Lori’s Priorities

Flagstaff is in the midst of a housing emergency. Too many families, young professionals, teachers, and essential workers are struggling to find safe, affordable places to live. As your City Council member, affordable housing remains one of my top priorities. I am committed to increasing housing supply, removing barriers to development, and keeping the cost of living reasonable for all residents.

Key Accomplishments in Advancing Housing Affordability

Streamlining Development to Build More Housing

I have strongly advocated for stronger affordable and workforce housing incentives to encourage developers to create the housing our community urgently needs.

•  I proposed a Future Agenda Item Request (F.A.I.R.) to explore targeted incentive programs for workforce housing.

•  On February 10, 2026, one of my F.A.I.R. proposals was presented to City Council: a policy change to decouple site or concept plan requirements from rezoning requests. Staff brought the item forward, and it received unanimous support from Council. This commonsense reform will reduce upfront costs and delays for developers, helping bring more housing online faster in Flagstaff.

Keeping Housing at the Top of the Agenda

I successfully pushed to add regular updates on the City’s 10-Year Housing Plan to the weekly City Council agenda. This ensures housing remains a consistent priority and that every relevant decision ties back to our community’s long-term goals for affordability and supply.

Protecting Residents from Soaring Costs

In 2024, I championed a major reduction in proposed water and sewer rate increases after hearing concerns from families and businesses across Flagstaff. By working collaboratively with stakeholders and listening to residents, we cut a burdensome proposed 166% increase over five years down to a more manageable 8.5% annual adjustment. This change saved our community millions of dollars while still funding critical infrastructure—easing the overall cost of living for households.

Join Me in Building an Affordable Future for Flagstaff

We have made real progress, but there is still much work to do. Together, we can continue to streamline housing development, strengthen incentives for affordable and workforce units, control living costs, and ensure Flagstaff remains a welcoming, livable community for everyone—not just those who can afford it today.

I’m fighting every day to make housing more attainable for working families, seniors, and our next generation of residents.

Support my campaign today by volunteering your time, making a donation, or sharing this message with friends and neighbors. Let’s keep the momentum going and make Flagstaff affordable for all.

Flagstaff’s small businesses are the heart of our community. They create jobs, strengthen our local economy, and give our town its unique character. As a City Council member with over 35 years in the financial industry and more than a decade as a small business consultant, I understand the real challenges our entrepreneurs face every day — from rising costs to burdensome regulations.

My commitment is clear: I will continue to champion Flagstaff’s local businesses with smart, practical policies that cut unnecessary bureaucracy, support sustainable growth, and maintain the fiscal responsibility that keeps our community affordable and vibrant.

Understanding the Pressures on Small Businesses

I recognize that Flagstaff’s minimum wage ordinance — which recently increased to $18.35 per hour with the elimination of the tip credit — has placed significant pressure on our small business community. Higher labor costs make it harder for independent restaurants, shops, and service providers to stay profitable while keeping prices reasonable for residents and visitors.

Drawing on my extensive experience working directly with business owners, I have actively listened to their concerns and fought for practical, balanced modifications to the ordinance. My goal is to find a better path forward: supporting fair wages for workers while ensuring our entrepreneurs and job creators can thrive, not just survive.

A strong, resilient local business community is essential to Flagstaff’s future. When our small businesses succeed, we all benefit through more jobs, a vibrant downtown, and a healthier local economy that helps keep housing and living costs in check.

Join Me in Supporting Flagstaff’s Local Economy

I’m proud to stand with our local business owners as we work together to reduce red tape, promote smart economic development, and build policies that work for both workers and employers.

Together, we can keep Flagstaff a place where small businesses can grow, create opportunity, and continue making our community special.

Support my campaign today by volunteering, donating, or sharing this message with your friends and neighbors. Let’s champion the businesses that make Flagstaff thrive!

“Standing with the brave police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel who keep our mountain community safe every day”

As a dedicated Flagstaff City Council member and long time resident, I am profoundly committed to supporting our Flagstaff Fire Department and Flagstaff Police Department—the brave first responders who protect our community every day. In a city surrounded by forests, facing wildfire risks, growth pressures, and everyday emergencies, our firefighters and police officers are essential to keeping Flagstaff safe, resilient, and livable for all residents.

I believe it is vitally important to support our first responders not only in council chambers, but especially in the moments that matter most. You’ll see me there: celebrating at recruit academy graduations as new members join the ranks, applauding at promotions and award ceremonies, honoring heroism life-saving actions, and exceptional service at various celebration events throughout the year. Standing in solidarity at memorials and funerals during times of loss and grief, to pay tribute to their sacrifices and offer comfort to grieving families. These events serve as powerful reminders of the human dedication courage, and commitment behind every call-whether it’s battling a wildfire, responding to a medical emergency, or protecting our community and keeping our streets safe.

I recognize the real challenges our Flagstaff Fire and Police departments face. Our Fire Department deals with growing funding gaps for operational support, staffing to meet rising call volumes and NFPA standards, replacement of aging equipment and apparatus, and critical infrastructure like new stations and the regional wildland fire training facility (where I proudly helped advocate for and secure $4 million in state funding through SB 1735 and intergovernmental agreements). Similarly, our Police Department navigates needs for additional staffing, technology upgrades (such as body-worn cameras and investigative tools), and resources to combat issues like narcotics trafficking and community safety—all while maintaining trust and local control.

Flagstaff families and businesses deserve a city government that spends wisely, controls costs, and delivers essential services without overburdening taxpayers. As your City Council member, I am committed to fiscal responsibility — balancing our community’s critical needs with practical, sustainable solutions that keep Flagstaff affordable for everyone.

Key Accomplishment: Reducing Water and Sewer Rate Increases

In 2024, city leaders proposed a massive 166% increase in water and sewer rates over five years, along with a perpetual 5% annual hike, to address a $300 million infrastructure shortfall. This plan would have placed a heavy financial burden on working families and local businesses.

I listened closely to residents’ concerns, collaborated with stakeholders, and worked within open meeting laws to build consensus for a better solution. The result was a much more manageable 8.5% annual adjustment over five years. This change saved our community millions of dollars while still addressing urgent infrastructure needs.

This is exactly the kind of responsible, collaborative leadership Flagstaff needs — practical solutions that protect taxpayers without sacrificing essential services.

Facing Tough Budget Choices Ahead

Flagstaff residents deserve and expect top-tier public safety: reliable, responsive police and fire services that protect our families, neighborhoods, and visitors every day.

For years, our Flagstaff Police Department and Flagstaff Fire Department have faced chronic underfunding due to past budget cuts, shifting priorities, population growth, tourism, and rising call volumes. This has led to real gaps in staffing, training, equipment, and infrastructure — leaving our first responders stretched thin and our community more vulnerable.

As we work to close these gaps and ensure sustainable, high-quality public safety, the City is considering options such as increasing sales taxes or property tax levies.

I believe Flagstaff should not have to settle for less when it comes to the safety of our homes and streets. It is time to prioritize and adequately fund our police and fire departments so they can deliver the fast response times, well-equipped teams, and secure future that every resident expects and deserves.

True fiscal responsibility means making smart choices: protecting essential services, controlling unnecessary spending, and finding the right balance that keeps taxes and rates reasonable for the people who live and work here.

Join Me in Building a Fiscally Responsible Flagstaff

I will continue fighting for budgets that are transparent, efficient, and focused on results — so we can invest in our community’s future without placing undue burdens on hardworking families and local businesses.

Support my campaign today by volunteering, donating, or spreading the word. Together, we can ensure Flagstaff remains safe, vibrant, and affordable for generations to come.