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ON THE ISSUES

Public Health & Safety

The current criminal injustice system is not only inadequate for addressing victims' needs, but also does not reduce recidivism or help offenders reintegrate into society. New Britain continues to increase its spending on police, but it is not making our communities safer.

I am dedicated to a solutions-based, restorative approach to public safety for all. This means confronting the reality: police are not trained and equipped to deal with the social problems at the root of crime in our community.

And unlike Erin Stewart, I mean it when I say I believe in restorative justice. We must think beyond policing and incarceration to establish long-term public safety solutions.

As mayor, I will:

  • Establish an independent civilian review board with subpoena powers to investigate police misconduct.

  • Demilitarize the police and remove police from our schools.

  • Create a crisis intervention team to respond to mental health and domestic violence call.

  • Form a reentry council that connects people returning from incarceration to resources and services.

  • Work with the Department of Justice to start a Community Court in New Britain.

  • Educate and train neighborhoods on violence prevention & conflict resolution.

  • Create in-community mental health and rehabilitation services for the entire family.

  • Establish a crime victims fund that ensures people harmed have access to the resources they (and their families) need to heal and recover.

Affordable Housing

We have a housing crisis in New Britain. Rent continues to climb while our wages remain stagnant.

Out-of-town landlords continue to make stricter requirements for tenants, and tenants' rights are rarely enforced.

As mayor, I will:

  • Create a landlord licensing system that requires anyone providing housing to register.

    • Mandate and publicize data collection around landlords' history.

    • Fee on out-of-town landlords and landlords with over 3 units.

  • Democratize and rehabilitate public housing.

  • Promote first-time home ownership by providing tax abatements to owners who enter rent-to-own agreements with tenants.

  • Create an emergency fund for people who are displaced from their homes by fires, floods and other disasters.

  • Promote & subsidize diversified housing options including co-op housing, affordable youth housing & emergency temporary housing.

  • Reform the Fair Rent Commission so that its membership is 2/3 tenants, to reflect the 2/3 of New Britain residents that are tenants.

  • Appoint Housing Authority members who actually live in-community.

  • Tax rich, out of state developers who create luxury housing.

  • Promote and support the formation of tenants' unions across the city.

Youth Development

New Britain's youth are our future — yet the current administration has not only let them down, but also actively criminalizes them and jeopardizes every chance they have at success.

As a young person myself, I have seen and experienced first hand the obstacles that prevent New Britain youth from succeeding.

As mayor, I will:

  • Establish a seed grant and mentorship program for anyone who graduated from NBHS in the last 10 years.

  • Invest in community centers and other safe spaces where youth can gather under adult supervision.

  • Subsidize youth sports, arts and other activities outside of school for low-income families.

  • Collaborate with community partners to ensure paid internships/fellowships for young people in the fields they are interested in.

Education & Community Services

Under Erin Stewart, New Britain’s education has continued to trail the rest of the state. While she has attacked and blamed teachers and unions for her own inability to act, I understand that the buck stops with the mayor.

As mayor, I will:

  • Increase education funding & lead statewide charge for an equitable state funding model.

  • Create a mental health council that will implement a 5-year plan to increase resident access to mental health & rehabilitation services.

  • Implement robust mental health education in schools using the Too Good for Violence education model.

  • Expand shuttle systems to increase residents access to parks & pools in the summertime.

  • Revitalize public school buildings and retrofit them with outdoor classrooms, green energy, and community gardens.

  • Explore a new and innovative Planned Labor Agreement with the public works union that guarantees:

    • Well-paid, union jobs for green school revitalization.

    • Union apprenticeships and jobs fairs for public school students.

Disability Justice

Instead of cosmetic improvements to our streets and infrastructure, New Britain must commit to actually improving accessibility for the disabled members of our community.

As mayor, I will:

  • Make every method of public transportation fully accessible and ADA-compliant.

  • Expand the number of disabled parking spots and permits.

  • Make crosswalks safer for Blind, low-sight, Deaf, and hard of hearing New Britain residents. 

  • Add benches and bus shelters at all bus stops.

  • Fund infrastructure improvements to ensure sidewalks are smooth and safe for wheelchair users and other mobility aids.

  • Provide ASL interpretation, language support services, and image descriptions for all City videos and online resources.

  • Provide accessible versions of content shared at public meetings.

Environmental Justice and Infrastructure

Erin Stewart’s administration has shown not only a complete disregard for our environment, but also the health of our community. I, of course, would never allow big mining companies to destroy our land and poison our water.

​As mayor, I will:

  • Commit to making New Britain’s city government carbon neutral by 2035.

    • Upgrade municipal buildings with solar panels, insulation, and motion-sensing lights.

    • Transition current municipal vehicle fleet to more sustainable alternatives.

  • Explore and invest in Low Impact Development techniques — such as swales — to better handle stormwater, while recharging our freshwater supplies at the same time.

  • Revitalize our pipes and water infrastructure to stem our freshwater loss, prevent erosion, and lower water bills.

    • Using local, union labor with community hiring quotas and apprenticeship programs.​

  • Increase the capacity of Licenses/Permits & Inspections Department to better enforce existing building codes.

  • Update building codes and regulations to mandate better airflow indoors, especially in low-income housing.

    • Mandate safe and sustainable building materials for new projects.

  • Plant more trees in urban areas, as opposed to just cosmetic plants.

  • Ban the use of pesticides on all municipal property.

  • Democratize land use and return decision-making power back to residents and neighborhoods.

    • Explore, promote, and facilitate the creation of community gardens and community land trusts.

  • Explore street redesigns and transit-oriented development, especially in low-income areas, to decrease pollution and car accidents.

Economic Development
and Fiscal Responsibility

For too long, New Britain’s economic development has focused on attracting outside residents & business instead of investing in local talent. My economic development plan focuses on training & resources to cultivate the talent our community already has.

​As mayor, I will:

  • Create an economic development office that assists people in starting their businesses in New Britain from start to finish.

    • The office will assist New Britain residents exclusively, with a focus on promoting women & minority owned businesses.

  • Establish a seed grant & mentorship program for anyone who graduated from NBHS in the last 10 years.

  • Invest in public spaces for residents to create art & music. Fund fellowships for local artists to develop their craft.

  • Reform tax abatement system and limit tax abatements for out-of-town businesses & wealthy developers. Place concrete requirements for tax abatements like: 

    • Create jobs that pay a living wage.

    • Community hiring quotas and apprenticeship programs.

    • Having at least 50% affordable residential living units.

  • Increase the capacity of Licenses/Permits & Inspections Department to better enforce existing building codes.

  • Update building codes and regulations to mandate better airflow indoors, especially in low-income housing.

    • Mandate safe and sustainable building materials for new projects.

  • Re-invest money from private use of parks into a fund for New Britain residents and organizations to host screenings, performances, festivals and concerts for the public in our parks.

    • ​Simplify park rental process for non-profit & community groups.

  • Renegotiate a police union contract that is fair to the taxpayers of New Britain.

  • Place restrictions on the City’s ability to borrow money & restructure debt.

  • Adopt a participatory budget model that prioritizes resident input.

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