With the recall of Councilman Perkins the campaign to replace him has begun. This time around I will be centering my campaign around a theme I call Tony's Top 10, which are broken into 3 categories.

Listen to voters

The voters have made it clear that they feel like they're not being heard. These actions will ensure that everyone's voice gets equal weight in the city council chamber.

1. I will respond to calls and emails within 48 hours

One of the main jobs of a city councilman is to respond to concerned citizens. They deserve a prompt response when they reach out.

2. I will knock on the door of every voter at least once per year

Almost every person running for office recognizes the importance of knocking on doors when they're running for office, but that stops after campaign season is over. If elected I will make sure that every voter gets a visit from me at least once per year even when I'm not campaigning.

3. I will host a public meet and greet twice per year

Yet another option for citizens to make contact and ask questions. Having regular contact with the public is criticial to keeping your finger on the pulse of your constituents when you're in office.

4. I will not accept any campaign donations over $1,000

We all know how corrupting special interests can be. When push comes to shove who is the politician going to listen to, a person who can only give a single vote or the person who's funding their campaign? To avoid this issue I will refuse any donation over $1,000. This will allow me to represent the people, not the money.

Day 1 Proposals

If I am elected the following items will appear on the very first study session agenda after I take office.

5. Campaign spending limits and donation limits

We shouldn't have to depend on the good will of politicians to avoid large donations. It should be spelled out in our city charter. Not only campaign donation limits, but campaign spending limits. Campaigns need to be able to get their message out, but voters should be choosing the candidate that is best for the job, not who has the most big money donors.

6. City Council term limits

There's no reason why a single person needs to remain in power for decades at a time. Politicians need to come in, do what they're going to do, then step aside for the next person.

7. Public vote on any public subsidies of more than $50 million

I wrote about this in a previous post, but recent events show that our elected officials have not done a good enough job of communicating with the public when it comes to large projects. This charter amendment will force them to do the hard work of talking to voters when an issue like Crackerneck Creek or the Nebius data center come up.

Issues of Focus

Not every problem can be addressed with a single ordinance or carter change. The following issues are ones that will take continuing focus over several years to improve.

8. Fiscal Stability First

Or city's finances are a desaster. Even with the data center money we're just a couple of years away from running deficits every year again. This has to be our number one priority. We can't help the community if our financial house isn't in order.

9. A vibrant Square and Englewood

These areas aren't just important for the first district, they're important for the first city. If we can get these areas thriving the benefits will spread throughout Northwest Independence and to the rest of the city.

10. Beautification

One of the most common things I heard during the last election cycle was that people wanted Independence to simply look better. As the chair of the city's Sustainability Commission I have already worked on this issue, but we can be doing so much more to make Independence a place that will make other places jealous.