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Menu Home About Me Our Fight Get Involved Donate Now News & Updates Home About Scott Issues Donate Get Involved News Digitize Permits Sacramento’s growth and prosperity is held back by a permitting and approval process that is slow, complex, and costly. We have the ability to deliver housing, open businesses, and build modern infrastructure faster and at far lower costs without diminishing our standards. Our city government should act as a partner to progress, not a barrier. As Councilmember I will advocate to: Streamline and digitize permitting to reduce approval times, lower administrative costs, and provide clear timelines for applicants. Fast-track priority projects that meet clear standards, including infrastructure upgrades, utility installations, adaptive reuse of vacant spaces, and housing that meets affordability criteria. Implement standardized plans and pre-approved designs for common project types, coupled with digital checklists to shorten review cycles and reduce uncertainty. Create a “concierge” service for small businesses and homeowners navigating their first major project with the city. Excessive administrative barriers are more than an annoyance for businesses. Every month of delay in opening a business or building homes we lose jobs, housing, and economic vitality. Small business owners in particular face overwhelming hurdles today, draining their capital and morale before they can even open their doors. Right now we’re telling entrepreneurs that Sacramento is not open for business. The costs are also human. A family waiting months for a simple home addition, a shop owner struggling to expand, or a neighborhood plagued by a vacant lot are daily consequences of a system that prioritizes bureaucracy over outcomes. Furthermore, slow approvals for essential infrastructure such as broadband and cell towers leave entire communities behind in the digital age, harming remote work, education, and even emergency communications. Together we can demonstrate a city government that is competent, responsive, and firmly on the side of its residents. Let’s build a Sacramento that says yes to progress.

Menu Home About Me Our Fight Get Involved Donate Now News & Updates Home About Scott Issues Donate Get Involved News Finish Our Bike Trail Finishing our bike trail system means achieving true connectivity while enhancing neighborhood safety and quality of life. A complete trail network must serve as a safe corridor for recreation and transportation, as well as a secure asset for every community it touches. As Councilmember I will advocate to: Complete the remaining critical gaps to create a continuous, safe, and intuitive route for cyclists and pedestrians. Respect and address resident safety concerns by designing trail segments with appropriate fencing, landscaping buffers, and controlled access points to protect adjacent private property. Enhance safety infrastructure through improved lighting, clear sightlines, and the strategic use of security cameras or emergency call boxes in consultation with law enforcement. Mandate direct collaboration with residents, HOAs, and public safety officials before finalizing any construction plans, ensuring trail design reflects community input. For too long, our bike trail conversation has been stalled between those demanding connectivity and those fearing the consequences. These real fears are often dismissed as simple NIMBY-ism but that label misses the core of the issue for many residents. This conflict stems from a clash between historic property maps and modern public use. In some areas residents have deeds, surveys, or long-held relationships with land the city identifies for public trail use. From this perspective it’s more than an inconvenience. The perception of government overreach fundamentally erodes trust and turns a community amenity into a symbol of alienation. Public assets cannot be built on a foundation of resentment. Good design must be paired with good faith. Before any design work we should have clear communication about easements, property lines, and fair processes. For a trail to be successful neighboring residents must see it as an benefit to the community. By proactively addressing these concerns and by integrating security features like controlled access and lighting from the outset, we can build trails that are both welcoming for the public and respectful to the homes beside them. Finishing the trail is a win-win: It provides a vital, car-free artery for Sacramento families to enjoy our city’s beauty while demonstrating that City Hall can listen and build infrastructure that strengthens our communities.

