“A republic, if you can keep it” - Benjamin Franklin
- What the Founders intended
Create an informal “Commissioner’s Cabinet” comprised of anyone who'd like to directly provide feedback to me during my tenure as a commissioner
Lower property tax by lowering county mill levy
Call on the school district to lower their mill levy, cut their non-essential administrative roles, reduce their leadership pay rates, and increase teacher's pay rates
Call on state, municipalities, and other taxing authorities to lower their mill levies
Reform the zoning and permitting processes for ag land, from whitelisting (allowed uses) to blacklisting (prohibited uses). A paradigm shift to restore freedom and property rights
Reduce Public Health’s heavy dependence on federal and state funds, to re-gain local control on public health issues
Declare Mesa County as a non-sanctuary county for the unwanted wolves. It goes against the principle of being a home rule state when people from one group of counties can make decisions for people from another group of counties
Call on the state legislature to repeal the wolf reintroduction law
Call on CPW to follow the letter of the law (Proposition 114) and terminate the offsprings of the already introduced collared wolves and stop introducing more wolves, as allowed by the USFWS’ ruling
- What We the People want
Repeal the Palisade solar power plant project. Land would need to be rezoned to I-2 for power generation for non-private use, and I-2 is not compatible with the area. Furthermore, I don't believe there is such a thing as "agrivoltaics" that can be justified from the farming standpoint
Oppose the proposed national monument designation of the Dolores Canyons
- What human society needs
Maximum exemption for Family-Operated Agriculture (FOA) from zoning and building codes, if ag/rural zoned. Only one condition: No actionable complaints from neighbors
Any activity or structure that leads to value-added products and services, as long as the products or services are derived from or based on what is produced on the ag land by the owner family, shall be considered ag and exempt. This includes, but is not limited to, tours, boarding, lodging, camping, retail, restaurants, wineries, distilleries, dairies, etc.
Transform the current Ag Advisory Panel into a Family-Operated Agriculture Commission, funded by local donations, that provides the following additional functions:
Farm startup assistance: Guide new farmers through the startup stage
Farmland protection: Farmland, being a nonrenewable productive resource that is rendered unusable once paved, developed, and annexed by municipalities, should have a county willing to fight for it on behalf of farmers
Contain housing developers and builders within municipalities, instead of acquiescing to their sprawling into the ag and rural areas
- What everyone yearns for
County government should not be in the role of playing an HOA
Repeal short term rental codes
Repeal unnecessary septic system codes
Reform ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) restriction codes. This will not only fundamentally reduce the cost of living, but also encourage multi-generational households that are essential to sustain the family operated agriculture and be committed to the long term stewardship of the land
Legalize greywater reuse
Repeal any code that prohibits RVs, tiny homes, or temporary structures from being used for year-round dwelling in rural and ag areas. Farm or home ownership has to start somewhere. The homeless need to be given the opportunity to start a home, as well, and the same goes for the beginning farmers
The current way of how properties are taxed is not fair for most people. It is taxation on unrealized gains of estimated values. We need to find a better way that can cope with a fluctuating market
- What makes Mesa County unique
Promote and incentivize farm-to-table entrepreneurship in business and agriculture
Promote and incentivize preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive re-use of historic landmarks
Promote and incentivize the spirit of the west and the sense of adventure through farming, ranching, hunting, gathering, and outdoor recreation to re-establish the understanding that we need to rely on our neighbors to assist us in accomplishing our goals and resolving conflicts, instead of outsourcing these responsibilities to the governments via zoning and building codes