Issues that matter to Johnson City.
Dave doesn't run on slogans. He runs on specifics. Here's exactly what he's committed to and why.
Rebuild Community Trust
When only 33% of residents say their city government is transparent, the problem goes beyond perception.
Dave has lived the frustration firsthand. He published the 2024 Community Survey after the city tried to withhold it. He published the Bar Hours ordinance the city tried to rush. He authored a Bitcoin Mining resolution when city hall wouldn't act. He moderated a town hall when the City Hall stopped engaging residents.
As commissioner, Dave will ask the uncomfortable questions publicly, on the record, not in closed session. He will make sure residents know what their government is doing before decisions are made, not after. Major contracts, policy decisions, and city strategy should be open for public input before they're finalized.
Commitments
- →Ask the uncomfortable questions publicly, on the record
- →Engage residents proactively via regular roundtables and town halls
- →Reduce barriers to public records and information
Strengthen Small Business
Johnson City's local hospitality and small business community deserves data-driven policy — not restrictions based on assumptions.
The debate around last call hours and weekend operations shouldn't be driven by moral instinct or political convenience. It should be driven by data. What do the crime statistics actually show? What impact do extended hours have on other cities our size? What do local business owners need to survive and grow?
Dave will bring the same data-driven approach he applies at work to local economic policy.
Commitments
- →Partnership programs rather than pure regulatory burden
- →Reduced friction for new business formation and permitting
Address the Housing Crisis
Working families in Johnson City are being priced out. Short-term rentals are completely unregulated. That has to change.
Tennessee HB 2623 created a framework for attainable housing initiatives — Johnson City should be using it. Dave will push to implement these tools at the local level, with a focus on keeping housing accessible to the people who built this community.
Short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO) are currently completely unregulated in Johnson City. That means no data, no accountability, and no revenue earmarked for the housing shortage they help create. Dave will move to establish a registry and basic regulation — and direct any resulting tax revenue toward housing growth.
Commitments
- →Implement Tennessee HB 2623 Attainable Housing Initiatives
- →Create registry of qualified preservation buyers (nonprofits, housing authorities)
- →Regulate Short-Term Rentals (basic accountability and licensing)
- →Earmark STR tax revenue for workforce and affordable housing programs
- →Protect existing affordable housing stock from speculative conversion
Professional, Trusted Law Enforcement
Johnson City can have a police department that every resident trusts — but that requires honest assessment and real accountability.
Dave has reviewed multiple JCPD reports and lawsuits. Getting to a department the whole community trusts means transparency and real engagement - not defensiveness and settlements. That's safer for everyone, residents and officers both.
Homelessness is not primarily a policing problem. Connecting individuals to ARCH and other services is more effective and more humane than enforcement cycles that resolve nothing. Community policing — building real relationships before crises — is a proven approach that Dave will advocate for.
Commitments
- →Continuum of Care approach: connect people to ARCH rather than enforcement cycles
- →Community policing initiatives that build trust before crises
- →Address implicit bias in enforcement through training and accountability
Questions about the platform?
Dave would rather talk to you directly than let his words sit on a web page. Schedule a coffee chat.