What do you know about Port Moody's budget, and what changes would you propose?
"We have some revenue from industry and business owners but the split tends to lean more toward residents. I'd like to see more businesses here take more of a share. I'd also advocate for a high-tech business park."
What issues will the Evergreen Line bring (good or bad) and how should those be handled?
"The city will have to be mindful of development and the approach it allows developers to take, and create a balanced use with affordable properties either through an arrangement the city has set up with the developer for smaller units or something like that. I'm not opposed to development but I'm a firm believer you have one chance to get it right, and you have to hold developers' feet to the fire to make sure we get it right. The police are well suited to deal any potential crime issues."
What does Port Moody's "small-town charm" mean to you, and specify how you would preserve it.
"I've lived in Port Moody since I was eight years old and it's changed. It's important to keep that identity, particularly with respect to arts and heritage, but we have to try and balance it out with development. The days of having a true small-town feel have gone but we can do little things to preserve it and that's important."
What large infrastructure/capital project do you think Port Moody should build next?
"The big thing that is coming up quite frequently is expanding the soccer field at Murray Street. In the bigger picture as well, if there were an opportunity to purchase the Coronation Park [elementary] lands from the school district and do a land swap with Coquitlam, it would be a very good spot to have some civic services, but that's a very big undertaking."
Name two other top issues facing the city, and how you would tackle them.
"The biggest issue is traffic, specifically along the St. Johns Street corridor. It's not an easy one to fix but we need to take a regional approach to that [through] lobbying with Metro Vancouver and even the provincial government. And I think there's a lot of value in creating a tax on investment properties that are unoccupied for extended periods of time. I don't agree that homes should be traded as commodities, which potentially drive up prices and don't have anyone living in them to support local businesses."
