Name: Michael Hayes
Age: 54
Occupation: software programing consultant (part-time)
Facebook: Michael Hayes for City Council
Q1. What have you personally achieved, or what initiative have you personally led in recent years that qualifies you to be elected or re-elected as a Maple Ridge councillor?
1. Achievements and initiatives:
president, Pitt Meadows Community Foundation; chair, Pitt Meadows Citizen of the Year Selection Committee; co-chair, A Pitt Meadows Christmas event; member, Community Foundations of Canada; member, Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources; member, Administrators of Volunteer Resources B.C.; member, Community Festival Network; member, Pitt Meadows Festival Leadership Committee; participant, Pitt Meadows Remembrance Day and Canada Day ceremonies; participant, Pitt Meadows Day parade and ceremonies; torchbearer (Day 102), Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay; chair, Pitt Meadows Save the Spirit Eagle fundraising committee, past member, Katimavik national youth learning program.
Q2.How would you act on your top priorities as Pitt Meadows councillor?
2. As councillor, I would like to focus my priorities on transit, taxes, strategic development planning, and continuing to strengthen and sustain our precious community. Since farming was our origin, let’s try and preserve a strong balance for our children’s future.
Q3. What is your position on the construction of the North Lougheed Connector and what kind of development should it serve?
3. I believe this development would serve Pitt Meadows favourably and help us maintain our lower tax structure, and additionally benefit our community with the financial resources to provide much-needed additional public facilities.
This development would not only increase local employment, but would greatly enhance Pitt Meadows’ identity and promote tourism.
With strong strategic planning, developing commercial with some residential space, including park and agricultural land, would best serve this proposed development.