Kai on the Issues
STANDING UP FOR YOU
COST OF HOUSING / AFFORDABILITY
Perhaps the greatest challenge for my generation is the cost of housing. Many of my friends cannot afford to buy a home in Frederick County. Sadly, some have been forced to move out of the county to find affordable housing. You cannot build lasting community when people born and raised here cannot afford to live here.
There is currently a 2-5 million housing unit shortage in the U.S. Whether you read the Wall Street Journal, JP Morgan or listen to economist Jared Bernstein, they all identify the same problems:
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Zoning regulations delay the building of homes.
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Permitting and other building fees increase costs that are passed along to the home buyer.
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Lack of government investment in infrastructure.
As your Councilman, I will bring together all our trade partners to identify zoning regulations and fees that must be changed. We must limit development in Growth Areas and build in density to get higher utilization rates on public assets, creating greater return on investment for taxpayer dollars. These are concepts that have not been widely embraced, but it is time we have an honest conversation about them.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY & LIMITED GOVERNMENT
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Kai Will Cut Taxes & Reduce Wasteful Spending:
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Advocating for lower taxes and a leaner, more efficient government that budgets for a surplus — not deficits.
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Kai Will Prioritize Needs Over Wants:
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We need to build a hierarchy of needs and prioritize spending accordingly. Those priorities should be centered around infrastructure, schools, fire and rescue, and the sheriff’s office – not more administration.
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Kai Will Reform the Budget Process:
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Introducing a Charter Amendment to increase County Council authority over spending and taxation, ending the current top-down, autocratic process.
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STOPPING THE MPRP LANDGRAB
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Kai Will Stand Firmly Against Eminent Domain:
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Respecting private property rights in the face of corporate overreach.
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Kai Will Fight to Protect Landowner Rights:
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Ensuring that landowners have the final say on what happens with their property.
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Kai Will Demand an Outcome that Respects the Community:
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Collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure that corporate entities do not run roughshod over our unique local communities.
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SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
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Kai Will Coordinate with Municipalities:
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Advocating for joint planning between the County and towns to ensure cohesive, strategic development.
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Kai Will Promote Infrastructure-First Development:
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Ensuring roads, schools, and utilities are in place before approving new projects.
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Kai Will Promote Commercial Development:
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Prioritizing job-creating growth over unchecked residential sprawl.
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PROTECTING PROPERTY RIGHTS
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Kai Will End Government Overreach:
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Removing burdensome permits and fees for ordinary property improvements.
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Kai Will Keep Government Out of Private Residences:
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Removing tedious inspections and overregulation of private residences.
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Kai Will Ban Drone Surveillance:
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Outlawing the use of government drones to monitor private property for code enforcement.
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SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE
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Kai Will Support Ag Tourism:
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Expanding opportunities for breweries, wineries, distilleries, and other agritourism ventures by cutting red tape.
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Kai Will Preserve Historic Farms:
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Promoting conservation and responsible development around legacy farmlands.
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Kai Will Cut Regulations:
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Eliminating unnecessary regulations that hurt family farms and small agri-businesses.
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COUNTYWIDE INITIATIVES
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Kai Will Fast-Track Permitting for Businesses:
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Implementing a streamlined, transparent permitting system (similar to a "Domino’s Tracker") so businesses aren’t left waiting.
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Kai Will Support Critical Transportation Projects:
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Widening US 15 and I-270 to alleviate congestion and support long-term mobility.
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Kai Will Support Teachers:
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Raising teacher pay to retain top talent and attract experienced educators back to Frederick County.
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DATA CENTERS
Data centers have become one of the hottest topics in recent memory. They have become a part of our everyday lives with increased use in technology. Now with the implementation of AI, data center needs have increased even more so, as most people use AI in their day-to-day lives. A Prime example of this is in all social media platforms that we use every day. It’s important that we make smart decisions going forward when it comes to data centers, ensuring we protect quality of life and use the revenue efficiently.
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Kai will not support further Data center expansion
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Kai will not support any further expansion of the overlay zone until the state shows the ability to expand energy independence and lower the cost of resident’s electricity bills
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Kai will look to invest data center revenue responsibly
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As your councilman, Kai will look to incorporate his fiscal policy towards data center revenue, pushing for the funds to only go to our “Hierarchy of Needs”: Schools, Roads, and public safety
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Kai will work to utilize revenue to lower property taxes
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Kai will support efforts to improve energy independence
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Advocate to state representatives to push for energy independence through nuclear, coal, and gas.
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Kai will work to ensure the county maintains strict regulations
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Data centers are already here, but we need to make sure that sensible regulations are kept in place to maintain people’s quality of life
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Uphold water and power requirements during application process
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Kai will push for SMR (Small Modular Reactor) technology
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Diesel generators in mass have been a large concern for our community, we need to lobby our state to push for SMR technology once available, to provide a clean efficient source of power that can provide relief for our grid.
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