Please tell us about yourself: Decatur is my hometown and I have spent the majority of the last year developing plans to reduce gun violence, improve our neighborhoods, and developing new plans for future employment that will provide livable wages to our communities. I have previous experience working on campaigns and building nonprofits. I have also been involved in talks about the importance of community investment and development as a tool to reduce all violence.
What do you believe is the role of a Decatur City Council member?:
The role of a Decatur City Council member is to work in favor of the people. It is also their role to enact legislation that protects the city and those that reside in it. I think what is found in the best City Council members is open lines of direct communication with the public and continued motivation to get citizens involved in local government affairs.
Please tell us your platform and key areas of focus for the Decatur City Council:
There are two extremely important issues in this city at the moment and they are gun violence and handling this pandemic. Our city has taken a major hit as a result of these shutdowns. Time is of the essence and we must develop a timeline for recovery. The city council needs to work up a cohesive plan to attack our shortcomings in these areas. I have developed a 3-5 year success plan for Decatur. The first steps include pandemic recovery, groundwork for community revitalization project, and assisting in clean up of usable buildings to make Decatur a potential investment spot for new projects like the new Harbor Freight. Decatur has a growing gun violence and assault issue. One of the best ways to mitigate these issues is to gather as a community and form community watches. Also, an important aspect of reducing violence is community building projects to fix the areas in our city that are falling apart. The city should also continue to support programs like the Shemilah Outreach Program that focus on building good character in our future generations whilst also keeping them on track with their school work. There is also a need for strong job programs for people who have been incarcerated or have marks on their record. Proper rehabilitation will prevent future crime and proper support with these people will secure a better future for Decatur.
