Abbotsford voters go to the polls on Saturday, Sept. 25 for a byelection taking place to fill the vacancy left by Bruce Banman after he was elected the MLA for Abbotsford South in the October 2020 provincial election. Nine candidates are vying for the councillor position. These are their responses to three questions (each with a 100-word limit) posed by The Abbotsford News.
1. Why are you running to be a member of city council?
To make positive change in our city to benefit the residents and future generations. My family and I live, work and play in this city and so I am motivated to role up my sleeves and get to work to make Abbotsford a great place to live. As a public servant, I will listen to Abbotsford residents who elect me and staff who work on behalf of the city to make the best-informed decision for the best future of our city. I would like our public council meetings to be more informative and transparent for our residents.
2. What skills and attributes do you have that would make you a good councillor?
As I have proven as an elected trustee, I am not afraid to work hard, share my views and my opinions. I know that not everyone will support all of my decisions, and that’s the cost of leadership. I will make every effort to make informed decisions and will not rely on others to do my research for me. I hold leadership integrity as one of my highest values and will not compromise that.
3. What do you believe are the two biggest issues in Abbotsford and how do you think they should be addressed?
Safety and crime: How we address gang violence, drug use, mental illness and homelessness will contribute to the safety of our city. We need a provincial and regional strategy, with the cooperation and involvement of both our community agencies and our public education partners. Let’s bring all impacted agencies to the same table and lay out a wrap-around strategy together. Industrial land use: While it is essential to protect farming and lands used for agriculture, there is discussion needed for lands that are not and may never be suitable for farming that is held in the Agricultural Land Reserve. These lands should be repurposed.
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