To learn how we produced the 2026 town election Q&A, read here.

Resident of Colorado for 51 years. Resident of Fraser for 51 years.

Q: In your opinion, what are the three most important issues facing Fraser over the next four years, and what specifically would you like the Board of Trustees to do about them?

Water, our budget and workforce housing. We need to evaluate the trend toward less water while people and regulations still have the same expectations. I don’t have specifics yet on how we’ll handle it. It will be a team effort.

We need to keep the town financially solvent. If the trends affecting winter tourism continue, that directly affects the tax income that funds our budget. We may have to take a harder look at the projects we can do. We also need to make workforce housing affordable to as many local workers as we can and maintain that affordability.

General question 2: What is one area where you believe the town should be spending more money, and one area where you believe spending should be more carefully scrutinized?

More research on our water issues and what water we’ll actually have should be our biggest focus, including whether we need to reduce new development or create strict water-use rules. We have great potential projects coming, but we may have to cut back on recreational opportunities for locals and visitors, as well as the public works facility expansion.

Q: What is one area where you believe the town should be spending more money, and one area where you believe spending should be more carefully scrutinized?

We need our locals and our visitors, and we need to figure out a way for everyone to get along. When setting utility rates, I believe we should consider long-term residents who helped build the existing infrastructure and have supported it all along.

I would encourage people who are upset to come to the mayor’s hours or make an appointment with our town manager so their concerns can be heard.

Q: How should the town balance the needs of year-round residents, local businesses, second-home owners and visitors when those interests conflict?

We need our locals and our visitors, and we need to figure out a way for everyone to get along. When setting utility rates, I believe we should consider long-term residents who helped build the existing infrastructure and have supported it all along.

I would encourage people who are upset to come to the mayor’s hours or make an appointment with our town manager so their concerns can be heard.

Q: What should the town be doing to support locally owned businesses and strengthen the year-round economy?

We have incentives and matching grants for local businesses to improve their exteriors. I would encourage developers bringing in new businesses to work with local businesses first, such as additional coffee shops with the same owners. We will also look into other businesses and opportunities for locals and visitors.

Andy Miller suggested a trade school with tools and space where people could learn to build small homes and create a local community. Nothing has moved forward yet, but I think it’s a wonderful idea.

Q: In a situation where trustees try to make a decision that a vocal group of residents strongly oppose, how would you approach that situation?

Stay calm, listen to all concerns, publicly evaluate the impacts on the town and our limited budget, and then support the board in whatever decision it makes. Recently, people in the coffee shop had questions for me. I sat down with them, and it was a great conversation.

Q: At the end of your term, what specific accomplishments would make you say your time as a trustee was successful?

St. Louis Landing would be fully occupied, the daycare would be operating, the Riverwalk District would be becoming vibrant, and the public arts facility would be operating and hosting events. I’d also like dark-sky regulations in collaboration with the county and a funding source for our transportation system.

Q: Fraser says it has made workforce housing and affordable housing as one of its top priorities. What specific housing strategy would you support, and how would you measure whether the town’s housing investments are actually helping local workers?

Fortunately, we have staff that does that work. The board’s job is to direct, protect and enable: direct the town manager, protect the town and staff financially and in other ways, and help staff accomplish the goals we set.

The manager oversees department heads, and they get the work done. We meet as a board, decide what we want, direct our manager, and she reports back to us. We should not micromanage individual staff members or tell them what to do. That creates mixed messages and is dysfunctional. This approach has been very effective for Fraser, and I think it’s a big reason we’ve accomplished so much in the last 12 years.

Q: The town has identified creating a more vibrant, walkable downtown as a priority. What would you specifically like to see change in downtown Fraser over the next four years?

We need a pedestrian crossing on Eisenhower at the railroad crossing. We got sidewalks there two years ago, as well as on Norgren connecting toward the housing off Mill Avenue.

A pedestrian underpass from Grand Park Drive to the bike park and Fraser River Trail would be pricey, but it’s a big walkability priority. Families wouldn’t have to negotiate Highway 40, and traffic could improve because people wouldn’t need to use a stoplight to cross the highway. Our existing sidewalks and the Fraser River Trail are good, and plans for better signage are already in the works.

Q: Fraser has been exploring a transition to home rule, which could give the town greater authority over local governance and policy. What is your opinion on home rule? 

I have mixed feelings about home rule. It could be really good for the town, but there could be drawbacks. I worry that some individuals might have more influence over the rules they want, and about taxation without representation. Those are possibilities; I don’t know enough yet to take a position.

The board will work diligently to evaluate it. It will be a serious process with a lot to learn. I don’t have an absolute yes or no. I’m still weighing both sides.

Q: What should Fraser’s role be in regional transit, and how much should the town be willing to invest in improving alternatives to private vehicles?

We need public transportation. Winter Park established a good transit program, and Fraser contracts with it. I think we should continue that arrangement, pay for our service area and some additional costs, and find a funding mechanism. Transportation is expensive, but it should not come at the expense of public services, infrastructure or the town’s ability to operate.

If small businesses can help fill gaps, that would be great. We all need to work together. I also believe Winter Park Resort needs to contribute more. A large majority of riders, based on the survey, use the bus to go to Winter Park, and limited parking there creates a need for transportation.