Dear Neighbor,

Since early August, I’ve spent my evenings and weekends knocking on doors across the East District. I knocked on 2,003 doors and had 504 conversations. Here’s what you told me.

You want stable, affordable, quality housing.

You told me about lax code enforcement, out-of-town investors buying up apartments, and homes turning into Airbnbs. You want young families to be able to afford houses in your neighborhoods. You also want to grow old in your neighborhoods, but many of you said there aren’t enough options to downsize.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll push for stronger code enforcement and tenant protections, more housing options for people at every stage of life, and policies that make it easier to build affordable homes. I’ll also keep fighting for sensible short-term rental rules that protect both housing availability and neighborhood quality of life — work I’ve already taken on at the county level.

Reckless driving is a huge frustration.

Every single time I went out, someone told me about cars flying down residential streets, drivers running red lights, or kids who can’t safely cross the street. You asked for speed bumps, better crosswalks, protected bike lanes, a lower speed limit and enforcement.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll support Rochester’s Vision Zero initiative and push for safer streets for people walking, biking and driving. I’ll advocate for better road design and a lower citywide speed limit. Making streets safer for everyone has been a priority of mine in the County Legislature, where I led passage of the 3-Foot Law to protect cyclists.

You’re worried about homelessness and addiction, and you want real help for the people struggling.

Finding strangers sleeping on porches. Seeing the same faces at highway entrances, week after week. People using drugs in doorways. It weighs on you, both for your own block and for the people living this way. Many of you said the answer is more services, not just enforcement.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll push for more effective outreach, mental health and addiction services, and housing that gets people off the street and helps them stay housed. I’ve worked on homelessness throughout my time in the County Legislature, including co-authoring a plan to end homelessness and advocating for a housing voucher pilot for families at risk of becoming homeless.

You want attention on major and minor crime.

You told me about car thefts and break-ins, slow response times, and violence too close to home. You understand that the most serious crimes demand attention, but you also made a point I heard repeatedly: when your car window is smashed, it’s major to you.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll support violence prevention strategies that focus resources on the relatively small number of people driving serious violence, while making sure quality-of-life concerns aren’t ignored. I’ll push for full funding for proven programs to ensure we address crime before it happens, and expand community responder programs to make sure you get the right response at the right time.

You believe in public education and want the RCSD to succeed.

Schools came up again and again. Parents told me they’re deeply committed to public education. They don’t want to move to the suburbs to get a good education for their kids, and they don’t want their neighbors to have to, either.

Here’s what I’ll do: City Council doesn’t run the school district, but the city has an enormous stake in its success. I’ll support investments in safe neighborhoods, libraries, recreation, youth employment and family stability — and I’ll look for every opportunity for the city to be a strong partner to RCSD and its families.

You want your immigrant neighbors protected.

You value Rochester’s status as a sanctuary city, and you’re outraged by the federal government’s mass detention and deportation policies. You also want guardrails on surveillance technology, so data collected here can’t be used to target your neighbors.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll defend Rochester’s sanctuary policies and make sure city government isn’t helping federal immigration authorities target our neighbors. I’ve organized against Avelo Airlines’ deportation flights, pushed the Sheriff to adopt stronger non-cooperation policies with ICE and CBP, and led passage of a county law requiring disclosure of surveillance technology purchases. I’ll bring that same vigilance to City Hall.

You care about climate and want a public utility.

Many of you raised climate change and a desire to create a public utility. You want dedicated yard waste pickup and composting. You want Rochester to prepare for people who may relocate here because of climate change. And you want to protect our water system from the demands of data centers.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll push to make climate planning part of everyday city decisions — from infrastructure to the budget — and support a study of transitioning to a public utility. I’ll work to lower household energy costs through weatherization, heat pumps and local solar, and make sure Rochester protects its water and other public resources as new industries such as data centers look to locate in our region.

City services work — and you want them even better.

Most of you told me the city does a good job with the basics. But you also had plenty of ideas: more trash cans along main streets, better snow clearing for sidewalks and tiny side streets, fixing storm drains that back up or smell, benches at bus stops, and faster replacement of broken refuse and recycling bins.

Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll focus on making the basics work even better and be responsive when they don’t. That means paying attention to the everyday things that shape your neighborhood — clean streets, reliable trash and recycling pickup, working storm drains, safe sidewalks and public spaces that are accessible and well maintained.

Above all, you love where you live.

You love your neighbors. You love your walkable streets. You love the small businesses, parks and sense of community. You want to protect what works while making it better.

That’s why I’m running — because I love Rochester, too.

I show up. I listen. I get to work.