The Cape's greatest resource is its people.  We have a strong sense of community and we share a common set of core values – family, education, community and inclusivity. 

I think it's important to find ways to involve the community in all the major decisions at the town and county level.  I am a strong supporter of improved communication within the government and within the community.  We need to explore ways to use social media to keep people informed of our work - especially all the positive activities that are going on.  I support more educational forums on specific "hot" topics that can be held well in advance of public hearings. 

The development of affordable housing has to be a an integral part of Cape Cod's economic development strategy.  No region can prosper without an adequate supply of affordable housing.   It's that simple. 

The first question we need to ask is why is the inventory of affordable housing shrinking so fast? There are many reasons. Retirees are leaving the suburbs and moving to the Cape in droves. Investors are buying more housing and creating more lucrative Air BnBs. Second homeowners have stopped renting their homes to local families and are getting ready to retire.  All these forces are shrinking our housing inventory and driving up prices.  

The consequences are significant, Businesses are at a loss to find seasonal workers, and when they do the housing is not there. It get worse each summer. In this real estate market, young professionals and working families simply can't make enough money to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of housing and seniors can't find affordable retirement housing to transition into. Waiting lists are getting longer and longer.

But creating more affordability does not always mean building new large-scale projects that can take away from the character of the Cape. Communities can create more "capacity" and explore options such new zoning allowing multi-generational housing, accessory apartments, co-housing, shared housing.  Greater density in village and urban centers needs to be allowed. The list of ideas keeps getting longer.  

When I worked in the Town Manager's office in Provincetown, I created a Community Development office and established a housing rehabilitation program to make it easier for working families and the elderly to stay in their homes. When I left and joined the staff of Congressman Studds, I founded the Lower Cape Community Development Corporation - now known as the Community Development Partnership - to develop affordable housing for the entire Lower Cape region.  

I also worked with County officials to create the HOME program which provides an ongoing pot of funding for housing projects. I also helped the Towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth become CDBG entitlement communities making them eligible for federal grants for housing.

More recently, as the Chairman of the Board of the Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) in Hyannis, I have made affordable housing a top priority. We recently issued a compressive report called - "Housing - the High Cost of Doing Nothing". It is a comprehensive report that provides a clear and up-to-date analysis of the problems and the impact on our community. It outlines solutions, and strategies.

I would like to see the County and our towns do more to address this crisis - and I believe that the plan we developed at HAC is an excellent blueprint to guide our efforts.

The Cape's environment, its beaches, its history and cultural resources are all important assets and should play a vital role in any future economic development initiatives. 

Cape Cod boasts great outdoor recreation opportunities, but it is also emerging as a cultural and heritage tourism center.  I would like to work with the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups to create more small business incubator space, and develop a broadband spur off the OpenCape system.   We need to work with the state on new approaches to address the blighted areas along Route 28.  One major deterrent to business investment along this highway is the lack of wastewater infrastructure - yet another reason why clean water must be a priority.  

I would also like to see better communication with our small businesses, and more consensus on how to resolve problems. At the same time, I also think we need to continually search for ways to ease the burden of running a business.

Our elderly population is growing and facing significant challenges of its own.  Too many seniors are living alone and in isolation. Many are struggling to deal with the demands of dementia.  A growing number are unable to keep up with property taxes and looking for affordable apartments or alternative living arrangements. I support making Cape Cod more "Age-Friendly". It is more than just a slogan - it's a necessity.

For years, county governments in Massachusetts has been a haven for patronage.  It's the major reason why most county governments in Massachusetts were abolished thirty years ago. When the state tried to abolish Barnstable County, however, a bipartisan chorus of political and civic leaders on Cape Cod rose up in opposition. Barnstable County was spared because of the vital role it plays in helping our communities and in protecting our environment. 

Our county government also provides important region-wide services in a number of areas - regional and local land use planning, wastewater planning, child protection, housing, health and human services collaboration and in police and firefighter training. The county dredging program provides important benefits to mariners and huge savings to our towns. Our towns save even more through the county regional purchasing program. Looking ahead, the county can help Cape Cod tackle new challenges, such as protecting our drinking water from new and emerging contaminants, securing more grant funding for our towns, and developing strategies to address sea level rise and climate change.

Our environment is our economy.  The Cape's water resources are threatened - and the situation gets worse with each passing year. Virtually all our coastal eel grass habitat has now vanished.  Meanwhile, our water supplies face the threat of escalating septic system waste, and newly discovered contaminants of emerging concern.  

I am a strong supporter of a regional approach to solving our wastewater problems.  I also strongly support looking at more innovative approaches like expanded shellfish aquaculture and innovative technologies. But at the end of the day, none of this will work without the state and federal governments being financial partners in this effort.  As a community, we need to look at how we can address sea level rise, and promote more use of renewable technologies like solar energy.

Cape Cod is facing a fiscal "perfect storm".  We have a large number of capital projects in the works - and all headed to the taxpayers at the same time. We need to review them, find ways to bring the price tags down, and come up with an overall fiscal plan that works for the taxpayers.  I also want to make sure we receive more state and federal funds to help contain the impact on taxpayers.  We also need to explore more regional collaboration on services and purchasing.