Menu Home About Me Our Fight Get Involved Donate Now News & Updates Home About Scott Issues Donate Get Involved News Fix Our Streets Our streets are our circulatory system, connecting us to work, school, and each other. Their condition is not just about potholes; it’s a direct measure of public safety and civic responsibility. Let’s implement a proactive, data-driven strategy that prioritizes fixing what we have to make it safe, ensuring every dollar spent prevents accidents, protects residents, and preserves our infrastructure for the long term. As Councilmember I will advocate to: Adopt a “Fix-It-First” maintenance strategy to repair deteriorating streets before they become hazardous and far more expensive to rebuild. Use crash, pavement, and traffic data to prioritize repairs on high-risk corridors, targeting potholes, uneven surfaces, and faded striping that endanger all users. Integrate critical safety upgrades into every repaving project, including high-visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant ramps, and improved lighting. Deploy proven, cost-effective traffic calming like rumble strips, visual narrowing, and rapid-flash beacons to slow traffic and protect neighborhoods without impeding emergency response. Ensure repairs strengthen the street for everyone including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, seniors, and families. For too many Sacramento residents, “fixing our streets” has meant a reactive, patchwork response to complaints. This approach is both inefficient and dangerous. It allows small problems to become safety hazards and major capital projects, wasting taxpayer money and failing to address the root cause of risk. The true cost of neglected streets is measured in bent rims, but also in emergency room visits and preventable tragedies. A faded crosswalk or a missing curb ramp isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a barrier for a senior or a parent with a stroller, and an invisible hazard for a driver on a rainy night. By pairing urgent maintenance with targeted safety upgrades, we stop managing decline and start building inherently safer corridors. I’d like to implement a strategy that is pragmatic and fair. It uses objective data to direct resources where the need is greatest, ensuring equity across neighborhoods. It recognizes that a well-maintained street with clear markings and safe crossings is the foundation of a livable community where kids can walk to school, businesses can thrive, and families feel secure. Fixing our streets the right way is a down payment on Sacramento’s future. It demonstrates competent, fiscally responsible governance that values safety over shortcuts and invests in the basic infrastructure that binds our city together. Let’s build streets that are not just smooth to drive on, but safe for every person who uses them.

Menu Home About Me Our Fight Get Involved Donate Now News & Updates Home About Scott Issues Donate Get Involved News Small Business Small businesses are the backbone of our neighborhoods. They provide jobs, stability, and opportunity to families all across Sacramento. Unfortunately, businesses and services have virtually disappeared from our district and many entrepreneurs face a permit process today that is slow, expensive, and inefficient. This barrier often delays openings and prevents businesses from opening altogether, leaving storefronts vacant and commercial corridors struggling. PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED Our permitting process is slow, expensive, and inefficient Administrative delays prevent small businesses from opening their doors Business owners are not incentivized to conduct business in our district Goals Conduct a top-to-bottom audit to identify and abolish outdated licenses that serve no public safety purpose, effectively removing the double-tax on local entrepreneurs and common-sense property improvements Implement a digital portal with a 30-day “Shot-Clock” guarantee to ensure City Hall works at the speed of business rather than the speed of bureaucracy Digitize the permit process and introduce a tiered fee structure that provides immediate relief to micro-businesses and startups Sacramento should streamline and modernize its permitting process to reduce red tape, shorten approval timelines, and remove unnecessary costs. By lightening the load on small businesses we can encourage new restaurants, shops, and services to open their doors and breathe life into empty retail spaces. Read more about streamlining permits. Supporting small business creates economic opportunity and is a smart fiscal policy. Thriving local businesses generate sales tax revenue, create jobs, and strengthen the city’s long-term funding sources. A healthier business environment helps stabilize the city budget while reducing reliance on short-term fixes and one-time revenues. When small businesses succeed, families succeed, neighborhoods thrive, and our community benefits from a stronger and more sustainable local economy.

