• Occupation: mayor/lawyer
• Political experience/qualifications for running in this election:
I was first elected to Pitt Meadows Council in 2002. I was elected to my first term as mayor in 2014. I have 13 years experience serving Pitt Meadows.
I have over a decade of hands-on experience with city issues and have developed broad and deep relationships with senior governments and agencies. My solid relationships with senior governments transcend changes of governing party.
Throughout my time I have consistently taken advantage of learning opportunities to do a better job as mayor. Apart from my law degree and certifications as mediator and arbitrator, I completed an MBA in 2015 and certificates in Civic Engagement and Social Innovation in 2017. I am currently enrolled in a Master of Urban Studies program at SFU. I have obtained the highest award for leadership issued by the Local Government Leadership Academy.
• Reason for running:
My desire to make Pitt Meadows the best place to live, work and play for us, our children and grandchildren. I raised my family here and built my law firm here – helping businesses, families and individuals. I know the community today is a better place than it was four years ago.
Pitt Meadows has had to manage significant changes over the years. Even with these changes, you tell me that one of the most important things I can do as your mayor is to preserve and enhance the strong feelings of community. That feeling of community is very important to me and my family, too.
Needs change as communities grow and we need to respond to these additional demands. As new best practices arise, I need to lead the team at city hall to adopt, adapt and strive to be better.
• What do you consider to be the top two issues this election and how would you address them?
To move ahead with phases 3 and 4 of the Golden Ears Business Park to secure hundreds of family sustaining jobs and millions of dollars of non-residential property taxes. We have $23 million of land amenity to integrate into our Parks and Recreation Master Plan. To have this amount of land added beside our current athletic fields is a once-in-a-generation opportunity not to dismissed.
To spend residents’ hard-earned tax dollars on the right things and not unnecessary and questionable programs and services. There are too many irresponsible political promises made in this election to spend residents’ tax dollars on ineffectual programs such as Pitt Meadows Economic Development Corporation and imposing additional fire services costs when not recommended by the fire chiefs. We have increased programs and services and kept the taxes the lowest in Metro Vancouver by being very careful with our residents’ tax dollars.