Christopher Hook is seeking election to Kent City Council - Ward 4. View his responses to our candidate endorsement questionnaire below:
1. Why are you running for office, and what previous experience makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?
As a long-time Kentite and Ohioan, it feels right and a duty to run for office. In the face of the ascension of the political far right, with its assault on individual liberties and on the climate, I feel it’s important that people, especially young people, come forward to push back toward a more positive future.
This isn't my first foray into politics, but that doesn’t mean I’m ill-equipped to take it on. First, I know the city and its people: I’m a graduate of Walls Elementary, Stanton Middle, Kent Roosevelt HS and KSU, and have lived in the city on and off for eighteen years.
Secondly, my career has been focused on progressive social impact. While in DC, I worked for Congressperson Tim Ryan and later, the U.S. Agency for International Development where I facilitated grants to scale up reproductive health programs abroad. I have a Masters’ degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University where I focused on social policy, norm-and community-guided change. I currently work for an activist organization, Equimundo: the Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, that builds campaigns and educational programs around the world to promote gender equality. I’ve lived in diverse settings, including Switzerland, Washington, Baltimore, Uganda and Somalia, and have traveled to 40 countries. All of these experiences have contributed to who I am.
The Republican incumbent has much to offer, but has served for twelve years and continues to hold baffling and inhumane views. Given this, I am motivated to run and feel uniquely qualified to do so. With the city on the cusp of a new strategic plan and building a new city hall, and with many pressing issues ahead of us, such as the climate transition, I feel we need new invigorating and progressive leadership.
2. If elected, what do you hope to accomplish in this position?
If elected, I hope to accomplish three things:
One, I will be an active participant in the creation of our new Strategic Plan to help set Kent on its future course. I would like to promote environmental sustainability, youth engagement and quality government service included in the SP. I would also like to see Kent take stronger stances on state issues such as the right to abortion and gender-affirming care, and see Kent make itself known as a place where progressive visions for the future can be realized in Ohio.
Two, I hope to engage young people as individuals and through interest groups they may participate in. Young people are our most progressive and energetic citizens, and they are our future parents, business owners, consumers and joyful contributors to our city’s well-being. I’d like to see this segment of our population come front and center as we project a vision for our city.
Third, I hope to be fierce in my activism for the policies this city needs, while maintaining a civility in the ways our politics are enacted. I pledge not to engage in gaslighting, 'gish gallop,' 'truthiness,' or other manipulative debating tactics, and to point out when our opponents are using them. I pledge to call my political opponents in, rather than out, and to be open to criticism and calls for accountability.
3. What are three policy initiatives you plan to focus on if elected?
I’m looking forward to working with the other members of a progressive City Council and with citizen/citizen groups to realize policy goals that are long in coming. The hopeful departure of more conservative members of the Council opens the door for policies not before seen in Kent.
Some of the policy initiatives I am eager to support:
A progressive Climate Action and Response Plan to mitigate the impact of climate change on Kent and build a greener future. This is in keeping with the leadership of the Kent Environmental Council, Sustainability Commission and other citizen groups.
Harm reductionist public health measures: I would like to promote education, training and provision of naloxone for residents and emergency responders, where there are currently gaps; develop a needle disposal and exchange program within the Kent City Health Department; and charge the Kent Police with enforcing the results of the recent marijuana decriminalization referendum.
Regular community assessments: The City of Kent can do a better job collecting regular data from residents about their experience of the city and its offerings. This data could be collated and shared out at Council and other community gatherings to provoke discussion and policy ideas. In addition to residents attending city meetings, this is a way for residents to have a say in how their city operates, and may be particularly helpful for students and young people.
4. What can local governments do to encourage young adults to stay in Northeast Ohio?
Retaining young adults in Kent should be a centerpiece of the next City Strategic Plan. If this is prioritized in the SP, then the rest will follow. As a Councilperson, I will advocate that the following be included in the SP, as it pertains to young people:
First, ensuring there is a stock of quality and affordable housing, both for renters and owners. This housing ideally would be connected to quality, maintained sidewalks and trails so that young people can walk, bike, bus or use personal mechanical transportation like scooters.
Second, with its control of business and liquor licenses, municipal zoning, and downtown festivals, and its liaison with Main Street Kent and the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Council can keep young people engaged by continuing to promote and support businesses and policies that appeal to them. Past examples of this include the addition of the Water Street and Bell Tower Brewing; the creation of the DORA zone and the elimination of traffic on Franklin Avenue in warmer months; and hosting festivals like the Wizardly World of Kent and Kent Pride.
Third, young people want to live in a place where they are seen and respected. We need to work harder to ensure that Kent folks who identify as LGBTQIA+, black, brown, immigrant, low-income, and other historically marginalized identities feel at home. This should be reflected in all our institutions and in interactions with the public. City Councilors, through their oversight of key public institutions, need to make sure that the KPD, KFD and EMS keep public health at the center of what they do, and react with empathy first, with special consideration for these groups when appropriate.
