Tag Archives: Austin

City Council Should Support Afforable Housing Resolution

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April 6, 2016

To Our Blog Readers,

This is a guest posting from David King, a longtime volunteer neighborhood advocate. David sent this message to Mayor Steve Adler and all City Council members. I encourage everyone to join in this effort and contact the Mayor and Council as well.

Dear Mayor Adler and Council Members:

Please support Council Member Ora Houston’s request to include preservation of existing affordable housing in the resolution (item #24 on this Thursday’s agenda). It directs the City Manager to develop recommendations to use bond funds for permanently affordable housing. Please include in the resolution the use of bond funding for low- and middle-income homeowners to make repairs to their homes.

The City’s strategies to generate new permanently affordable housing units through upzoning and density bonus programs have fueled gentrification in Central Austin neighborhoods. These programs incentivize higher density housing specifically in Central Austin; thereby increasing demand for a finite amount of land. As a result, land prices have skyrocketed in Central Austin and the new housing units are unaffordable to low- and middle-income families.

Gentrification has pushed thousands of low- and middle-income families out of our Central Austin neighborhoods while upzoning and density bonus programs have generated relatively few permanently affordable housing units in Central Austin. Why do we keep utilizing strategies that worsen gentrification while producing so little permanently affordable housing?

Please enact an affordable housing monitoring fee for development projects that are required to provide onsite affordable housing or pay a fee-in-lieu. Austin has various affordable housing programs that require developers to provide affordable housing but does not have the resources to effectively monitor and enforce all affordable housing agreements and requirements. As a result, the effectiveness of Austin’s affordable housing programs is uncertain and most likely diminished. A monitoring fee paid by developers will provide the City with resources to verify compliance with the affordable housing agreements and requirements.

Please enact an affordable housing impact analysis requirement for demolition permits for existing residential housing. Existing housing is more affordable to low- and middle-income families than new high-density housing. We should do more to help preserve existing affordable housing.
Respectfully,

David King

Click on this link to get to the City Council agenda. Then click Item #24 and click again on “Draft Resolution.”

Taxpayer Alert – Seniors Would Lose In City / AISD Tax Swap

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I’mBy Bill Oakey – April 5, 2016

There would be no “Christmas in July” for Austin seniors this summer if the City moves forward with a new plan to take over funding of many of AISD’s social services. The tax swap idea sounds good to the school district, since they would be able to lower the amount of “Robin Hood” recapture money that they have to send back to the State. But a 1987 State law (which began as a proposal on my old Sears typewriter) freezes school taxes for seniors age 65 and older and the disabled.

The Race Is On

Right now the State of Texas is embroiled in a complex legal case with numerous school districts, including AISD over the Constitutionality of the Robin Hood system of funding Texas Schools. That case still has many miles over rocky roads to travel before probably finally being settled by the State Supreme Court.

Meanwhile the race is on for the City to study, debate and gather public input on the new social services tax swap plan. AISD’s fiscal year begins on July 1st. But there are so many questions. What would happen to the tax swap if the State Supreme Court threw out the current school finance system. Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until the court battles are finished, and a new statewide tax plan is adopted?

The City Would Need An Offsetting Tax Adjustment to Protect Seniors!

if the City were to implement the tax swap, they would need to adjust their own over-65 homestead exemption for seniors and index it every year to maintain the intent of the 1987 school tax freeze. Everybody needs to contact their City Council members as soon as possible to ensure that this proper step is taken to protect seniors and disabled homeowners.

 

John Kelso Nails Trump Exclusive, And I Have More!

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By Bill Oakey – April 1, 2016

Amazing and sometime crazy things seem to happen here on the first of April. This time, Austin American-Statesman writer John Kelso broke the news on his Facebook page that Trump Enterprises has inked a deal to purchase the Austin Chronicle for $3.2 million. Kelso’s posting offered few details, except that Mr. Trump does not plan to make any “major changes” to the paper.

This news prompted me to ratchet up whatever sleuthing skills I could muster and try to dig deeper into the story. Insiders have confirmed that Trump spoke to the Chronicle staff by satellite in between campaign stops in Wisconsin. “He wanted to learn about Austin’s affordability problems,” according to a Trump spokesperson. Even without waiting for a full response from the Chronicle news team, Trump interjected by saying, “Excuse me, let me just say this. We’re gonna make Austin great again, Ok? There won’t be any more problems. We’ll start here at the Chronicle and move up from there. We’ll fix this affordability thing, Ok?”

