In the News

I helped form a new committee focused on walkability in Farmington, with the goal of connecting walking and biking paths from the city’s farthest outlying subdivisions to its downtown core. The Pathways committee is up and running and meets the second Wednesday of the month; I serve as the Council liaison.

I never thought I’d be calling on an appointed board member to resign, but I also never imagined the damage that this board member would do to the community resource that is the Farmington Community Library.

Farmington council member Maria Taylor in a Friday social media post said “turning a blind eye” to Largent’s behavior “is simply enabling it to continue. Farmington deserves better.” –Farmington Voice, 8/2020

I voted to apply for a TAP grant, which we have since received, that will allow us to invest in the Farmington Road streetscape that is 10 years overdue. Expect work to begin in 2022.

“To me, the Farmington Road streetscape is the single most powerful project that we, as Farmington leaders, can carry out to ensure a brighter future for the downtown we all want to see grow and thrive.”

We asked voters to invest in Farmington’s future, and Farmington said “yes!” I championed the millage, designed mailers, put up yard signs, and wrote editorials including this Readers’ Digest version of municipal financing.

“The millage is to compensate for what the state won’t do to help. It’s taking action to close the gap, fund what we love, and start investing in our future again.”

Trees are city infrastructure as much as sidewalks, roads, and water/sewer. They make our neighborhoods desirable — and, like other forms of infrastructure, they need to be maintained. I got a tree study added to our official Council Goals, and it has since been completed. My next goal will be budgeting for and implementing a tree maintenance/replanting plan across the city.

I want to change the rules and allow more food trucks in Farmington, so I got an ordinance update added to our Council work plan.

Taylor said … she’s talked to people in a variety of age groups, from seniors to families and millennials, and many of them wish to see more food trucks downtown, especially at events like the city’s Friday night concert series, Rhythms in Riley Park. –Farmington Press, 8/2018

When I saw a video of someone paddling down Mayfield in a canoe, I grabbed an umbrella and walked through the flood to see how deep it was. (The water came up to my thighs — and that was on the sidewalk.) I posted the photos on social media, then worked to get funding for repairing the Mayfield drainage system in the 2019-2020 City budget. The project was completed in late 2020.

I am a huge proponent of adaptive reuse: renovating old buildings for cool new uses. I approved two adaptive reuse projects in Farmington: the Masonic Temple, being upcycled into Blue Hat Coffee, and The Village Mall, our iconic 1920s bank building being transformed into glass-walled offices.

“I am absolutely thrilled to see new owners GLP Financial Group bringing this Farmington icon back to life. This entire redevelopment is historic preservation done right.”

That’s me on the cover of TIME.

I’ll admit: When I got an email from TIME asking if I’d like to submit a headshot for a cover on women running for office, I almost hit “mark as spam.” And I really didn’t expect it would be used. But a month and a half later, my phone started buzzing with texts from friends saying “OMG you’re on the cover!”

I’m just below the “S,” on the right side of the page. The photo was taken at a fall 2017 candidate forum at Farmington City Hall. How cool is that?