Fourth, the City of Kent should continue to build partnerships with area high schools and Kent State University, building a more robust pipeline so that upon graduation, students have a landing point for starting their careers. This pipeline could include offering tax incentives for area HS or university grads to start businesses or buy homes; the promotion of internships and training opportunities within area businesses; and connecting business owners with students early in their studies so they can see a future for themselves.
Last, young people must be involved in creating the future of Kent. As Councilpersons, we have a great deal of control over the processes that lead to change, but our role should also be to ensure the greatest participation from our citizens. Too often young people are not invited to share their views. This is in part because the process is unfamiliar and seemingly inaccessible to young people. We need to go to the young people and to the students, hold feedback sessions in their comfort zones. As a young person myself, I can see this. I feel ready and excited to take this on.
5. Will you support nondiscrimination policies that protect individuals regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression? If so, how?
Absolutely. I would support nondiscrimination policies in specific ways, such as ensuring that hiring for city employees and contractors is conducted fairly and without bias; that police, fire and EMS have adequate training and staff to ensure that interactions with the community keep public health and empathy at their center; and that City Government uses its regulatory authority with our business community to ensure that Kent businesses operate and advertise their services in ways that are welcome to all.
We must also solicit feedback from constituents on a consistent basis: this can be achieved through anonymous surveys and focus groups, but also by advertising the dates and times of council and commission meetings so that the public can help craft policy.
Beyond policy, I believe that the Council has a role to play in promoting norms in Kent that are inclusive. I believe we have a lot to build on, a lot that is already there, but there is more to be done.
6. Do you support reasonable regulations on firearms in the United States? Please explain in detail.
Yes. I am fully in support of reasonable regulations on firearms. I support mandatory background checks, including checking on domestic violence charges and past mental health issues, and enforcing waiting periods between the purchase and receipt of a gun. I have a friend whose life was likely saved by this policy. I also support optional gun buybacks to make it more expensive to sell guns on the secondary market then it would be to turn them in; the banning of weapons in public facilities; and gun safety education. I also firmly believe that we should ban the sale of firearms with high-capacity magazines/clips (holding more than 10 bullets) and/or those which have mainly military purposes (AR-15, etc).
I also believe hunters should have the right to safely use firearms for their sport, that Ohioans have the right to keep a gun at home for protection, and that most gun owners are responsible people who take care of their firearms. The gun debate, like many, has been disfigured by right-leaning groups and leaders who try to paint the progressive vision for gun ownership as all-or-nothing. No progressive I know, including myself, believes it is a good policy to full-stop take away everyone’s guns.
7. What will you do to actively engage young adults in local government?
As a young person myself, I will be an enthusiastic conduit for youth involvement. I will use my voice to encourage young people to attend and participate in council meetings, to take part in city-run community assessments and focus groups, and to join the conversation over social media.
I believe university student groups can and should be more active in discussions about city policy and I will spearhead greater outreach to them. The city must also update its antiquated website and maintain a stronger presence over social media, especially Instagram.
8. Describe your vision on public safety and your plans for crime prevention?
Everyone wants to live in a community that feels safe.They want to feel safe taking their children to school, going downtown for a night out, and as they go to sleep. That’s universal and is a human right. I start from there.
I believe that the safest communities take a holistic view of what their communities need. Many of what ails our society has deep, generational roots in poverty, trauma, racism and mistrust. Our society must understand this and treat the source of the problem, rather than its symptoms (e.g., crime). In Kent, and in my tenure as Councilperson,
I will fight to maintain and grow our investment in social services rather than asking police officers to fill every role related to safety. at a minimum, police must be trained in de-escalation, and have the training to refer appropriate cases to mental health experts like social workers or hospitals. I will work to right-size the police’s role, as it pertains to crime and other public safety concerns.
9. What should your locality be doing to ensure racial equity and eliminating bias in community policing?
First and foremost - and this will be a theme for my time on Council - is that we have to collect data from all our residents, including our black and brown residents, about how they feel about Kent policing, as it relates to racial bias.We can accomplish this through a regular community assessment that should include both quantitative and qualitative data and this data should be analyzed in partnership with black and brown residents, and made available to the public. This data should absolutely help inform next steps taken by the Council, police and other community bodies. We should also be in regular contact with groups like the Black United Students and the Portage County NAACP, whose headquarters are in Kent.
Second, we must make sure that our police officers are trained in de-escalation and have the training to refer appropriate cases to mental health experts like social workers or hospitals. It is not a question of implicit bias - we know that we all are biased - it’s having the adequate training to reflect on that bias and being prepared to make alternative decisions.
Third, we should make sure that our police force itself is diverse and representative of the community, and that they have a stake in what happens in our community.