Menu Home About Me Our Fight Get Involved Donate Now News & Updates Home About Scott Issues Donate Get Involved News Affordability Affordability means lowering the total cost of living, not just the price of housing. Between housing costs, transportation, and access to basic services many families cannot afford to build a stable life in Sacramento today. When one of these becomes too expensive, pressure is placed on every other aspect of life. PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED Too many “mini-mansions” are built out of residents’ price range Public transit is inaccessible or inconvenient for many Utilities are expensive and outdated; Some areas still use power lines Goals Prioritize starter homes and missing middle-housing to create entry points into homeownership Design new housing near transit and integrate transit options into existing developments Upgrade utilities in tandem with housing development to support modern living Expand broadband infrastructure to support remote work and learning Explore free and low-cost internet programs; Reclassify internet as an essential utility Utilize infrastructure upgrades to improve economic mobility and affordability For decades homeownership followed a ladder: Residents began with smaller, more affordable homes, then built equity as their careers grew. That ladder has broken down. Today, we are building housing at price points far beyond what first-time buyers can afford. Development has also become disconnected from transit, forcing families to rely on long commutes and rising fuel costs just to get by. Affordability depends on infrastructure that supports modern living. Reliable transit options give residents alternatives to car ownership. Walking and biking routes reduce transportation costs, decrease congestion, and expand access to jobs and education. Internet access should not be treated as a luxury. It is an essential for work-from-home jobs, remote learning, telehealth, and everyday communication. When we upgrade our infrastructure, we should expand broadband access and explore free or low-cost internet programs so families can fully participate in today’s economy. By designing housing along transit, alternative transportation, and modern utilities Sacramento can lower costs for residents while creating opportunity. My approach is not only focused on making housing more affordable but making life more affordable overall. Let’s give families a choice in how they live, work, and move around the city.

Menu Home About Me Our Fight Get Involved Donate Now News & Updates Home About Scott Issues Donate Get Involved News Public Safety Public safety is built daily through thoughtful design and proactive intervention to prevent harm before it occurs. My vision is a Sacramento where safety is designed into every block from well-lit streets, to policies that compassionately address homelessness, and a layered security strategy that allows our police to focus on protecting the community from serious crime. Public safety is the foundation of a thriving city andvery resident should feel secure in their neighborhood. PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED Our city’s current homelessness strategy is not working Vacant commerical lots encourage loitering and vandalism Dark public spaces reduce residents’ sense of safety Goals Adopt a three-tier strategy to address homelessness which partners with programs to provide rapid housing for those ready to accept it, drug and alcohol treatment for those who need it, and mental healthcare for those who cannot help themselves Prioritize road repairs to include safety features such as clear striping, high-visibility crosswalks, and traffic-calming design Upgrade lighting in parks, trails, and commercial areas to increase visibility, deter illegal activity, and restore peace-of-mind after dark Employ public safety officers in business districts to act as “first callers”, allowing our police force to focus on violent and serious offenses Goals Adopt a three-tier strategy to address homelessness which partners with programs to provide rapid housing for those ready to accept it, drug and alcohol treatment for those who need it, and mental healthcare for those who cannot help themselves Prioritize road repairs to include safety features such as clear striping, high-visibility crosswalks, and traffic-calming design Upgrade lighting in parks, trails, and commercial areas to increase visibility, deter illegal activity, and restore peace-of-mind after dark Employ public safety officers in business districts to act as “first callers”, allowing our police force to focus on violent and serious offenses For too long public safety has been equated with the number of police officers. While a fully staffed police department is essential, safety is determined long before a 911 call is made. A dark street, a sidewalk obstructed by an untreated mental health crisis, and a business district where vandalism goes unchallenged are all public safety failures. Our current approach asks police to solve problems they are not designed to fix, stretching resources thin and deepening community frustration. Read more about fixing our streets.  We must be smarter. By differentiating between those who need a helping hand versus professional intervention we can address homelessness with compassion and accountability. We can prevent tragedies by designing roads that naturally reduce speeds and illuminate our public spaces to reclaim them for everyone. With trained security personnel we can protect small businesses, improve quality-of-life for residents, and allow our peace officers to concentrate on work that truly requires their expertise. I’d like our city to move from merely responding to crime to preventing it. Let’s create a Sacramento where everyone feels safe and an environment itself that is designed with security in mind.