If you read my opponent Anthony Ricciardelli’s positions, they sound a lot like mine. That’s because it’s easy for a City Council candidate to make promises. But if you look at his voting record on Council – where he has to walk the talk – it doesn’t match up to his talk. While Anthony pays lip service to the same good ideas that I do, he is backed by the Plano Citizens Council. And that group seems to dictate how he votes.
Public Safety:
What Anthony said:
“I will always provide the resources our Police, Fire, and EMS need to keep us safe.”
How Anthony voted:
Anthony voted against a sensible budget proposal, effectively limiting the City Manager’s ability to fulfill the budget needs of our first responders for personnel, training, and equipment!
How I’ll vote:
As your City Council representative, I will always take a sensible approach to the budget so that those things that our citizens value above all do not wind up being cut just to follow some dogmatic political agenda.
Keeping Plano Suburban:
What Anthony said:
“Plano must focus on land uses that are consistent with the suburban character of the community that we all know and love, limiting high-density development.”
How Anthony voted:
While paying lip service to Plano’s suburban character, over the past two years Anthony approved THOUSANDS of new apartments and office buildings in the biggest high-density developments in Plano in over a decade.
How I’ll Vote:
As your City Council representative, I will make sure that new developments are compatible with their surrounding neighborhoods and that they have a clear benefit to our City and our citizens. We need redevelopment that occurs away from our single-family neighborhoods. To keep our taxes low, we need to maintain our corporate and employment base that pays 51% of the taxes in Plano.
Budget
What Anthony said:
“I have taken a stand for fiscal responsibility. I successfully advocated for the Council to decrease the tax rate to what is known as the “effective tax rate.”
How Anthony voted:
What Anthony doesn’t tell you is that voting for the effective tax rate (ETR) means keeping the amount we pay the same, even if costs increase. Since costs increase, that means something has to go. Shall we postpone road repairs and even more later? Cut back on our police, fire, library, or parks? Anthony is prepared to hold our city hostage while making our departments compete for rapidly decreasing budget dollars leading to less effective and smaller government.
How I’ll vote:
I want to continue living in one of the safest cities in America. We need to take the shackles off the City Manager for public safety. We can remain the city with the lowest tax rates while enjoying the best services in North Texas.
Business Climate
What Anthony said:
“I have worked to promote a strong business climate that supports small business owners, cultivates cutting-edge innovators, and attracts blue-chip employers from around the globe.”
How Anthony voted:
Anthony voted against funding for The Turning Point, Plano’s only rape crisis center. He voted against a mandatory masks ordinance that would help our retail and service businesses keep both customers and employees safe. In his 2017 campaign, he indicated a desire to water down Plano’s Equal Rights Ordinance.
How I’ll vote:
As your City Council representative, I will put your health and safety first. I will vote for policies that will continue to keep Plano a diverse and inclusive city that’s a favored destination for businesses.
My positions on issues important to Plano residents are clear. Please see the Issues page on my website for information on where I stand. If you have any questions, please reach out to me directly via the Contact page or on Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you and look forward to your vote.