Much to Mr. Trump’s surprise, however, Chronicle staff writer Michael King stood up and challenged him head on. “Mr. Trump, sir, you don’t seem to understand. Austin affordability is just like climate change. You don’t have to believe in it if you don’t want to. And by the way, just so you know. Climate change is real. But there is no affordability problem here. We’re doing just fine. Austin is already great.”

After finding himself in a difficult position, Mr. Trump quickly pivoted to another subject. “You people here at the Chronicle might as well be the first to hear this announcement. Today our company has finalized the purchase of the prime downtown site currently occupied by the Austin American-Statesman. We have great plans for the property. I mean, really! You’re gonna love it. Trust me on that. No…excuse me…I’m telling you. You’re just going to love it!”

“What we will be launching soon at our downtown site in Austin will be the envy of every other city in America. It will be a food lover’s paradise. Just think about this and you won’t be able to stand the wait. Forget about Trump Steaks and Trump Wine. We’re going to have Trump Tacos, Trump Barbecue, and…Excuse me!..,I’m not done yet. Just for you people here in Austin, we’re going to introduce Trump Dog Biscuits. Now, is that great or what?!!”

Totally Foolish Song List

  1. “April’s Fool,” Ray Price , 1970
  2. “Who Will the Next Fool Be,” Charlie Rich, 1961
  3. “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” Connie Francis, 1960

San Francisco’s Affordability Crisis – Is This The Future For Austin?

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By Bill Oakey – March 31, 2016

golden-gate-bridge

You can surely expect to find San Francisco on many historic lists of America’s most charming cities. But these days, the City By the Bay is in the throes of a major affordability crisis. That long ago dream popularized in the 1960’s by Tony Bennett with the words, “To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars,” today feels more like a nightmare to many longtime residents. If we think affordability is bad in Austin, which of course it is, then we need to look to San Francisco and ask if there is still time to keep things here from getting a whole lot worse.

The recent HBO documentary, “San Francisco 2.0” lays out the sad reality of a once diverse and progressive city falling victim to the encroachment of too much wealth and the perils of the economic divide. Here are a couple of snippets from the synopsis on HBO’s website:

“San Francisco has long enjoyed a reputation as the counterculture capital of America, attracting Bohemians, mavericks, progressives and activists. With the onset of the digital gold rush, young members of the tech elite are flocking to the West Coast to make their fortunes, and this new wealth is forcing San Francisco to reinvent itself. But as tech innovations lead America into the golden age of digital supremacy, is it changing the heart and soul of their adopted city?”

“Alexandra Pelosi (filmmaker) has always been proud of San Francisco, in particular its ‘long tradition of embracing nonconformity.’ She sets out to explore how the arrival of innovators – the so-called “IT invasion” – is reshaping its iconic neighborhoods and forging a tech paradise in the City by the Bay. Pelosi talks to a range of subjects, from ambitious trendsetters bringing an unprecedented wave of wealth, to the entrenched communities of artists and immigrants who are hoping to hold onto the place they call home.”

Then There Was the Recent New York Times Article

Early in March, the Times published an article entitled, “In San Francisco and Rooting for a Tech Comeuppance.” It’s not much of a stretch to think of similarities to Austin. These short excerpts explain it well:

“The consequences for people who do not make their living from technology are increasingly unpleasant. The city is bulging at the seams, adding about 10,000 people a year to a record 852,000 in 2014. A one-bedroom apartment goes for a median $3,500 a month, the highest in the nation.”

“Signs of distress are plentiful. The Fraternite Notre Dame’s soup kitchen was facing eviction after a rent increase of nearly 60 percent. (It was saved for a year after its plight received worldwide publicity). Two eviction-defense groups were evicted in favor of a start-up that intended to lease the space to other start-ups. The real estate site Redfin published a widely read blog post that said the number of teachers in San Francisco who could afford a house was exactly zero.”

“All the renters I know are living in fear,” said Derrick Tynan-Connolly, a teacher at a high school for pregnant teenagers and young mothers. “If your landlord dies, if your landlord sells the building…and you have to move, you’re gone. There’s no way you can afford to stay in San Francisco.”

