We pay four different taxes, with a fifth on the way, that are supposed to be used for roads, yet our infrastructure is crumbling.

Poorly maintained roads drastically increase wear and tear on our vehicles and increase our cost of living. Traffic-jammed roads limit work opportunities for residents who have to artificially narrow their scope of employment because of commute times. And small businesses attract fewer customers as consumers struggle to travel to their location.

Despite collecting billions of dollars in revenue earmarked for infrastructure, the county refuses to maintain our roads and fix potholes, finish connectors, or widen roads to alleviate traffic. In fact, the county just voted against allowing the state to widen a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 275, which would’ve been paid for by state funds.

Why? It’s simple: the county board wants to force everyone onto public transportation. They are pushing all available funding into building a light rail system, copying an “equity lens” plan from the City of San Francisco. This despite 96% of county residents in a recent county survey stating they won’t ride a train or bus, even if one is made available.

We don’t need bureaucrats and their social engineering. We just need our county commissioners to do their one job and fix our roads.

I will turn the county’s focus away from spending our tax dollars on stadiums and infrastructure options like trains that serve only a small percentage of county residents. Instead, I’ll put the focus on fixing our roads and alleviating traffic. To support public transportation, I will improve our bus systems that all too often fail city residents.

I will also partner with developers to invest in our county and support common sense growth. The county shouldn’t be buying land with taxpayer dollars to develop housing. We need to lift the moratorium on new construction and let our communities get back to thriving, which will generate new revenue for the county in place of additional taxes.