The League of Women Voters recently asked all Town Board candidates in Milton to answer the following questions:

• • What are the two most critical issues facing your office? How do you propose to deal with them?

• • What do you want to achieve during your term?

• • What would you like voters to know about you?

Here are my responses:

What are the two most critical issues facing your office? How do you propose to deal with them?

Economic development and property rights. The Comprehensive Plan process has clarified public sentiment, but the town needs to adopt updates to our zoning code. This will impact the quality of life of our community for decades to come. Advisors have warned we are at risk of losing everything that makes Milton a desirable place to live and do business if we do not get the zoning codes right and do so before someone exploits existing code. I won’t vote to double down on press in national business magazines, pay for a contractor to solicit national chains, or call for outward expansion of the Town Center. Instead, I will press for a moratorium as has been used in towns such as Clifton Park and Malta to allow time to bring the code current.

What do you want to achieve during your term?

Improved communication with residents. Despite efforts by the town, residents still vehemently complain that they are not aware of critical opportunities to provide input for town decision making. Also noted has been a failure to post meeting materials or note all agenda items at least 24 hours prior to the meeting, especially when controversial topics are involved, and a lack of substantive discussion prior to voting. In addition to personally taking responsibility for informing constituents (website, social media, and email notifications), I would work with the board and staff to identify opportunities to improve outreach and ensure good faith compliance with open meeting requirements.

What would you like voters to know about you?

I recently completed 11 years of service as the Executive Director of a statewide nonprofit organization serving family caregivers of children and adults with disabilities. This experience required me to prepare and monitor budgets, create and analyze financial reports, manage human resources, technology, and communications, and set policies and direction of the organization while managing risk and compliance. Additionally, I was appointed to serve on both statewide and national advisory bodies and task forces. This professional experience prepares me for the tasks associated with being a town board member.

My husband and I have lived in Milton for 26 years, raising our children here. We were licensed foster parents for Saratoga County.