San Francisco has even had their own short-term rental battle, only theirs came in the form of a referendum. The proposition, which would have placed some restrictions on Airbnb got crushed  under the weight of big money. There were 1,959 minutes of airtime opposing it, compared to only 16 minutes in support.

The Clock Is Ticking for Austin…

Austin Photo By Bill Oakey

Austin Photo By Bill Oakey

The best thing we can do as a community is stay informed and engage with our local officials. One thing that does not bode well for us is that we do not have California wages here. And we have a State government that seems hell-bent on continuing to rely on local property taxes to support schools. Not only that, the declining enrollment in AISD fueled by families with children fleeing the city is destined to get much worse. Portland school enrollment took a steep nosedive in the 1980’s when their boom cycle began pricing families out.

We Need Comprehensive Affordability Solutions

City officials are seeking public input for a new housing plan that is now being developed. You can check it out and see a schedule of public forums,  ATX Housing Community Conversations. Then please check out my recent blog posting, “Saving Austinites From Losing Their Homes – A Homeowner Retention Initiative.” And finally, we can look forward to the comprehensive affordability report to be released next month by the local nonprofit, Liveable City.

For some musical accompaniment to this blog posting, listen to “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” by Tony Bennett, 1962 and “San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair),” by Scott McKenzie, 1967.

Homeowner Retention Initiative – Saving Austinites From Losing Their Homes

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By Bill Oakey – April 12, 2016

I have presented this proposal to the Austin City Council and two City Council committees:

Homeowner Retention Initiative

Overview: One of Austin’s biggest affordability challenges is the displacement of existing residents due to the rapid acceleration of property values, resulting in unaffordable property taxes. The housing cost spiral has helped fuel Austin’s status as the most economically segregated major city in America. One way to approach this problem is to explore creative solutions such as shared equity mortgages and shared appreciation mortgages. Local government officials should create a strong public outreach initiative so that citizens who feel at risk of losing their homes will know where to turn to seek assistance. Below I have listed both new and existing strategies that should be considered. All non-native long-term residents were newcomers when they first arrived. They are just as vital to the community, its culture and its economy as today’s newcomers.

Options to Review for Consideration

A. Shared Equity Mortgages and Shared Appreciation Mortgages

These are financing arrangements that allow a third-party investor to invest in a percentage of the equity in a home, thereby lowering the payments for the homeowner. When the house is sold, proceeds are split based on the equity ownership percentage. This mechanism should be explored both for renters seeking first time home ownership, as well as a refinancing option for long-term homeowners squeezed by high property taxes. And it could be applied to landlords needing lower mortgage payments or taxes, to facilitate lower rental rates.

­Online Resources For Shared Equity and Shared Appreciation Mortgages:

  1. “Facilitating Shared Appreciation Mortgages to Prevent Housing Crashes and Affordability Crises” – The Brookings Institution
  2. H.R. 3519 – Preserving American Homeownership Act of 2015 (See Attached Bill Summary)
  3. “Shared Equity and Housing” – Andrew Caplin, Economic Data Engineer, New York University
  4. “Shared-Equity Mortgages, Housing Affordability, and Homeownership” – Andrew Caplin, James Carr, et. all
  5. “Housing Partnerships: A New Approach to a Market at a Crossroads” – Book by Andrew Caplin
  6. “The Mortgage Mess, the Press, and the Politics of Inattention” – Andrew Caplin

Note: Determine if the concept of shared equity home ownership can be extended to older homeowners whose mortgages are paid off, but they still face an unaffordable burden of high property taxes. Can shared equity arrangements be worked out with investors willing to share the cost of property taxes?

B. Other, More Traditional Home Financing Arrangements:

  1. Shared equity with land trusts and various model comparisons – This website has a tremendous catalog of information and should be considered must-read.
  2. Co-ownership of a home – usually involving relatives or friends
  3. Reverse mortgages – should be approached with caution through consumer-based organizations

C. Continue phasing in the full 20% City of Austin general homestead exemption.

D. Consider supporting improvements to State law allowing over-65 homeowners to defer their property taxes:

  1. Reduce the annual 8% annual interest rate on the deferred tax amount.
  2. The over-65 property tax deferral option is subject to approval by each homeowner’s mortgage lender. We need to find out what criteria the lenders use, and to what extent the current climate for Austin homeowners favors or disfavors approval of tax deferrals by most lenders.

