In the six years that Richard Stewart has occupied the mayor's chair, the city of Coquitlam has gone through unprecedented change. New developments have sprung up in the City Centre, Burke Mountain and Burquitlam, and the construction of the Evergreen Line is scheduled to start running in 2016.
"There is still a lot of work to be done," he said. "We are getting good stuff accomplished but there are a lot of things that are part way through and there are a lot of things that still need to be done."
After decades of stalemate, Stewart, 55, said he is happy to see that rapid transit is finally coming to Coquitlam.
With most of the major legwork behind it, the city can now focus on how to integrate the Evergreen Line into the neighbourhoods and create pedestrian-friendly hubs.
"I want to see it completed in a way that benefits Coquitlam the most," he said. "There are tweaks related to green space, parking and walkability that we are advancing that haven't been done in other communities."
There is also more work to be done with the Riverview Hospital lands, he said. Council has adopted a vision to turn the 244-acre property into a health campus that would be able to treat people suffering from addictions and mental illness. Now the city needs to get the provincial government on board to put up some funding to pay for the plan, Stewart added.
"Now we are in the lobbying phase," he said.
Stewart has heard the criticisms levelled at him by his challenger, Coun. Lou Sekora, that he lacks leadership at the council table. But he argues that he has a different method of operating than his opponent, preferring to establish a consensus on council before moving forward with a proposal.
"I don't think decisions gets made in the mayor's office," he said. "They get made at the council table and I am one of nine."
Stewart also takes issue with Sekora's promise to reduce taxes while maintaining and even increasing services. The only way that is possible, he said, is to sell land, spend reserves and to defer maintenance work that will end up costing the city more money down the road.
"It is easy to do in the short term," he said. "But we cheat ourselves and the next generation by not doing the maintenance and not making sure the reserves are in place."
He added that council has gone through the city operating budget department by department and has found efficiencies that have been able to slow the tax rate increase.
The city is also looking at different ways of paying for much-needed infrastructure, Stewart said. He points to the construction of Lincoln Station in City Centre, which is being paid for largely by developers and realtors in the area, as well as the federal government, through a public-private partnership.
Contrary to what his opponent has said, Stewart believes that council has worked well over the two terms he has served as mayor.
"It's about consensus building," Stewart said. "We have some really good candidates, including incumbents, and some new ones running as well. We have an opportunity to continue having a council that represents the community well."
gmckenna@tricitynews
