Maintaining and Strengthening Our Sheriff Department Budget

  • Ensuring law enforcement have the needed resources to meet the dynamic public safety needs of our community.

  • There is a willingness by the Commission and our Sheriff to explore strategies to respond to the current challenges but this is not the time to be weakening our law enforcement.

Addressing the Behavioral Health Crisis

  • Chair of the Community Mental Health Authority—Network 180.

  • Chair/Vice-Chair of the seven-county Prepaid Inpatient Health Plan.

  • Covener of the Kent County Crisis Center Task Force.

  • SUD Oversight Policy Board—responsible for opiate and alcohol addiction services.

Deepening Our Workforce

  • Identifying the training and education needs of our workforce to meet the diverse demand of employers across the region through the efforts of ACCESS and other initiatives.

  • Board of West Michigan Works—helping respond to the dramatic change in needs of our employers and employers disrupted by current turmoil.

Improving Our Infrastructure

  • Being proactive in addressing the transportation demands of the county for cheaper and easier air travel connections as GRR Airport becomes a top airport.

  • Our road system is now recognized as one of the best-rated road systems in the State.

  • Our expanding park system now features some of the beats parks in the country, including the world-class facility at Millenium Park.

Leveraging Our Tax Dollars

  • Maintaining a secure fund balance in country budgeting and spending practices.

  • Continuing to explore how our service systems can be retooled to assure critical services are available across the County more efficiently and effectively.

  • As Chair of the Board, setting a fiscal policy to retain our AAA bond rating, which is critical for saving taxpayer money.

Abating Environmental Challenges

  • Ensuring the County is fully staffed to identify, educate, and respond to PFAS and lead-paint contamination.

  • Advocating for realistic and enforceable State standards for PFAS contamination levels—a critical step for addressing abatement efforts and liability claims.