And fourth, I will resist any and all attempts to militarize our police. Too often in our communities police are receiving military-grade equipment that have no place in communities like ours. This creates an unnecessary and hostile environment and actually harms the interest of public safety.
10. The Environment
Experts agree that a key to reducing the effects of climate disruption is to reduce our dependence on, and use of, carbon-based fuels, including oil, natural gas and coal. Please answer the following questions related to the environment in detail:
10-A. Should local governments play a role in phasing out the use of fossil fuels by our municipalities? If so, what role should a local legislator play?
Yes! Local governments can place restrictions on fossil fuel infrastructure through land-use regulation and by endorsing state, local and international calls for ending our reliance on fossil fuels. Legislators can work to build consensus with key stakeholders on the right steps to take.
Already, Kent is in the process of developing its Climate Action and Response Plan, which includes land-use regulation and has robust community participation, but implementing it is the next step. This could include: setting new requirements for new construction and/or major renovations, including incentives or requirements for electric appliances through ordinances that amend the local building code; not accepting permits for the building of fossil fuel infrastructure; and creating no emissions zones.
And as a cyclist and runner, I hope this includes the erection of more bike lanes and trails.
10-B. Do you support the use of "Fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) to extract oil or gas within your city, or would you support a ban on Fracking?
I don’t support the use of fracking to extract oil or gas within the city of Kent and would support a ban on fracking within the boundaries of Kent. More than this, we need to have transparency about exactly what is happening inside Kent regarding fracking, as that is not clear. We should also evaluate if any city money is tied up in investments in fracking and if there are companies operating inside of Kent who are in the fracking industry.
11. In June of last year, the United States Supreme Court overturned the landmark case Roe vs. Wade, which guaranteed a persons right to safe and legal abortion access. What role should local government play in advocating for access to safe and legal abortion services?
Local government can play a crucial role in advocating for access to safe and legal abortion services. This could include not enforcing certain state mandates, e.g., D.A.'s in several blue cities embedded within red states; refusing to arrest those seeking or performing abortions outside of regulations; creating city-funded abortion funds to support residents to travel to other states for abortion care, such as in Columbus; approving business licenses for abortion providers; providing affirming sexual and reproductive health care in city-run clinics, including contraceptive counseling and abortion care; speaking out on the issue publicly, especially in the run-up to key court cases; and inviting and amplifying the voices of abortion advocates through community awards, or inviting their testimony at council meetings.
12. The state of Ohio has continually cut funds to local governments over the last decade. How do you plan on operating within the confines of an already reduced local budget, without cutting critical services to tax payers?
In the midst of gradual defunding from the state, Kent must continue to leverage its public-private partnerships to build infrastructure and maintain services for the city. The revitalization of Kent’s downtown came through strong negotiation and partnership between the University, the town and local investors, and that’s a legacy to continue. Kent must also look to local bond efforts, such as for our libraries and schools, that keep those institutions strong through local taxpayer investment.
13. What can be done to create and/or attract new businesses with good paying jobs and benefits in the City? How can we encourage new businesses, and existing businesses, to become an active part of our community?
Kent already has a strong climate that encourages investment in the local economy. This is facilitated by an attractive and vibrant downtown, a strong consumer base of students, Kent residents and those from wealthy cities outside the city, and coordinated business-focused institutions. Kent should continue to brand itself as being open for business, and we can follow the leadership of Main Street Kent.
MSK tells us that we can make downtown a “fun, thriving place,” by continuing to build partnerships between and among business leaders, residents and city/university officials, maintaining a focus on a clean and beautiful downtown “look,” ; by marketing Kent as a destination; and by recruiting new businesses to provide a balanced retail mix, gradually filling in where there are vacant buildings.
14. Should the City reduce the cost of services by contracting out or privatizing government services? Why or why not?
At times, it does make sense to contract out government services, and Kent does this with a number of vendors. This reduces costs and is likely more efficient than Kent buying and maintaining its own fleet of trucks, etc. However, as with any city contract, we should be contracting with companies that have a record of quality, that are ideally union-owned, and that commit to certain nondiscrimination principles. In addition, we should have appropriate oversight over their work and consistent check-ins where there are lapses identified.
15. Do you feel that housing in your City is affordable and available for young people and families? If not, what will you do to address this issue?
I do feel that housing is affordable for young people and families. Compared to cities that I have lived in, Kent remains an affordable place to live and there are a variety of rental properties to choose from, including large multi-unit buildings, duplexes, condos and homes.
That said, for me, the issue is not availability or cost but quality. Too often, landlords are allowed to let their rental properties fall into dilapidation, and tenants don’t always understand what should be normal standards for their rental property. This lowers housing values and self-esteem for those living here.. I think this issue can be addressed with both renters/landlord education so everyone understands expectations and so that residents have a place to go when they feel standards aren’t being met. In addition, while the Kent City Health Department currently conducts inspections for multi-unit residential buildings, this could be extended to all rental properties (such as single-family homes).