Veteran Pitt Meadows city councillor Janis Elkerton has announced she will be running independently for Pitt Meadows council.
Elkerton served for 21 years on council, and said she can bring important experience to city hall.
The priorities she sees for this election are fiscal responsibility, integrated transportation improvements and enhanced community recreation.
For years there has been public discussion of an indoor pool, but there has been no talk of a separate RCMP detachment until this current council, she said.
“The outdoor pool has needed continual remedial work. Our community deserves a reliable source of family recreation during the full year,” she said. “A pool would be a welcome addition, and much more useful than an unnecessary independent RCMP detachment.”
“Twenty million dollars financed over 30 years puts a huge tax burden on the residents,” Elkerton added. “A separate detachment won’t improve services, just escalate and duplicate costs.”
She said the current council’s spending needs to be reined in.
READ ALSO: Pitt Meadows approves 5.30 per cent tax increase
“The constant tax increase of five per cent per year and more is unsustainable, with families struggling to pay for household essentials in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic,” said Elkerton.
A properly designed interchange at the Lougheed Highway and Harris Road needs to be part of any transportation improvements, including the CPR underpass at Harris, she said. The congestion at the railway tracks will only move to Harris and Lougheed without it.
The proposed CPR logistics yard would be an environmental disaster for the city, and a safety hazard, she said. Pitt Meadows taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for more firefighters and other emergency response services. CP should be made to pay for any required increase in emergency response capability to safely handle the railway’s high-risk operations.
The devastating floods that impacted the Lower Mainland in 2021 will continue to increase in frequency and severity, Elkerton predicts. Improvements to diking and drainage systems will require huge capital investment, and Pitt Meadows cannot fund this alone. It isn’t a matter of if this flooding will happen, but when, she said. She believes she has the experience to get senior governments involved.
“I listen to the facts. I listen to the people. I am guided by my decision-making skills and political experience,” said Elkerton. “My voice will be heard at the council table.”
READ ALSO: CP Rail makes application for new logistics park in Pitt Meadows
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