Amber’s Vision and Priorities
STRENgTHEN Community Health & Safety
Amber works to reduce all types of crime and violence in Spokane. She is focused on sustainably funding a more effective criminal justice system and preventing crime by supporting mental health and substance abuse treatment for youth and adults. She brings together partners to create a more coordinated, regional approach to ending homelessness. Under her leadership, Spokane County has made significant investments to address the opioid crisis, creating more sobering beds and reducing barriers to treatment.
Amber has and will:
-Invest in cost-efficient, proven criminal justice practices that reduce and prevent crime, such as diversion from jail to mental health care, specialty courts (veterans, drugs), and community supervision
-Support regional approaches that do a better job of preventing people from becoming homeless and moving those who are homeless more quickly into housing and services
-Partner with our school districts, families, and State to support and empower youth and adults with safe spaces, mentoring, mental health support, and jobs
reduce costs to households
Families are still struggling with inflation in Spokane County, facing higher costs of groceries, housing, and transportation. Some parents can’t re-enter the workforce due to the high cost or lack of childcare.
Amber has and will prioritize:
- Regional planning, State and Federal policy changes, and targeted investments to support the growth of housing everyone can afford, greater access to childcare, and better transportation options to reduce costs to workers and increase opportunities
-Making smart budgeting decisions that keep tax increases low, while investing in upstream strategies that reduce future costs
support access to healthcare, housing & Civil Rights
The Trump Administration and Congress have adopted or proposed major changes to public health & health care funding, anti-hunger programs, homelessness funding, and legal immigration pathways to citizenship
Amber has and will:
-Actively advocate for the needs of Spokane residents and support policies that create better access to health, housing, food, and economic opportunity
-Support immigrant and refugee communities who are seeking legal pathways to citizenship and protect the civil rights of all residents
Invest in workers & grow our small businesses
Businesses in good-paying industries like construction and manufacturing are struggling to fill jobs here in Spokane, but many local workers are experiencing a skills gap or barriers to employment, like access to affordable childcare.
Amber has and will:
-Develop partnerships that increase access to education and apprenticeships
-Support targeted investment in the University District and other key areas for revitalization
-Encourage good-paying jobs in key sectors like health care, construction, and manufacturing
-Work collaboratively with organizations like Priority Spokane and Habitat for Humanity to invest in childcare and affordable housing infrastructure
