Eagle Town Council candidate Gina McCrackin in her own words
Why are you running for Town Council?
I’m running for Town Council because, as a young, working-class resident, I don’t see the struggles and interests of people like me reflected in local leadership. Too many friends and neighbors have left our beautiful community due to rising costs and unattainable homeownership. I want to be a voice for my often-overlooked demographic and bring fresh energy to our leadership. Eagle is at a pivotal point, and the choices we make now will shape our future. I’m committed to ensuring those decisions reflect the needs of all residents and help our community grow in an inclusive, sustainable way.
What’s your plan for balancing continued growth and development in Eagle while preserving the Town’s character and its scenic beauty?
I will do this by utilizing smart growth principles in my decision-making regarding development and growth projects. We can increase housing stock, drive customers to local businesses, simplify pedestrian and multimodal transportation, and conserve land by being thoughtful and strategic about our growth decisions. For example, adding housing in already-dense areas like the town core, connecting housing to convenient transportation, and generating more foot traffic in downtown areas will manage growth in a way that doesn’t compromise the things we love about our community, and contain it from sprawling into landscapes and habitats that we don’t want to disrupt.
How can Eagle support local businesses and workers?
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Local businesses deserve strong support from our town. I would work to simplify the process of starting a business, regularly engage with small business owners to address challenges, and expand access to financial and marketing resources. We can also improve traffic flow to increase visitor foot traffic downtown. A thriving business community also depends on a stable workforce. I support expanding Local Employee Residency Program (LERP) units, increasing affordable housing options, and using creative financing tools to fund new programs. I’d also advocate for hiring a county housing ombudsperson to address individuals’ local housing concerns.
Many Eagle residents work in the upper valley. How do you propose to improve transportation infrastructure and manage traffic congestion as the town expands?
I would work with Core Transit to expand bus service throughout Eagle, while keeping fares free for our residents and workforce. We have seen success with transit ridership increase since Core Transit’s inception, and our role is to better connect transit services and park and rides to housing developments in Eagle. Additionally, I’d look to the several stakeholder-informed community plans, such as the Grand Avenue Redevelopment Project, for planned traffic flow changes, and strategically invest town resources to accomplish these goals. We must also prioritize projects that improve traffic flow in the case of emergencies, such as fire evacuations.
What strategies would you implement to maintain affordable housing options for residents as rising property values continue to outpace area median incomes?
Living in a wealthy, highly sought-after area brings both opportunities and deep inequality, especially between those who sustain our community and those who only visit. I support expanding Local Employee Residency Program (LERP) units and exploring ways to reinvest tax revenue from top earners into workforce housing and quality-of-life improvements. I would also collaborate regionally to discourage vacant housing, creating more rental opportunities for locals. Additionally, I’d advocate for a housing ombudsperson to formally address complaints and prevent housing exploitation. Our policies must prioritize those who live and work here full-time, not just those who vacation or invest here.
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