THE SUE WILSON PLAN FOR RICHMOND

CLEAN ENVIRONMENT 

We want to decrease our children’s asthma rates and emergency room visits, get rid of the coal dust on our window sills, and shake off our reputation as a refinery town.

What I will do: 

• Honor my pledge to accept no contributions or other help from corporations, especially those that pollute the environment
• Support the development of Richmond as a center for alternative energy, especially the emerging offshore wind industry
• Push for the full clean up of contaminated land including the former Astra-Zeneca site on the shoreline
• Work with agencies to improve and enforce air quality standards 

ROAD SAFETY

We need to make our streets as safe as possible for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. That includes adding devices that prevent speeding, sideshows and “donuts” and investing in transportation alternatives like trains, buses and bicycles.

What I will do: 

• Invest more money in a new city division dedicated to road safety so that safety measures – including traffic calming devices, weed control, and pothole repair – are implemented more quickly and thoroughly
• Advocate for road diets, increased traffic lights, protected bike lanes, and other measures to dramatically reduce speeds on Carlson Ave, Potrero Ave, and other dangerous streets.I will also push for the installation of speed bumps and Botts Dots on smaller streets where that does not interfere with emergency response needs 
• Encourage police to enforce existing laws against sideshows and other dangerous driving practices. Work with neighboring cities to create a region-wide plan for discouraging sideshows

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

My goal is that people of all income levels can find affordable, stable, quality places to live in Richmond. This will require working with a broad range of actors, including county, state, and federal government agencies, non-profits, and affordable housing developers. 

What I will do: 

• Expand affordable housing through new models such as land trusts, tiny homes, and housing cooperatives
• Create more government-supported transitional housing and permanent housing so that those living in vehicles or encampments have better options
• Continue to support renter-friendly initiatives like rent control and eviction protection, because the best way to solve the homelessness crisis is to help people avoid becoming homeless in the first place
• Ensure that developers build housing only on safe and clean land  
• Work with neighboring cities to create a region-wide plan for increasing affordable housing and addressing homelessness

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY

A safe city requires coordination between many city departments and community organizations, like the police, violence prevention programs, homeless and mental health service providers, youth centers, and youth job programs. A holistic approach to safety works – last year Richmond’s homicide rate dropped to its lowest level in history and many other categories of crime were reduced.  

What I will do:     

• Look for the most cost-effective way to address social problems in Richmond, with a focus on preventing crime, not just responding to it.
• Increase funding for successful safety programs like the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), which works with young people at risk of being involved in violent crime and helps place them on a better path
• Increase city investments in new safety programs like the Community Crisis Response Program which will send unarmed professionals to respond to non-violent, mental health related emergency calls
• Stop overburdening the police force; we should stop sending armed police officers to situations where other kinds of civilian workers could respond more quickly and at lower cost to the city
• Strengthen the fire inspection program to help prevent fires

THOUGHTFUL DEVELOPMENT

If we let investors call all the shots, Richmond will turn into a wasteland of warehouses, fulfillment centers, and self-storage spaces, with a sprinkling of luxury housing replacing our beaches and parks. Instead, I want to encourage smart and sustainable development that benefits everyone who lives here. 

What I will do:

• Find new ways to encourage small businesses along San Pablo Ave, 23rd St and MacDonald Ave corridors
• Incentivize building housing in the city center and other infill areas
• Plan for a Just Transition away from fossil fuels through a Green New Deal for workers and community members 
• Make better use of city-owned resources like the Port of Richmond and the Craneway Pavillion

MAKE RICHMOND FAMILY-FRIENDLY

Because Richmond is one of the more affordable communities in the Bay Area, we are attracting more and more young families. 

What I will do:

• Improve summer and afterschool programs for kids, and increase access to those programs by working with the school district
• Make sports fields and community center rental more affordable for community groups and nonprofits

BALANCED BUDGET

I think cities should not spend more than they take in, and that large corporations should contribute their fair share towards the city services that support their activities. 

What I will do:

• I volunteered in support of Measure U, a Richmond ballot measure that lowered taxes on small businesses while raising taxes on the largest corporations operating in the city. Voters approved Measure U, and the increased revenue that came from it has helped make Richmond one the only cities in the area that has not struggled with budget deficits in recent years
• I also supported the Make Polluters Pay ballot measure to tax Chevron, as well as the half billion dollar agreement reached between Chevron and the City in lieu of the tax
• We should continue to look closely at the city’s spending to see which services could be safely and effectively performed by city employees at a lower cost
• Use existing tax revenue to diversify our tax base so the city is not so dependent on Chevron in the future