priority.

Support for our economy.  We need our economy to grow and thrive in order to be able to fund the initiatives I’ve already discussed.  So, I have enjoyed utilizing my business/entrepreneurial background to focus on several initiatives that will play a big role. 

I was part of the team that stood up 757 Accelerate, a non-profit startup accelerator program that has provided more than 15 companies with mentoring, resources and capital to grow and thrive in the 757, along with being a board member of 757 Angels, which has invested more than $47M in 23 startup companies. 

I have spent the last three years on the creation of a fiber ring, a unique regional initiative that promises to transform our city and region by bringing ultra high speed internet to the 757 by connecting Norfolk’s municipally-owned fiber to the other southside cities in a 110-mile “highway” that allows access for Internet Service Providers and next generation companies that need super high speed internet.  The goal: more internet provider competition, faster speeds, lower prices.  We are transforming from being a cargo port into a digital port with this opportunity. 

I’ve been big a proponent of offshore wind and proud to have lobbied the Governor and the General Assembly to create an Office of Offshore Wind and commitment to 5.2 gigawatts of wind energy…which has the potential of translating to thousands of jobs for Norfolk and the region as we strive to become the hub of east coast offshore wind. 

As a member of the HRT board, I’ve been focused on upgrading and enhancing our public transit service with advancements in technology and regional funding to create the transit system of the future, which we need in order to attract next generation talent and businesses.  In the 2020 General Assembly session, I successfully lobbied for our first-ever dedicated regional transit funding stream, which will generate $31M annually for HRT’s regional backbone and technology.

Lastly, I’m proud that the city of Norfolk recently received its first ever AAA bond rating of Standard & Poors, a signal to bond investors that our economic outlook and fiscal responsibility is strong and at the top of its game.

Support for our region.

It’s often said that our region doesn’t play well together.

Well, the times are changing, and this is no longer the case.  Indeed, we ARE working together and understand that this is the only way each of our cities can grow.  I’ve taken on several regional initiative some of which I’ve already mentioned.  Additionally, I’m now the Vice Chair of the Hampton Roads Regional Planning District Commission, which is comprised of elected officials and the chief administrative officers of the 17 municipalities which comprise Hampton Roads.  I’ve participated on the Envision 2020 board that has undertaken the task of creating a strong regional brand and story.  I’ve traveled with leaders from throughout the region on the Chamber’s Inter-regional visit to Pittsburgh to learn best practices from other cities that are thriving and comparable in size to our region.

Support for public engagement and transparency.

The impetus for my initial run for office, I wanted to see more transparency in local government.  In my first year, we made the change to ensure that the entirety of city council meetings were televised and recorded.  And, more recently, I took a stand – alone - to ask for more information and engagement around the issue of a future Norfolk casino. It was a difficult and uncomfortable path, but I stood on my principles because I thought it was too important to the future of our city. In the end, I’m proud that the Mayor and Council listened to the citizens and have adopted a path that will allow all citizens to have their voice heard in a November referendum on the casino. 

I’m proud that I hold office hours each month, and I’ve done my best to regularly attend the more than 40 civic leagues I represent and provide a constant, online dialogue of issues and initiatives I support through social media.

And, I’ve just held the 4th annual Engage Norfolk, something I started in my first year in office and has seen 500-1000 citizens participate each year, during which we’ve had over 100 organizations participate in our CivicFAIR, showcasing ways our citizens can engage, volunteer and take advantage of the many resources the city has to offer.  To me, Norfolk has always been “the city that cares,” and I’m proud to have focused on ways to turn our citizens passion into actions. 

Our Schools

The future of Norfolk is dependent on the success of Norfolk Public Schools. Our real estate values, our economic development efforts and our future work force are all tied to NPS. Norfolk’s children deserve the best, and it is our responsibility to give it to them.  

Our environment

Norfolk is surrounded by water, and we have the opportunity to create the "Coastal Community of the Future" over the next decade.  I am actively focused on mitigating our flooding, activating our waterways, reducing our carbon footprint and securing state and federal funding to assist in these areas.

our economy

Norfolk must be a connected community that boasts a broadband infrastructure and utilizes innovative technology solutions to provide best-in-class services for citizens and businesses. I will encourage creative solutions using Open Data and entrepreneurial collaboration.