Continue the Progress
As your Mayor, my pledge is to continue the successes we’ve achieved so far, and to set realistic — and optimistic — goals for my next term by continuing to do the following:
Prioritize Public Safety
We have added 18 police and enforcement positions, 15 positions to our Fire Department and increased staffing at E-911. We’ve also invested heavily in equipment to help ensure they have the tools necessary to do the job safely and successfully. During this time, key crime statistics have improved and we have maintained our prestigious Class 1 ISO rating, which significantly reduces costs for homeowners every year. I will continue to put more boots on the ground where they are needed most.
Govern with Fiscally Conservative Principles
For the first time in nearly a decade, I presented a balanced budget to the City Council in 2022, then again in 2023 and once again this year (2024). We must continue to invest in our city in a transparent and efficient manner.
Work with Caring Groups and Individuals
to Help the Most Vulnerable in Our Community
Our administration has welcomed the opportunity to support groups like Project Search, who help young adults with varying challenges find independence. We have forged a relationship with Breaking Bonds Ministries to give those struggling with addiction or a regretful past a second chance instead of facing a life of recidivism. We have sent critical funding to nonprofits with expertise to help prevent or address housing insecurity and homelessness and we created Project Care, a collection of more than 30 nonprofits, to share information and services for those in need.
Improve City Sanitation Services
Making sure your trash and recycling is picked up on time and efficiently may not be exciting, but it is critical. Shortly after taking office, we invested in a comprehensive plan to improve the efficiency of our sanitation service. As our city continues to grow, we must continue to invest in our fleet. We have upgraded our sanitation fleet, implemented route improvements and developed internal policies to improve the service to Jonesboro residents.
Invest in Our Youth
If we want to retain our best and brightest, we must incorporate them into our community in a way that lets them see a successful career path right here in Jonesboro. Months into this administration we created the Youth Advancement Council, which has grown considerably each year and now consists of more than 80 high school students representing every school in Jonesboro. We have also increased involvement with local schools and youth groups to build up the next generation of Jonesboro leadership.
Cleanup Jonesboro
We’ve added positions to Code Enforcement to take on neighborhood blight. We’ve also condemned and removed or rehabilitated more than 100 blighted structures that hurt property values and neighborhood pride. We have dedicated a city crew and partnered with Breaking Bonds and Keep Jonesboro Beautiful to remove litter and unsightliness from our city streets and drainageways. We have instituted monthly neighborhood cleanups around the city which in the last 2 years alone have removed more than 200 tons of junk plus thousands of used tires from our neighborhoods and backyards.
Prioritize Transparency in How Your Tax Dollars are Managed
We simplified the budget layout to make it reader-friendly and each month we publish every accounts-payable transaction on our website. We release detailed city financial reports and we televise, live stream and video city meetings. I have authorized software enhancements to ensure Freedom of Information Requests are handled quickly, and worked with the City Council to institute an electronic voting system that allows you to see votes in real-time.
Invest in Our Streets
Following a study that provided an assessment of every city street and identified problem areas, we are now working the plan. When I took office, our annual road overlay budget was badly underfunded at only $500,000. In 2022 that number was doubled to $1 million. In 2023 it was doubled again to $2 million, and in 2024 we will spend more than $2.5 million repaving roads in poor condition. Not only are we investing more in roads, we are focusing on quality roadways in ALL areas of Jonesboro. There is still work to do, but we are catching up.
Work with Experts to Realistically Reduce Mosquito Populations
Anyone who says they can eliminate mosquitos in Jonesboro is selling a pipe dream. What we will continue doing is to work with actual entomologists and scientists to identify best practices to minimize breeding areas and apply treatments in the most effective manner. A big factor in mosquito control is removing backyard blight such as old tires, buckets and containers that provide stagnant water for millions of mosquito larvae. Concurrently, we have also invested in cleaning and refacing drainage areas to keep water moving instead of standing.
Prioritize Pedestrian Access Investments
As with streets maintenance, our administration has exponentially increased funding for sidewalks, sidepaths, trails and street crossings to allow children, families and pedestrians to more safely walk and ride in Jonesboro. Those with mobility difficulties now have new opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and students of all ages are safer walking or riding their bikes around schools.
Invest in Our First-Class Parks System
Under my watch we have completed capital improvement park projects large and small. These have included: 1) transforming the old closed-down YMCA into a completely renovated bustling community center; 2) turfing playing fields at Joe Mack so children can play soccer or football regardless of weather; 3) opening a new spacious and shaded dog park; 4) building first-class mountain bike trails at Craighead Forest; and 5) constructing the first new public pool in a generation — just to name a few.
Improve Drainage Issues in Jonesboro
We have made major investments in the efficiency of our drainage network and helped secure funding for a massive Army Corp of Engineers project to clean out and widen drainageways connected to the St. Francis River System that will greatly reduce system backups when complete. Jonesboro will always face challenges with flooding due to geography and some low-lying development, but through enforcing building codes in flood zones, investing in system deficiencies, maintaining ditch networks and building retention ponds we are reducing the frequency of structure impacts.
Invest in School Safety
Our children must be safe at school. We have worked with local schools to integrate monitoring and detection systems to identify threats before they escalate. We have increased our social media traffic monitoring programs to flag concerning threats or rhetoric, and have added School Resource Officers (SROs) on campuses.
Fight to Bring Every Available State and Federal Dollar to Our Community
Building strong relationships with our state and federal legislative delegations is critical to our success. I am proud of the more than $20 million in federal funding Jonesboro has landed in just the last two years. On the state side, Jonesboro is on tap to see more than $100 million in highway investments come online in the next few years. These funds provide critical safety, infrastructure and quality of life improvements for Jonesboro.
Invest in the Hard-Working City of Jonesboro Employees
Taking office during a pandemic presented a challenge no city government had ever faced. Nationally, staffing shortages were the norm and service levels suffered; Jonesboro City Government was not immune. To help combat this potential staffing crisis we provided the first significant pay adjustment for city employees, including significant enhancements for those in our street, sanitation, fire, police and E-911 departments in years. Attracting and retaining good city Employees are critical to providing quality service levels to all Jonesboro residents.
Prioritize Communications with the Community
No longer do you get all your news from one or two local sources. To help engage, educate and raise awareness of City business, we must connect on various platforms to help us not only keep you informed about what we are doing, but also provide you with multiple ways and means to express your thoughts, concerns and ideas to us.
Treat All Those Looking to do Business in Jonesboro Equally and Fairly
As Mayor, I don’t and won’t play favorites. I believe in treating everyone fairly and applying the same rules to everybody. As long as I am mayor, the safety of Jonesboro residents will never be compromised because the city was willing to look the other way.
Listen to the Community
Not every problem can be fixed and not every good idea is feasible, but this administration will always strive to do our best.
Dedicate Myself to Improving this Community for the Long Haul
A City must have stability. Without it you will not retain quality staff, build trust, or successfully plan for the long- term.
Represent Jonesboro with Dignity, Integrity and Humility
The bottom line is I love this community too much to abandon my principles just to win an election.
Get Involved
Progress isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, and I’m asking you to continue on that path with me for the next four years. If you’d like to support my campaign, please click below.
