On the issues

Access to safe, stable housing should be a basic right in a society as developed as ours—full stop. We cannot achieve our potential unless our basic needs are met. This is true for individuals and communities.

Recent state-mandated zoning changes will likely increase housing supply, but that alone isn’t enough. Real reform requires a multi-pronged, creative approach, and we should be open to all innovative solutions.

More supply doesn’t automatically mean more affordability. Housing becomes truly affordable only when meaningful affordability requirements are built into development.

Larimer County should lead a regional housing partnership to better coordinate resources and solutions. Housing is a regional issue and demands regional collaboration.

We should also explore nontraditional housing options, including converting vacant commercial spaces; reduce barriers for schools and employers to build housing for their staff; and continually review zoning and land-use policies to ensure they support housing development while maintaining public safety and sustainability goals.

Healthcare costs across the state are expected to spike following the passage of HR1 at the federal level. The state can help soften this impact by fully funding the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise (HIAE), and local leaders should be urging the legislature to act now.

A $100 fee on each policy to fund the HIAE could lower families’ healthcare premiums by thousands of dollars per year. (In effect, you would be paying $100 a year on your policy to save two or three thousand a year, want to sign up? like yesterday?)

One in ten children in Larimer County live in poverty, facing food, housing, and healthcare insecurity and depending on county-administered programs to survive. With harmful federal budget cuts on the horizon, the need will grow and key safety-net programs could be stretched thin. This is unacceptable in a country with the resources to keep people healthy and fed.

As commissioner, I will prioritize funding for our most vulnerable residents in any budget-cut scenario.

We will also continue seeking new and creative state and federal funding streams to ensure these critical programs remain sustainable for years to come.

Larimer County suffers from the most natural disasters of any county in the state. When speaking on the next major fire or flood in Larimer County the question is “when,” not “if.”

Anytime the county suffers a natural disaster, we spend millions of dollars in response and recovery efforts from the general fund. In the current budget situation, with a hard cap on property tax revenue, a scenario exists where the county could be forced to cut critical services to some residents in order to pay for natural disaster response and recovery efforts.

We need to continue to focus on efforts to increase natural disaster mitigation. Programs exist at the federal level that can be used, and there are important actions that could be done at the state level to increase and incentivize disaster mitigation. 

Every dollar spent in mitigation efforts saves six times that in recovery costs. Would you save $1.00 now if you knew that $1.00 would be $6.00 in a year? Mitigation efforts mean less damage to people and property and in many cases can lead to better insurance rates for homeowners. A sound investment to say the least!

As commissioner I commit to not only preserving the county's own mitigation grant program, but seeking new mitigation funding streams to expand the program. Let’s continue leveraging the things that work!