In her first term as mayor, Kathleen led revision of the city's goal-setting process, unifying the entire Council around important multi-year goals. She is better postioned than anyone else to build on the significant progress made to date.
In 2024, the Council added outreach to assess appropriateness of an added 1% sales tax to support public safety as a goal. Kathleen is a reliable guardian of prompt emergency response times.
Kathleen will maximize success by highlighting connections between these goals:
For example, the redevelopment of the Mall presents an excellent opportunity to encourage one or more pilot microgrid projects, advancing environmental and safety goals, by building power resilience.
Expansion of our CSU campus, with the ultimate goal of a free-standing CSU, Palm Desert, is key to providing the workforce needed to support unique business development, vital to our community's identity and attractiveness as a special place to visit.
Palm Desert is working toward ZERO traffic fatalities, and Kathleen has been active in fashioning improvements to enhance safety for all travelers, whether by vehicle, foot or bike. She can be counted upon to achieve:
* Refinement of safety improvements on Haystack
* Resident input for possible safety improvements on Fairway Drive
*More investment in traffic enforcement, especially on Highway 74.
South Palm Desert needs more public transportation options. As a respected member of the SunLine Transit Board, Kathleen is well-positioned to seek expanded alternatives as the agency expands beyond bus service.
Currently, residents over 60 or disabled can ride taxis at a 50% reduced fair. A pilot program offering shared rides for everyone is available in the northern part of Palm Desert. Kathleen is the right person to keep South Palm Desert needs at the forefront of expansion plans.