The number of competitors for a council seat continues to grow, with Bob Goos, a retired Lutheran pastor, now stepping forward.
Goos has lived in Maple Ridge since 1988 and retired as pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church last year.
He says he and his family chose to live in Maple Ridge because of its “rural-urban mix and proximity of recreation and outdoor activities.”
He also says though that “maintaining a strong, vibrant downtown is vital.
“We have a unique opportunity to create a livable community that includes everyone.
“We need to value what we have, preserving our farmland and natural surroundings, while building a future that is sustainable and secure for our children.”
Goos says now that he’s retired, if elected, he could focus full-time on council affairs.
Securing a good employment base in Maple Ridge is also one of his priorities.
“Many young families are working long hours to cover the basics of life, so jobs that pay a livable wage are important.”
He sees parks, schools and other amenities as a way to keep the community strong.
“With almost 30 per cent of our population under 20, we have a challenge to provide a healthy, safe environment for our children to grow up in.”
As also proposed by another candidate, Robert Masse, Goos would like to see a municipal garbage collection system set up in Maple Ridge that would be integrated with recycling collection.
He also wants to look at requiring some areas of Maple Ridge to have bear-proof containers.
Better transit is also needed in Maple Ridge, as well as more creativity in raising revenues for TransLink.
If you go to other parts of the world, they have coffee spots or businesses at SkyTrain stations as a way of raising money.
“I think we need to get creative instead of always going back to the gas tax.”