TRANSPARENCY and
OPEN COMMUNICATION

I was stunned to learn about the City’s fiscal emergency in 2021. Like many residents, I wanted to understand how revenues were growing, but we were still struggling financially. That’s why transparency in the City’s processes is so badly needed: We need to know what money is flowing into and out of City Hall. We need an open government willing to address the concerns of the people.

We need transparency more than ever.

As mayor, I will simplify the reporting process to create a format that gives a clearer picture of all funds awarded to the City, especially around the use of tax dollars. I want residents to have an inside view of the City’s key planning and financial management decisions that impact the community. Additionally, my administration will develop a Community Annual Report for more transparency and accountability concerning City services. The report could also include key projects, expenditures, accomplishments, policies, and goals, among other areas of concern. Given the complexities of the City’s finances, I would also recommend that we host budget town hall meetings before the budget is adopted to increase transparency and understanding among our residents.

Having transparency and open communication is critical to how the City must operate. Having the proper communication tools to deliver information to our multi-generational, multi-ethnic residents is much needed. To that end, we should also embed Spanish-language translators at City presentations so all residents are included. Residents need frequent updates about programs, resources, services, and actions taken by the City Council. It’s also time to update aging technology so access to information is easy both online and in person.

HOUSING

Inglewood is a proud family community with beautiful neighborhoods and amazing people. However, this great community of residents won’t last long at the current rate of development. Instead of focusing on building more entertainment venues, our priority must be on providing more affordable housing solutions. As the City grows, we must help stabilize families with safe, affordable housing and protect residents from unnecessary tax increases.

Since Inglewood has become a magnet for developers and investors, long-time residents are being driven from their homes, and families are being priced out of opportunities to purchase a house. Solving our housing issue is complicated. With the median household income for Inglewood residents at less than $60K, housing developers who build new properties should be required to include affordable housing units for residents who qualify as extremely-low, very-low, and low to moderate income earners.

As mayor, I want to ensure federal and state dollars get into the hands of families who need help staying in their homes in a timely manner. Our long-term goal should be to increase affordable housing units and home ownership among Inglewood residents. Additionally, we need to take care of our seniors, making sure they have affordable, stable housing so they don’t face homelessness.

Housing across the City should be comfortable. The City’s Residential Parking Permit Program presents another housing-related issue. While the program is supposed to help combat stadium event parking, it causes more quality-of-life issues and adds another burden, including a requirement for visitor parking passes. We need to revisit this program.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

While the City is on track to becoming a large Entertainment District, that vision should include support for small businesses and community engagement. With empty stores and shuttered businesses, residents have limited options for dining, amenities, and services that leave consumers no choice but to spend their money outside Inglewood. That means we must identify smart strategies to help spur economic development that adds a wider mix of businesses big and small across the entire City. One possible way to boost and preserve small businesses could be to allocate City dollars for grants or low-interest loans that will help with start-up costs, expansion, and/or maintenance. It’s important that the City become a partner with small businesses, helping them to prosper. As mayor, I will focus on keeping our tax dollars circulating within our neighborhoods and on creating employment opportunities that elevate residents into the middle class. Our economic development plan must include collaboration with thriving industries so residents can compete for higher-paying jobs and truly live like champions.

EDUCATION CHANGES EVERYTHING

Everything in Inglewood has changed except for our education system. The Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) has been under state control for a decade. Now, the L.A. County Office of Education oversees the District with a County Administrator who makes decisions for our schools. The District is required to repay a state loan of $29 million, although it is approved to use up to $55 million in loans that are available. Sadly, about 500 students are leaving Inglewood schools every year. This impacts the District’s ability to repay the loan and invest in our schools.

Our kids deserve better.

Our children are bright and talented, but they need more support. With the City laser-focused on development, it has overlooked investment opportunities to support strong, quality schools.

Education is an economic driver. The more education our residents have, the more opportunities they have to earn higher wages. With 15% of Inglewood residents living at the poverty line, access to quality education can be life-changing.

The City must become an active partner with IUSD to help identify real solutions to protect our kids from failing schools and give families access to local quality education. Our focus must continue to be on academic excellence, school safety measures, and enrollment. Our Inglewood Renaissance should include cultivating strong schools, so our students have the best chance to succeed, including adult learners.

As mayor, I believe the way forward is to strengthen our schools. By leveraging the City’s relationships with state and federal agencies, we can secure resources to help the District rebound. The City must also be an active partner with the District to identify patterns of low performance and help locate additional resources that boost higher student achievement. So, while we should celebrate everything in Inglewood that is new, let’s not neglect the true agent of change – education.

SAFER COMMUNITIES and
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Residents are concerned about rising crime incidents. To make our neighborhoods safer, we need to maintain proper law enforcement staffing levels and ensure officers are visible patrolling wider areas of the City regularly.

Long-term, we must focus on developing an evidence-based public safety plan that identifies early prevention measures like education and job training programs to reduce recidivism in justice-impacted communities. It’s time to expand community policing efforts to reduce negative interactions between civilians and police personnel. We must invest in de-escalation training to limit potentially harmful interactions between officers and residents suffering from mental health issues.

As mayor, I believe public safety is a shared burden that takes all of us to maintain safer neighborhoods. I am open to working closely with residents, violence-interruption groups, non-profits, faith-based organizations, mental health professionals, and local, county, and federal law enforcement to address public safety issues and identify restorative justice strategies.

HEALTHY CITY POLICIES

Improving the health and well-being of residents will be one of my main goals. As mayor, I want to explore how the City can adopt Health in all Policies (HiAP) into its strategic plan. Health in all Policies is a philosophy and system that is rooted in the belief that government agencies should incorporate and consider the well-being of the community when implementing any new legislation. These practices are inspired by international and local high-functioning cities.The focus of these practices is on creating policies that respect residents and consider the environmental impact and living conditions for communities. With HiAP in mind, we can explore access to equitable healthcare, eco-friendly transportation, and healthy lifestyle options.

That said, the City’s future policies must also include a plan to address climate change. By 2035, the City will face California’s ambitious sustainability goal that mandates all new vehicles sold in the state to be either electric or hybrids. This makes the City’s need to explore the green economy and sustainability a matter of importance for the City’s growth. Either we can get a head start on adopting green policies or we can waste time playing catch up.

A good example of how we should focus City policies on giving Priority to the People is the Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) project (funded partially through Measure R and state dollars). The City is moving quickly to secure more funds for this 1.6-mile transportation system that will connect passengers from Metro’s Crenshaw line to Downtown Inglewood (Market Street area), the Forum, SoFi Stadium, and the Intuit Dome in time for the Summer Olympics in 2028. The Health in all Policies approach would have taken this enormous project and ensured that more residents and businesses in the area were aware of the potential impact on the community.

Having a healthy city also includes taking care of basic city services like filling potholes on a regular basis, cleaning up city streets, easing traffic congestion, and trimming trees, among other services.