The Lucas-Burke Campaign Platform Issues

Healthcare is a fundamental right. I believe that every citizen should have easy access to diverse healthcare options within the city in which they reside. Advocating for an urgent care facility will be one of my health care access goals, where citizens will not have to travel across city lines for urgent care and medical treatment needs.

Owning a home is the great American Dream; but housing affordability is not a clear option for over 40% of the working populous in Portsmouth. As a strong advocate for affordable housing, I will continue my journey and passion of working with developers to bring a diverse stock of affordable and workforce housing to the city, like the Holley Pointe Apartments at Effingham and County Street; and soon to come the Baines Pointe Apartments at High Street and Elm Avenue.

As a majority member of our city council authorizing funds for our schools to be able to proceed with a new CTE School Program; it will additionally be my continued goal to fully fund our schools so that the resources are available to secure teacher’s pay, and provide funding to maintain quality teachers in our city.

As a former member and Chair of the Economic Development Authority, I learned the art of attracting developers to the city for growth of local businesses and residential developments. With our seawall now being an option to beautify and improve the image and footprint of our prime waterfront property, it will be my goal to recruit interested & qualified developers to build a development in our downtown area, to be a revenue generator, offering various opportunities to decrease taxes for our citizens in near future.

Crime is a topic that is on the minds of all of us, and as your next mayor, I will work collaboratively with our council and public safety officers to ensure that we’re seeking programs and services that will allow us to choose robust violence interrupters who understand root causes of crime as mental health, lack of access to housing, lack of education, and poverty. As a former liaison to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority, I gained an understanding of the importance of being able to work with our local Sheriffs across the region to ensure our public safety systems are stable. With the closing of our city jail, we are now afforded the great opportunity to house our inmates in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, and build out future opportunities to provide a Juvenile Detention Facility right here in our city. As a supporter of Collective Bargaining, our local Unions know that they have a leader in me, as your future Mayor who will advocate for their employment concerns.