E. The City of Austin and Travis County should index the over-65 and disabled homestead exemption. They each need to adjust it annually.

F. Make sure that the current City review of a tax swap arrangement with AISD includes an offsetting adjustment to lower the tax rate for over-65 homeowners. Their school taxes are frozen when they turn 65. So a tax swap with the City without an offsetting adjustment would violate the intent of that law.

G. Seniors should be able to opt out of the City’s upcoming composting fee on our utility bills. The fees that we already have are burdensome enough, without making it worse.

H. Research and review the housing affordability and homeowner retention strategies of other cities. See this news article from Portland.

The Decline of Homeownership – Is a Single-Family Home The New Luxury Item?

Please read this disturbing article from CNBC. With homeownership at risk more so than at any time in recent history, isn’t it a good idea for Austin to step up to the plate and seek some innovative solutions?

U.S. H.R. 3519 – Preserving American Homeownership Act of 2015

(Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. No further action to date).

Sponsored By Rep. Keith Ellison (D), Minnesota
Co-Sponsored By Rep. Louise Slaughter (D) New York
Co-Sponsored By Norma Torres (D) California

Note: A similar version of this bill was introduced in the Senate in 2014 as S. 2854 by Sen. Robert “Bob” Menendez (D), New Jersey

Bill Summary

Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Commissioner each to establish a pilot program to encourage, through assistance provided under the Home Affordable Modification Program under the Secretary of the Treasury’s Making Home Affordable initiative, the use of shared appreciation mortgage modifications that: (1) are designed to return greater cash flow to investors than other loss-mitigation activities, including foreclosure; and (2) result in positive net present value for the investor.

Requires a shared appreciation mortgage modification to: (1) reduce by specified action the loan-to-value ratio of a covered mortgage to 115% immediately upon modification and to 95% within 3 years; (2) reduce the interest rate if such a principal reduction would not result in an affordable reduced monthly payment; (3) reduce to a specified amount any periodic payment the homeowner is required to make; (4) require the homeowner to pay the investor, after refinancing or selling the real property securing a covered mortgage, up to 50% of the amount of any increase in the value of the real property during a specified period; and (5) result in a positive net present value for the investor after taking into account the principal reduction and, if necessary, any interest rate reduction.

Requires the Director to: (1) provide that an enterprise may negotiate regarding a shared appreciation mortgage modification of a covered mortgage with any mortgage insurance provider for a mortgage on the subject property, and (2) allow advanced claim agreements with respect to such mortgage insurance policies.

Watch The Video – March Regional Affordability Meeting

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By Bill Oakey – March 31, 2016

The Austin Regional Affordability Committee met Monday March 28th. You can watch the video here. The Committee includes officials from the City of Austin, Travis County, Central Health, AISD and others. Among those are City Council Members Delia Garza, Ann Kitchen and Ellen Troxclair, Commissioner Brigid Shea, and former State Representative and current Central Health Board Member, Sherri Greenberg.

A highlight of this month’s meeting was an affordability presentation by the local nonprofit, Liveable City. This organization sponsored a collaborative gathering of citizens who divided into groups for a day-long affordability forum. The Regional Committee on Monday will also be discussing their ongoing efforts to develop an Affordability Strategic Plan. In the video, you will also see the introduction of my Homeowner Retention Initiative, along with a presentation on the critical issues facing renters from the Austin Tenants’ Council.

We have a tremendous opportunity to join together and work towards real, tangible solutions to Austin affordability. The issues are diverse and complex, but I believe that Austin abounds with the creative and innovative spirit that can truly make a difference. Hopefully, the topical elements and the results of community input obtained at the Liveable City forum will help the Committee build their Strategic Plan.

Click here for more information on the Austin Regional Affordability Committee.

Taxpayers Stuck For Construction Workers’ Wage Increase

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By Bill Oakey – March 24, 2016

This seems to be week for “Holy Cow! Did I Read That Right?” news stories. Here’s one I woke up to this morning. Are you ready for this?

