ISSUES

  • Chris has been unwavering in his commitment to improve air quality, defend our watershed, protect public lands, and address the effects of global climate change at the local level.

    • Voted to protect the Great Salt Lake and increase water flow every year on the council

    • Believes clean air and water are basic human rights and has directed City lobbying efforts to defend them

    • Pushed the City toward 100% renewable energy by 2030 

    • Ensured the SLC International Airport maintains our LEED certification (cutting more than 8,000 metric tons of Green House Gases annually)

    • Updated landscaping ordinances and programs to reduce water waste, promote native vegetation, and expand our urban forest

    • Expanded transit routes, increased zero-emission vehicles, and provided free transit passes to every family in Salt Lake City School District

    • Expanded programs that make electric landscaping equipment and e-bikes more affordable for modest-income residents

    • Pushed back on development that doesn’t meet the City’s sustainability goals and values

    • Supported the City’s lawsuit against the Inland Port and fought to protect wetlands, wildlife, and the communities most impacted by environmental injustice

  • Chris is a champion for affordable housing investments and diversified housing options in Salt Lake City. He has also worked collaboratively to address systemic issues for unsheltered individuals.

    • Supported the largest affordable housing investments in Salt Lake City’s history, creating hundreds of new affordable housing units each year.

    • Negotiated development incentives for more family-sized housing in every part of the city.

    • Helped create a one-of-a-kind program that allows renters to build equity for home ownership or other necessary life expenses.

    • Has fought to secure more shelter beds and expand intervention programs every year that he has served on the City Council.

    • Played a key role in developing and adopting the City’s Anti-gentrification and Anti-displacement Plan.

    • As an attorney and Council Member, Chris has been a balanced advocate for improvements to City’s Landlord/Tenant Program and increasing resources for renters in need.

    • Helped build the partnerships that allowed for the successful creation of the first tiny home village and the first sanctioned campground in Utah.

  • Chris will always work to preserve parks and public lands for generations to come. He has consistently voted to support our parks by restoring and expanding services and critical maintenance operations.

    • Reduced user fees for community athletic groups like Avenues Baseball

    • Planned and managed the largest parks investments in Salt Lake City’s history

    • Secured $1,000,000 in funding for critical improvements to the Salt Lake City Cemetery 

    • Secured capital improvement funds for Lindsey Gardens, Ensign Peak, Warm Springs Park, and Memory Grove improvements

    • Supported sustainable, equitable, community-focused implementation of the Trails Master Plan for all residents and users.

    • Expanded Salt Lake City’s Park Ranger program

    • Fought for accountability, transparency, and community input in all parks and public lands projects

    • Approved the City’s Urban Forest Action Plan to expand and preserve trees on both public and private property, especially on the Westside

  • Chris will continue to work with all stakeholders to deliver innovative transportation solutions while supporting neighborhood efforts to address the safety, parking, and quality of life concerns of a growing city.

    • Supported every public transit and active transit expansion measure that has come before the council during his tenure

    • Expanded the network of frequent-service buses across the city

    • Led the council in neighborhood traffic calming initiatives

    • Secured funding for free UTA bus passes for Salt Lake City School District students, staff, and faculty

    • Consistently funded “Sweet Streets” (safety and multi-modal) planning and projects

    • Led efforts to address the noise pollution caused by modified vehicle exhaust systems

    • Led the Council’s efforts to balance first/last mile transportation options with the need to improve electric scooter safety regulation.

  • Chris has prioritized arts and cultural investments, built partnerships, and promoted the remarkable talent right here in Salt Lake City. Chris will ensure the City remains a cultural hub for residents and visitors from around the world.

    • Helped secure Salt Lake City’s bid to host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games

    • Ensured the Utah Symphony and Utah Museum of Contemporary Arts remains in our Downtown

    • Expanded the “Percent for Art” requirement for all City and Community Redevelopment Agency (formerly RDA) projectsFunded hundreds of free tickets to world-class performances for school children

    • Developed and supported the City’s mural program

    • Supported annual cultural festivals like the Utah Arts Festival, Living Traditions Festival, Twilight Concert Series, and Utah Pride Festival

    • Created micro loans for community-based artists, performers, and arts educators

    • Secured funding set asides for public art in the Sports, Entertainment, Culture, and Convention District

    • Personally supported Salt Lake City’s visual arts, dance, music, and film communities

  • Chris has been the standard-bearer for historic preservation and adaptive reuse policies. He’s fought to preserve historic neighborhoods and structures while balancing the need for affordable housing and housing diversity.

    • Created the City's new historic monument program to highlight the history of different communities, sights, and figures in our city

    • Supported preservation of Abravanel Hall and keeping the Utah Symphony in our Downtown

    • Fought to preserve and protect Salt Lake City’s historic Japantown

    • Passed ordinances strengthening protections for historic structures and increasing penalties for unauthorized demolitions

    • Secured the largest historic preservation investment in city history for the Warm Springs Plunge Building, Fisher Mansion, and Allen Park structures

    • Established the Friends of the Salt Lake City Cemetery to help preserve the resting place of many of Utah’s historic figures (and several urban legends)

    • Lives with his husband (a historic preservation professional) in an 1884 Victorian cottage, which they continuously love, improve, and restore

  • Public safety is the first and foremost duty of any city. Chris know that to be effective and trustworthy, police, fire, and emergency operations must be transparent and accountable to the community. 

    • Fought for the collective bargaining rights of police and firefighters and their families

    • Kept Salt Lake City at “top of market” in recruiting the best and most diverse police, fire, and emergency professionals in the state

    • Created the Racial Equity in Policing Commission and led efforts to strengthen the oversight powers of the Police-Civilian Review Board

    • Championed efforts to secure and expand social workers and other alternative response efforts for certain crises

    • Secured critical firefighting equipment that saved dozens of homes from being lost from fires in our wildlife-urban interface areas

    • Replaced antiquated hiring, promotion, and disciplinary policies within the Salt Lake City Police and Fire Departments

    • Adopted a comprehensive emergency plan to guide the City’s response and recovery operations during a disaster

    • Banned the use of military-grade weapons and equipment in policing

    • Negotiated with Smith Entertainment Group to keep the Utah Jazz and new NHL team downtown while also providing increased revenue for affordable housing, youth programs, preservation of historic Japantown, and funding future City services

    • Helped Salt Lake City earn a perfect score on the Human RIghts Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index

    • Adopted the City’s ADA self-evaluation and transition plan to ensure ADA compliance and remove accessibility barriers in City programs, facilities, and public spaces.

    • Supported the continuation of Ranked Choice Voting which enabled the largest ranked-choice election in Utah

    • Adopted an ordinance requiring closed captioning on televisions in public areas to increase accessibility

    • Approved funding for full gender confirmation treatment for transgender city employees and family members

    • Adopted an ordinance to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and advance gender equality in government

    • Defended local control for Salt Lake City during every state legislative session