Elizabeth Brown is a proven progressive leader for Columbus.
Families Shouldn’t Need Two Jobs Just to Get by
Elizabeth knows many in our city are working two jobs just to get by. She’s a vocal and effective advocate for family-sustaining wages and led the way in requiring that Columbus companies will now be required to pay a minimum wage of $15/hour if those jobs were incentivized by city programs.
Paid Leave is Essential to Healthy Families
As a working mother of two young children, Elizabeth knows firsthand the importance of paid family leave. Councilmember Brown spearheaded the City’s Comprehensive Paid Family Leave Policy, giving 6-weeks of parental leave to new parents and up to 4-weeks of leave to primary family caregivers.
The City and its Residents Should Work Together
Elizabeth makes a concerted effort to ensure city government is open and transparent, so all can be heard. She’s welcomed resident feedback and directly incorporated this guidance in city budgets and proposals.
Women’s Rights are Human Rights
Councilmember Brown introduced and secured passage of the Health Center Worker and Patient Protection Ordinance to protect women and their providers from aggressive and intimidating protesters outside abortion clinics. She has also made progress in ensuring the city’s women have access to affordable feminine hygiene products and is currently working on providing free tampons in the city’s recreation center bathrooms.
Entrepreneurs Need an Ecosystem Optimized for Growth
Elizabeth believes that by creating an ecosystem in Columbus that nurtures entrepreneurship, we can create an environment in which businesses can flourish and families are lifted by fair wages and benefits.
The City has a Role in Overcoming Poverty
The zip code where a child is born should never be the determining factor for what future he or she can dream of. Every Columbus resident should be able to access safe and affordable housing. Every neighborhood should have access to healthy food. While many people in Columbus are thriving, too many people live with the daily stress of poverty. As Columbus continues to grow, we must measure our progress not by how the wealthiest are faring, but by how the lives of those hardest hit by poverty are improving.
Taxpayers Deserve Sound City Finances
It is important for Columbus to maintain its AAA bond rating, which the city achieved and has maintained through good fiscal management. This means each year we have to face tough choices to make smart financial decisions for the taxpayers of Columbus. The three main fiscal priorities that should take precedence are the maintenance of neighborhood services, the protection of the public safety, and strong economic development programs.
