When roughly one in three Saginaw residents lives in poverty, every decision at City Hall has to consider what it means at somebody's kitchen table. A water bill matters. A grocery bill matters. A pothole that destroys a tire matters. A senior trying to remain in the home they worked their whole life for matters. A person without stable housing matters.

I want Saginaw to focus on the basics that directly affect quality of life: affordable city services, better roads and infrastructure, safe and stable neighborhoods, housing, food access, seniors, blight, and responsible development. City government should understand that every dollar matters when people are already stretching every dollar they have.

Public safety does not begin when police lights come on. It begins much earlier — when a young person has somewhere safe to go, adults who believe in them, opportunities to learn and work, and a reason to believe their future can be right here in Saginaw.

For three years, I have helped take approximately 100 Saginaw students to Lansing each year, giving young people the opportunity to learn advocacy, meet decision-makers, participate in meetings, and understand that their voice belongs at the table.

I want us to continue investing in youth programs, after-school opportunities, community violence intervention, recreation, mentoring, literacy, summer employment, apprenticeships, and career pathways. Organizations already doing this work should not have to start from zero every year wondering whether the work can continue. Investing in our children is one of the strongest investments we can make in public safety and the future of Saginaw.

I believe there is a difference between honesty and transparency. Government information may technically be available — but that does not mean it is reaching the people. Through Black News Tonight and our City Council debates, I saw firsthand what happened when local government information reached residents through platforms like Facebook: people paid attention and participated.

I want residents to be able to easily follow Council meetings, understand major votes and budget decisions, and know how those decisions affect their neighborhoods and their families. I support bringing city information to the platforms residents already use, regular conversations in neighborhoods throughout Saginaw, and explaining complicated government decisions in everyday language.

I know one councilmember cannot accomplish everything alone. Progress requires collaboration. My experience as an organizer has taught me how to bring together people with different backgrounds, ideas, cultures, and perspectives and find the common ground necessary to move something forward. Your government should not simply be open to you. It should reach you.