We can do better, and we will do better—together.

Govt feels broken at times.

Government, at all levels, often feels broken—overburdened and confusing for everyone. My family has owned businesses in this city for over 75 years. I’ve started many businesses—some successful, others less so. But when we began investing in Panama City in 2016, I genuinely expected City Hall to meet us with open arms and excitement. I thought the real challenges of building here would lie in creating, funding, and marketing businesses.

Instead, the most challenging part has been navigating the confusing processes and poor communication coming from City Hall. Starting a business, hosting a community event, renovating a building, or paying a water bill is unnecessarily confusing. Honestly, with every project, it feels like “The City” doesn’t want me here. There have been moments when I’ve wanted to give up. If it feels impossible for me, it probably feels impossible for many citizens with reasonable expectations of their local government.

We cannot have a city where only a select few can navigate the maze of broken processes, confusing policies, and poor communication from City Hall. This isn’t sustainable, and it’s not fair to our community.

Let me be clear: I don’t think the employees at City Hall are bad people. However, they haven’t been set up for success, and their roles aren’t structured to create happy customers—the citizens. This lack of clarity and support makes things harder not only for the public but also for the employees themselves.

I don’t claim to know how to build parks or roads, but I do understand how organizations work. Training staff and creating transparent communication systems for citizens and employees makes all the difference.

If I’m elected, I’ll focus on improving the experience at City Hall—for both the citizens who rely on it and the staff who work there. We can create a better, more efficient city government that works for everyone. We can do better, and we will do better—together.