Make Room for Growth: An Independent Voter

I love living in La Verne. I love the way my lip curls into a slight smile whenever somebody asks me where I am from. La Verne is a great city.

My campaign is focused on how we make La Verne better and how we make La Verne safer. As a councilmember, my commitment to those goals will not end. As a litigator, I fully understand what it means to represent someone. I take my role as an advocate very seriously. I will strive—at all costs—to make La Verne better.

As a planning commissioner, I had no problem being the lone vote. On multiple occasions, the Planning Commission voted 4-1, with me casting the lone dissenting vote, because I have no problem voting according to my convictions. Each time I cast the lone vote, I prepared written reasons explaining my position.

One such vote involved the City's Housing Element, which placed all of the City's affordable housing units within the Old Town Specific Plan. The housing analysis itself identified concerns about concentrating all affordable housing in one area, which I found compelling. Accordingly, I voted against it.

I will be a voice for the issues facing La Verne and, more specifically, District 1.

ChatGPT Revision

I love living in La Verne.

I love the way my lip curls into a slight smile whenever someone asks me where I am from. I am proud to call La Verne home, and I want future generations to experience the same sense of pride and belonging that my family enjoys today.

My campaign is focused on two simple goals: making La Verne better and making La Verne safer. If elected, those priorities will guide every vote I cast.

As a litigator, I understand what it means to represent someone. Representation is not about saying what is popular. It is about carefully studying the facts, understanding the law, listening to the people you serve, and advocating for what you genuinely believe is in their best interest.

That is how I approached my service on the Planning Commission.

On several occasions, I was the lone dissenting vote in 4-1 decisions because I believed the evidence supported a different outcome. Standing alone has never concerned me if I believe it is the right thing to do. Every time I cast a dissenting vote, I documented my reasoning because I believe public officials owe residents an explanation for their decisions.

One example involved the City's Housing Element. The proposal concentrated all affordable housing within the Old Town Specific Plan, even though the City's own housing analysis identified concerns with concentrating affordable housing in a single area. I found that analysis persuasive and voted accordingly.

Independent judgment is not about opposing others for the sake of disagreement. It is about remaining faithful to the evidence, applying thoughtful judgment, and remembering who you represent.

If elected, I will not cast votes to avoid criticism or simply follow the majority. I will study the issues, explain my reasoning, and vote according to my principles, the facts before me, and the interests of La Verne—especially the residents of District 1.