“In psychology, I teach students the hierarchy of needs—that you cannot reach your fullest potential until your basic needs are met.

Basic needs include: housing, food access, safety, and physical/mental health. This is the perspective I bring to council and how I prioritize the issues that I work on.”

LIZ IS LEADING

  • Liz fights to protect our natural resources.

    • Chairs the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee

    • Collaborated with stakeholders to protect our tree canopy from utility clear-cutting

    • Voted to create Lexington’s first Sustainability Coordinator position to enhance our environmentally-friendly practices

    • Invested $2 million in Solarize Lexington, giving low-to-moderate income residents the opportunity to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprints

  • Liz fights for holistic community safety.

    • Supported police and fire departments with funds for new equipment and voted for premium pay for public safety employees

    • Supported expanding the role of the Citizens’ Advocate, in response to community feedback to increase transparency in policing

    • Citizen’s Police Academy Graduate in Fall 2021, Citizens’ Fire Academy Graduate in Spring 2023 and Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Preparedness Certificate in Fall 2023

    • Reimagined our built environment with safety for pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, our youth and our seniors at the center by leading on Lexington’s Complete Streets Action Plan

  • Liz fights for our neighborhoods.

    • Works directly with neighborhood associations and residents to address speeding, repairing residential streets, and other key issues

    • Voted to invest more than $10 million to improve our Parks & Recreation, such as Ecton Park, Mt. Tabor Park, and Lansdowne Merrick Park

    • Invested in meeting the basic needs of the most vulnerable in our community by doubling funding for Lexington’s homelessness prevention and intervention efforts

    • Sponsored legislation to implement regulations on Short Term Rentals to protect our residential areas

  • Liz fights to empower our community.

    • Voted for a $5 million small business loan program to protect local businesses

    • Co-sponsored legislation to ban conversion therapy for minors

    • Fought to achieve a Municipal Equality Index of 114—the highest score ever for Lexington and now the highest score in Kentucky

    • Advocated for a more equitable community by securing funding for and assisting in the selection of a vendor to review ADA improvements for our local government-owned buildings and parks

  • Liz fights for smart growth.

    • Voted for a comprehensive plan that addressed our housing crisis, environmental sustainability, community services, and quality of life

    • Initiated an amendment that inserted text into the public infrastructure program requirements to explicitly support infrastructure for housing development  Public Infrastructure funds housing amendment

    • Voted to modernize our zoning ordinances to update regulations along our major corridors, increase infill and redevelopment projects, and support walkable neighborhoods

    • Supported the planning staff recommendations to reduce the parking minimums to use our land more efficiently and encourage less reliance on cars

    • Consistently supported of investment in our Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program to conserve agricultural land

Liz on the Issues

Hear directly from Liz on the issues in the 5th District Candidate Forum made possible by the League of Women Voters and CivicLex.

“I remain committed to doing the work to help make Lexington a place where everyone can reach their full potential, regardless of their zip code or identity. A place where all our basic needs are met, and everyone feels like they belong. A place where our young people see opportunity for their future, and our seniors can age in place and live as independently as they wish.

We make this a reality with a robust transportation network, including walkable communities; increasing our housing availability and affordability; investing in our workforce and economic development; protecting our environmental resources; and doing all we can to ensure our governmental services are operating efficiently and effectively.

I am working towards this vision with my service on council, but can’t do it alone. I urge you to join me in creating a community where everyone can comfortably live, work, and play. Reach out to me, join a board or commission, engage with your neighborhood association, or volunteer with a nonprofit. Let’s continue working to preserve the uniqueness of Lexington while shaping our future—together.”