Platform
Sydney has personally experienced how hard it is to find information about what is going on in the city government. As someone fortunate enough to have the time and resources to be able to attend city council meetings and commission meetings, she recognizes that many people do not have the same luxury. We need better systems that allow people to fully understand when and why decisions are being made and to make their voices heard. That is why Sydney plans to collaborate with the next mayor and her fellow councilors to increase accessibility and elevate often unheard voices across Bloomington.
Sydney understands that safety is an important concern for many vulnerable populations in Bloomington. There are many things that the city council can do in the next four years to make safety a number one priority. To Sydney, personal safety means many things--such as getting home safely at night with an increased frequency of street lights for people who walk and improving accessibility and safety in parking garages for those who drive. It means retaining our talented firefighters by offering competitive wages compared to the rest of Indiana. It also means ensuring that anyone with a disability has an easier time getting around Bloomington. We can do this by increasing the quality and quantity of walking paths, side walks, and multi-use trails. Those three things may seem like they have little to do with each other, but combined, they all create a much safer Bloomington that equitably caters to each of its unique communities.
Sydney believes that participation is a key pillar of democracy which is why increasing involvement in local elections is part of her strategy to preserve civic engagement. Unfortunately, many Bloomingtonians, especially her generation, have very little information and even less involvement in our local government. In the municipal primaries, only 101 people voted in District 6. With nearly the entirety of IU campus in District 6, it is clear that an entire population in Bloomington is not participating. This is something that we need to change now. Sydney thinks a great way to get students more involved is to offer them more opportunities to engage with local government, including internships and programs targeted at young adults. Only together do we stand a much greater chance at preserving the values of true democracy.
Other policies Sydney hopes to sponsor includes:
Investing in affordability of housing for renters and buyers
Increasing frequency and coverage of public transportation
Prioritizing local, small businesses
Improving volume of streetlights in the downtown area
Developing innovative strategies to reach the city’s goal of being carbon neutral
Sydney understands that safety is an important concern for many vulnerable populations in Bloomington. There are many things that the city council can do in the next four years to make safety a number one priority. To Sydney, personal safety means many things--such as getting home safely at night with an increased frequency of street lights for people who walk and improving accessibility and safety in parking garages for those who drive. It means retaining our talented firefighters by offering competitive wages compared to the rest of Indiana. It also means ensuring that anyone with a disability has an easier time getting around Bloomington. We can do this by increasing the quality and quantity of walking paths, side walks, and multi-use trails. Those three things may seem like they have little to do with each other, but combined, they all create a much safer Bloomington that equitably caters to each of its unique communities.
Sydney believes that participation is a key pillar of democracy which is why increasing involvement in local elections is part of her strategy to preserve civic engagement. Unfortunately, many Bloomingtonians, especially her generation, have very little information and even less involvement in our local government. In the municipal primaries, only 101 people voted in District 6. With nearly the entirety of IU campus in District 6, it is clear that an entire population in Bloomington is not participating. This is something that we need to change now. Sydney thinks a great way to get students more involved is to offer them more opportunities to engage with local government, including internships and programs targeted at young adults. Only together do we stand a much greater chance at preserving the values of true democracy.
Other policies Sydney hopes to sponsor includes:
Investing in affordability of housing for renters and buyers
Increasing frequency and coverage of public transportation
Prioritizing local, small businesses
Improving volume of streetlights in the downtown area
Developing innovative strategies to reach the city’s goal of being carbon neutral