Jackson County is turning 200 years old. The Kansas City Chiefs are leaving. Residents are facing a property tax crisis. Major employers are walking away—most notably Lockton, the Country Club Plaza’s largest tenant is relocating to Kansas. At the same time, our county is still sitting on $72 Million in unspent COVID-era federal dollars while residents struggle to afford housing, transportation, and basic stability. This is not a time for excuses. It is a time to dream.
For nearly a decade, the current occupant in this seat has told residents that frustration and mistrust are simply the result of “overpromising.” But residents don’t lose faith because leaders dream too big. They lose faith because those leaders stop dreaming all together. Complacency—not ambition—is what erodes trust.
As Senator Elizabeth Warren once said while seeking the presidency she stated, “I don’t know why anyone would run for office to talk about what we can’t do.” I’m running for the Jackson County Legislature to talk about what we can do—and what we must do—right here, right now.
2026 is about affordability and we are the only campaign with a plan for it. Housing costs are rising faster than wages. Transportation is unreliable or disappearing altogether. KCATA has announced yet another service cuts, including the loss of the IRIS line in Raytown—isolating working families, seniors, and people with disabilities. We can choose a different path.
First, Jackson County must lead the creation of a countywide public transit system. Transit is not a luxury—it’s about mobility. Reliable, connected transit allows people to get to work, reduces household costs, and makes our communities attractive to employers. Without it, we lose jobs, talent, and opportunity to neighboring states.
Second, we need a guaranteed jobs program focused getting people to work—housing rehabilitation, energy efficiency, infrastructure, and public works. I bring real experience here. I have worked with the U.S. Department of Energy on workforce development initiatives that connect people to good-paying jobs while meeting public goals. We can do the same in Jackson County—creating pathways to work while strengthening our economy.
Third, we must invest in transit corridors that spur housing development. When you align transportation with housing and job centers, you lower costs and increase supply. These are tools fully within our control, and they directly address the housing crisis while stimulating local economic growth. What our 700,000 residents, and 18 cities afford is more of the same.
We cannot re-elect leaders who have had nearly a decade to act and have failed to meet the moment. Leaders who manage decline instead of building a future. Leaders who explain away frustration rather than fixing it. Jackson County deserves leadership that believes in its potential. Leadership that understands that public service is not about lowering expectations, but about rising to them.
At 200 years old, our county should be looking forward—not declining. I’m running for Jackson County Legislature, First District At-Large, because I believe we can build a more affordable, connected, and prosperous county. And because I know that if we don’t change direction now, we’ll be having this same conversation ten years from today—only with fewer opportunities left to save. It’s time to dream once again in Jackson County.
Candidate for Jackson County Legislature, First District At-Large
