Patty Kim’s approach is simple: Focus on solutions, not personalities.

Patty knows that as one member of a legislative body, nothing can get done without cooperation and collaboration with colleagues. She supports or opposes initiatives based solely on what her experience, education and values tell her is best for citizens without regard to whose idea it is. Her focus on what will get done rather than who will get the credit has resulted in an extensive record of service:

• Patty voted for and publicly supported the complete reform of the Harrisburg Authority. This irresponsible body of patronage and corruption botched the retrofit of the incinerator and funneled millions of dollars to western artifacts of no public or private value.
• Patty introduced and led the passage of a toughened noise ordinance with stricter car stereo noise guidelines and made the repeated honking of car horns a summary offense with a fine of up to $1,000.
• Patty introduced and led the passage of a new youth curfew ordinance to keep children under 18 off the streets and out of trouble at night.
• Fed up with slum landlords escaping sanction at some of the district magisterial justice offices, Patty partnered with Dauphin County and the Mayor to create a brand new housing court at the County level staffed by senior judges to expedite these cases and punish city housing code violations.
• Responding to patrol officer concerns, Patty repeatedly and publicly pressed the administration to prioritize the upgrade of police vehicles many of which were far beyond their useful life. While she was Public Safety chair, money was approved for the lease of the new fleet of vehicles on the streets today.
• Patty voted for and publicly supported the Harrisburg Life Partner Registry which aids gay and lesbian couples by providing civic documentation they are in a committed relationship for health insurance, pension and other couples benefit issues.
• After a horrific 2006 of youth gun violence, Patty created and led a special anti-violence youth summer program in 2007 called “Get Busy Livin!” along with local Harrisburg activists Mike Van Jura and Wendell Murray. In six months, Patty raised $15,000 from a variety of sources so that over 200 Harrisburg teens could (and did) participate.
• That same year, Patty worked with Reclaim the Streets Ministries, the Mayor, and the City Police Department to initiate a Harrisburg gun buy-back program. Over $26,000 was raised (including $1,000 from Patty) and over 290 city guns were turned in the two days of the event.
• Responding to numerous residents and neighborhood groups, Patty, as Chair of Public Works, has repeatedly and publicly pressed the administration for a bulk trash pick-up. When this was unsuccessful, Patty worked with her colleagues to write it into the 2009 city budget with $100,000 of funding.
• To spur jobs and investment along the North Sixth Street corridor Patty led the fight for a new Keystone Opportunity Zone for Harrisburg.
• As Chair of the City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee, Patty led the allocation of more than $5 million in federal Community Development Block Grants prioritizing blight removal, youth programs and housing assistance.
• In Harrisburg’s debt crisis, Patty has been a vocal advocate of a plan to avoid a state takeover, political paralysis, runaway legal fees and ever increasing interest costs.
• Patty was in constant communication with citizens and their service providers during the recent flooding of the Susquehanna with continual updates on power, gas and cresting information.