Fiscal Responsibility

It is important to balance the fiscal responsibility of being a good steward of the taxpayer’s dollar with the insightful planning for long term sustainability. I have been, and will continue to be, vocal advocate in the wise use of tax dollars in our community!

Decisions to increase taxes affect not only the budgets, but also the lifestyles and well-being of community members and influence their ability to remain a resident in this community. This awareness is something I carry on both my mind and in my heart in every decision I make for our community.

Guide Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Growth

Communities thrive when they strike a great balance of residential, commercial, and industrial opportunities. Such a balance provides additional jobs, available housing, and retail options.

During the past seven years I have been able to, research, weigh-in, and vote for a variety of development projects that have benefitted our community including.

• Commercial and Industrial growth which brought $295 million dollars of additional tax revenue and high quality jobs to Chaska.

  • Peavey Business Center

  • Costco and Oak Ridge Commons

  • Chestnut Business Park ~ rental commercial condos for small businesses & startups

  • Chaska Tech Center - commercial spaces designed specifically for startup companies.

  • Beckman Coulter Facility Expansion

• Residential Development where we welcomed new neighbors and $1.73 billion dollars in new tax base to Chaska.

  • Singles family home neighborhoods including High Point Vistas, Rivertown Heights, and Fultonwood neighborhoods.

  • Adelwood ~ a Del Webb 55+ housing community

  • Townhome communities including The Springs at McKnight Lake and Spring Creek.

  • Apartment complexes such as Hazeltine Plaza and The Carver

• City projects, which brought both unique new amenities and support to our essential city services:

  • The Loop ~a first of its kind adaptive golf course in Minnesota

  • Public Safety Building for our Fire & Police departments

  • Circle the Brick Trail- a regional bike/pedestrian trail system through downtown Chaska

  • Municipal Service Building that supports our Electric, Water/Sewer, and Public Works departments.

  • Southwest Community Park - a new proposed community park that will feature a Miracle Field, universal playground, along with other recreational/nature amenities to enjoy.

Additionally, I have helped provide information and feedback to shape the policies and outreach methods we used to inform to the community about potential development projects. My goal is to better communicate with our residents and get their input throughout this process.

In 2023, 2024, & 2025, I’ve had the opportunity to testify before the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee, to ask funding support for City Square West, a downtown redevelopment project, that will provide affordable housing, an economic hub with a cultural mercado and a gathering space. This resulted in the City of Chaska receiving $5.3 million funding from the 2022 Bonding Bill and a TIFF extension to support the public financing portion.

Economic Development

Our businesses are an integral part of a successful community in both local job creation and cultural vibrancy. As a small business owner myself, I understand both complexities that face our business owners and the importance of cultivating strong city partnerships - built on trust and understanding.

Over the past two years as Mayor, I have intentionally engaged with businesses of every size across Chaska to listen, learn, and better understand their needs and aspirations. Those conversations have led to meaningful action and a renewed focus on strengthening our local economy.

Together, we have:

• Celebrated the opening, new ownership, or expansion of 30+ businesses!

• Revitalized the Chaska Farmers Market.

• Brought our Summer Concert Series back to City Square Park.

• Launched a business e-newsletter to better connect with our business community.

• Created the "Locally Yours" video series to celebrate the entrepreneurs and businesses that make Chaska unique.

• Begun updating our Downtown Master Plan while utilizing our Downtown Activation Plan to identify opportunities for new businesses, catalyst redevelopment sites, and the demographic trends that will help strengthen our downtown economy for years to come.

I am excited about the momentum we've built and remain committed to supporting a thriving business community and a vibrant downtown that serves residents, visitors, and future generations.

I also see an opportunity to partner more closely with our Chamber of Commerce to expand Chaska-focused retail events and establish a dedicated tourism initiative. With nationally recognized sporting events, transformative projects like City Square West, The Loop golf course, and the MN River Bluffs regional bike trail, Chaska is well-positioned to attract more visitors, support local businesses, and strengthen our economy. Together, we can build on these assets to make Chaska a premier destination to live, work, shop, and visit.

Reinvest in Our Community Center

Recording over 1 million visits per year, one of the crown jewels in our city - the Chaska Community Center - is in desperate need of additional investment. In addition to the necessary structural repairs on the building and its parking lot, it also need of a significant renovation of the inside of the facility. This will help the functionality and operations to make it more proficient and profitable. The Community Center is vital to Chaska and deserves attention.

Serving on the Community Task Force, I had the privilege of doing a review all the elements of the Chaska Community Center. The Task Force investigated the current deficiencies of the Center, got feedback from a variety of present and past users, learned the areas of best profitability in the Center, and researched comparable neighboring community centers to develop a multi-phased plan to both repair and enhance the Community Center. I would love to see the recommendations put forward by the Community Task Force to become a reality for this beloved asset.

Promote Affordable and Available Housing

While it can be difficult to provide affordable housing with private developers, there are effective strategies to incentivize them to include affordable housing. I will work hard to continue to bring a healthy mix of affordable and available housing to Chaska, not only grow our community but also to provide a place where our residents who love our community so much, can stay and make Chaska their hometown. By utilizing our local awarded housing dollars (LAHA) from the State sales tax, we can create new opportunities for affordable housing.

Below are some affordable housing project I supported:

• Habitat for Humanity housing - an affordable housing development with 8 homes.

• Chaska Yards~ a CDA affordable housing project in downtown Chaska.

• West Creek Apartments (homeless youth housing by the Community Asset Foundation)

Uplift Inclusion

I believe our community should be an inclusive one, where everyone respects each other regardless of their heritage or background. We owe it to our children to have city leadership stand strong to support inclusion in our neighborhoods.

I am proud to see Chaska’s expansion of cultural events and festivals by tapping into the hard work of numerous city departments, the passionate volunteerism of the Human Rights Commission and key partnerships with a variety of local organizations. Our community has flourished in these moments by creating human connections with our neighbors and provided insightful education and understanding.

Furthermore, I am excited about the upcoming Community Park in southwest Chaska, which will feature a Miracle Field and Universal Playground. These additions will serve as essential amenities, enhancing the enjoyment of our community.