Balanced Housing Policy
Primary Election Day is August 12th. All summer, I have been knocking on doors and listening to Murray residents and responding to your calls and emails. I’ve been attending council meetings and doing my research.
If we haven’t met yet, I hope we get the chance soon. I encourage you to call campaign headquarters to ask questions any time and schedule to meet with me!
I’ve lived here long enough to know what makes Murray feel like home — the quiet neighborhoods, the mountain views over mature trees, the familiar faces at local businesses, and the sense that you’re part of something steady and strong.
But like you, I’ve noticed the changes. Rent’s getting harder to cover. Utility bills keep rising. Roads feel more crowded. And new developments sometimes seem to pop up without much say from the people already here.
So, I want to share a few thoughts — not as a politician or planner — but as a neighbor who wants to help us grow the right way.
What We’re Feeling Is Real: Growth Pressure, Higher Costs, and Unclear Direction
Murray is part of the fastest-growing state in the country. And while some growth is inevitable, it often feels like it’s happening to us instead of with us. We’ve got state mandates pushing cities to build more high-density and moderate-income housing. Federal laws like the Fair Housing Act rightly prohibit discrimination — but they don’t always come with local support to make growth fair and functional.
Here’s the thing: we can meet these challenges, but we’ve got to do it Murray’s way — in a way that respects what long-time residents have built while giving younger folks and working families a fair shot at staying here.
📊 Utah’s population is booming — fastest by natural increase.
📊 Murray rents are up over 30% since 2018.
📊 Utility rates have gone up due to aging infrastructure.
What’s Missing: Local Voices in Big Decisions
Right now, decisions about housing and development are guided mostly by the Planning Commission and zoning rules. These groups do important work — but they’re often limited to checking boxes. We don’t have a process that brings residents into the conversation early, where we can talk honestly about traffic, safety, water use, and neighborhood impact.
And when it comes to transit? Most folks I talk to want to use it — but just can’t make it work with their schedules or locations. Our system isn’t set up for the first or last part of your commute — getting to a station from your home or job.
📊 UTA Microtransit Report (2020)
If we don’t take a smarter approach, the people who lose out first will be those living on fixed incomes, families working two jobs, and the small businesses already paying high property taxes.
Let’s Talk About a Better Way: Local Control + Practical Solutions
We can’t just say “no” to everything new. But we also don’t have to accept whatever comes down from the state or developers. Here are ideas I believe we can do differently — as a community, for each other.
🛠 1. A “Community Impact Review Board” That Works for Us
This wouldn’t be just another committee. I’m proposing a required review board that includes:
• Local residents
• City staff
• Public safety, water, and traffic experts
• Representatives from UDOT and UTA
This board would look at every high-density project before it gets a green light. Not just for zoning — but for how it affects you: traffic on 5300 South, school crowding, fire response times, storm drains. It’s about putting local experience on equal footing with outside interests.
📊 Model ideas: Salt Lake City’s Impact Review Team
🚍 2. “Murray Transit First” Micro-Transit Pilot
Let’s solve the first-and-last-mile transit problem with a practical pilot program. UTA On-Demand has already worked in parts of Utah. Murray could launch a zone between Fashion Place, State Street, and the TRAX stations — where people already work and shop.
This gives:
• Commuters a real option
• Older residents better mobility
• Workers without cars better access to jobs
🏠 3. Historic Home + ADU Incentives That Preserve Neighborhoods
We can meet housing needs without overbuilding. Many homeowners want to create small rental units (ADUs) but hit walls with red tape or cost. Let’s change that:
• Streamlined permits
• A city-supported “blueprint library” for pre-approved plans
• Local grants for seniors or first-time landlords to fix up basements or garages
This gently increases affordable housing while keeping our neighborhoods intact.
📊 Utah law requires cities to allow ADUs
🤝 4. A Community Land Trust (CLT) to Protect Affordability Long-Term
Murray has a Redevelopment Agency (RDA) that focuses on increasing the amount and variety of affordable housing. The RDA works to facilitate redevelopment, encourage investment in underutilized areas, and partner with businesses to promote economic development. It's a different model than a Community Land Trust (CLT), but it shares the goal of addressing housing affordability. Examples of specific affordable housing properties in Murray include the Villas at Vine and the Murray Fourplex. These have income and student restrictions to keep them affordable. Salt Lake and Moab have done a CLT. Why not Murray? A CLT would let the city and nonprofits help keep homes affordable — without giving up control to outside developers.
It keeps prices lower for:
• Teachers
• Young families
• Retirees
• First-time buyers
… while giving buyers equity and pride of ownership.
What This All Comes Down To: A Stronger Middle Class
Murray doesn’t have to choose between sprawl and gridlock, or between luxury condos and impossible rent. We can choose to build a stronger middle class — one that includes our retired neighbors, young adults just starting out, and working families building their future.
I want to see:
• More homeownership and less displacement
• More neighborhood input, not less
• More job access and better transit, not just bigger roads
• And more smart planning that saves tax dollars over time
This isn’t about being “for” or “against” development. It’s about being for Murray. All of it.
If this resonates with you, please donate to my campaign. I’d love your help. Whether it’s sharing these ideas with a neighbor, attending a meeting, or signing up for updates — this only works if we do it together.
Let’s keep Murray Murray — but let’s also build a community where more of us can thrive.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for your support.