Capital Metro Gives Developer a “Wage Waiver,” (A New Breed of Fee Waiver)

Capital Metro and the Endeavor Real Estate Group negotiated a deal for the construction of the 10-acre Plaza Saltillo development downtown. When the dust settled after Tuesday night’s board meeting, the developer walked away winning their original offer of $11.39 per hour minimum wage for the workers. And yet the workers won also, because they will be getting paid $13.03 per hour. That’s because Capital Metro agreed to “share” part of the difference with money that would otherwise belong to the taxpayers. The shared portion will be 50% of the wage increase  The net taxpayer loss is estimated to be $500,000.

Capital Metro will be leasing the 10-acre tract of land to the developer for 99 years. The “shared” portion of the workers’ wage increase will come in the form of a subsidy in reduced lease payments.  The lease subsidy benefits the developer the same way that a fee waiver would. So, I suggest that we label this groundbreaking event the dawn of the “wage waiver.” History will remember that the era began on Tuesday March 22, 2016.

The Tuesday night board meeting played out with the typical drama of an Austin showdown between a developer, government officials and citizen activists. Members of the Workers Defense Fund were justifiably upset because the agreement lacks sufficient worker safety provisions and many workers will be denied worker’s compensation insurance. According to an article in the Austin Monitor, the Workers Defense Fund may oppose the zoning change for the development when it goes to the City Council.

And what will the developer have an opportunity to ask for at the zoning hearing?

Fee waivers, of course!

So, Where Does All of This Leave the Taxpayers?

The worst thing about this first “wage waiver” is the dangerous precedent. $500,000 is “only a little bit of money” out of a big contract. But what about the next contract and the one after that? Every developer that goes into a construction and lease deal will want the same thing. Think about the massive complex of buildings being planned for the land owned by Central Health. What we witnessed this week was the opening of Pandora’s Box.

Pandoras-box

The Straw That Broke The Camel’s Back – Are You Ready For This?

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By Bill Oakey – March 21, 2016

In a February blog posting, I discussed the need for the City to compile a list of all their expensive project plans, publish them for public input and discussion, and then set some realistic and affordable priorities on them. What I did not happen to mention is that obviously Travis County needs to do the same thing. In fact, the City and the County need to work together and then bring the community into this discussion.

Just try to imagine Amy’s Ice Cream, Whole Foods, Dell Computer or any other business of any size trying to operate without knowing the cost of all of their plans. Publicly held companies’ shareholders would never stand for it. If anyone reading this blog can find a single City or County office holder or staff member who can identify all of their master plans and project plans and tell us the total cost, I would be very surprised.

Are You Ready for This?

There is a Britney Spears slot machine in Las Vegas where she struts across the screen offering a bonus prize and asks, “Are you ready for this?” Well, ready or not, here comes something that is not nearly as much fun. In fact, I’d say this is the straw that broke the camel’s back.

$620 million for a new Travis County Expo Center!

$620 million for a new Travis County Expo Center!

Yes, you read that right – a price tag that is over twice as high as the failed bond proposition for a new civil and family courthouse! You can see the high cost estimate that totals up to $620 million in this PDF from Page 33 of the County’s draft report. There may be some lower estimates out there in Consultant-ville, but why not factor in the highest estimate and assume that the routine cost overruns will hit that amount in the long run?

Are You Ready for Some More?

Oh, and just when you thought that the plan for two commercial golf courses at Walter E. Long Park had been put to rest, guess what. They’…rrre…back!! The same developer who brought up the original proposal has launched an expanded version that includes a host of other grand ideas. And the Austin Parks Department is about to start…here we go again…a brand new master plan for the park. So, the awesomely expensive new Expo Center would only be one piece of a much bigger package. The neighborhoods near the park have waited for over 30 years for some well-deserved improvements. But a grand scheme for luxury development would only bring on more California-style gentrification. (Quick note on the golf courses – Keep in mind that the Austin City Charter clearly states that no City parkland can be leased or “otherwise alienated” without voter approval).

Last year I addressed the big picture planning cost issue in another blog posting that conjured up images of the multiplying brooms in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Today I am still haunted by those images of a hapless office apprentice carrying two buckets full of planning reports. As the music gradually rises to a crescendo, the brooms take over his duties and they begin to multiply. A dozen buckets full of plans morphs into hundreds. Our only hope is to wake up the City Council and the Commissioners Court before it’s too late.

