Age/occupation: 72, chartered accountant
As someone who has spent a few years on council, Neal Nicholson shakes his head when he hears some of his electoral competitors state that they can cut taxes without hurting important civic services.
Not only do cities need to deal with general inflationary and labour costs, he said, they also must put money aside for the maintenance and eventual replacement of infrastructure, something municipalities failed to do in the past and are now dealing with today. "We could hold the line on taxes and survive a couple of years," said the City Centre resident. "But it would be bad fiscal management."
This will be Nicholson's fourth council campaign but this is the first election in which he has opted to join a slate, running with the five-person Protect Coquitlam group. He explains the decision, saying that by running with a group of "like-minded individuals" who have the support of NDP MP Fin Donnelly and NDP MLA Selina Robinson - both former Coquitlam councillors who left mid-term for higher office -voters have a better idea of the issues he and the team support.
Some candidates have criticized the slate, saying party politics should not be present at the council table. Nicholson defends the decision, noting that there are other groups of co-operating candidates running for Coquitlam council who have not declared that they are working together. "There are undeclared slates," he said. "There are other slates out there but we are the only declared slate."
Nicholson also has experience at the regional level, currently sitting on Metro Vancouver's zero waste committee.