Brooms

Click here for a stereo video of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

Joint Ownership Options Could Help Keep Austinites In Their Homes

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By Bill Oakey – February 24, 2016

One of the biggest problems facing longtime Austin residents is the high cost of property taxes. In recent years we have seen skyrocketing property appraisals that are literally pricing people out of their homes. Neighborhoods across that city that were once affordable are constantly seeing older homes bulldozed and replaced by very expensive luxury housing. This cycle of resident displacement and gentrification is difficult to overcome. Many of the affordable housing options being discussed by City officials consist of fee waivers to developers or geographic tax abatements that ultimately end up shifting the costs to other taxpayers. There are no easy solutions.

Joint Home Ownership Might Help Solve the Problem

Relatives and friends can legally enter into agreements that allow them to share ownership in a home. For example, you could ask a wealthy uncle to buy a 40% stake in your home. One simple way to do that would be for him to put up 40% of the equity that you have have in the home. Then from that point forward, you would pay 60% of the monthly mortgage bill and he would pay 40%. You would also share a 60/40 split on other expenses such as insurance and property taxes. And you would split the Federal income tax mortgage interest deduction. Neither one of you could sell the home without the other’s agreement, but you could sell your interest in the home. If the home is eventually sold, you and your uncle would do a 60/40 split on the proceeds.

Of course, not all of us has a relative or a trusted friend who would be interested in becoming a joint owner of our home. Perhaps the City of Austin should explore new and innovative ways to make joint ownership available for people who find themselves in danger of losing their homes. Right now, you as a homeowner cannot call up your mortgage lender and offer to sell an interest in your home to that lender. There is not a real estate office that you can call and ask to list a percentage of your home for sale on the open market. But if systems like that could be put in place, it might help a lot people be able to afford to stay in their homes.

High housing costs and property taxes also make it difficult for renters to be able to buy a home. Since the end of the recession, the rate of home ownership in the U.S. has declined. Tighter lending standards and student loan debt have made a harder for first-time buyers to get a home loan. CNBC recently published an article entitled, Is a Single-Family Home the New Luxury Item? The same could be asked about condos and townhouses, especially in Austin. A joint ownership option could help reduce the barriers to first-time homebuyers, including the down payment.

I would like for our City officials to consider this idea and discuss it with members of the real estate community. Joint home ownership is legal in Texas, but expanding it to real estate brokers and mortgage lenders could require changes to state or Federal laws. It seems like it would be a boost to the economy and quite helpful to many Austin residents. Many of us might be willing to give up a portion of the investment in their home for an opportunity to enjoy a lower burden of expenses.

Vote For Chantal Eldridge – A Rare Opportunity!

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By Bill Oakey – February 24, 2016

If you haven’t voted yet in the Democratic primary election, be sure to keep one name in mind – Chantal Eldridge for the 450th District Court. This is one of those “under the radar” races, but it’s very important that we take this opportunity to support Chantal.

Chantal Eldridge

Chantal Eldridge

With just a few days to go before Tuesday’s election, we need to let our family, friends and neighbors know why Chantal is the best choice for the 450th District Court. She brings over 25 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney and other legal positions in California, Tennessee and here in Travis County.

Why Am I Supporting Chantal?

One of her strongest platform issues pertains to mental health. Of course her experience is broad and covers a lot of areas. But on the mental health front, Chantal explained that the County jail functions as our biggest mental health provider. She would like for that to change. A much more efficient, affordable and compassionate approach would be to implement a medication compliance program. Chantal says that Travis County should follow the successful examples in Seattle and Miami. As she explained it, “We need a voluntary program where people with mental health conditions could store their medication at a local facility. The staff at those facilities, and even group homes,  could monitor the patients’ compliance with administering their medications.”

For my previous interview with Chantal and why you should support her, see my previous blog endorsement here.

Where to Go to Learn More About Chantal

Watch her YouTube video here.

Visit her campaign website for more information and to make a donation.

This is a unique opportunity to elect a strong reform candidate to the 450th District Court.

Ignore the False, Misleading and Disappointing Negative Attacks!

In a most unfortunate development and as an act of desperation, Chantal’s opponent in the primary has sent out very negative campaign mailers in the last few days. We deserve better. As you head to the polls to cast your ballot, turn your back on these baseless attacks and stand tall with Chantal’s positive message!