Port Moody may be known for its small-town charm but the all-candidates' meeting Monday night took the friendly mantra to new heights.
Hosted by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, the candidates' debate was anything but, with many of the questions generating agreement - not political sparring - among the council hopefuls.
Except, of course, when mayoral candidates Mike Clay and Gaetan Royer went head-to-head on the first chamber question regarding the 2014 Mayors' Transportation Plan and how to secure provincial funding for it. (The $7.5-billion plan calls for new, widespread transit infrastructure throughout the region over a 30-year span.)
Clay voiced his support for it, noting it represents a tremendous amount of work and compromise on the part of the region's mayors.
But Royer said the plan carries a major flaw because it doesn't address the "full integration of transportation needs with the various priorities of different communities." He added that pieces of the plan were missing because of the "flawed governance" structure of TransLink and the mayors' council.
"Knowing every municipality was at the table developing that plan, how can you say that there's pieces missing... when they were all in agreement with it?" Clay fired back.
Royer said there was a lack of consultation with councils, including Port Moody's, adding there was no information brought to a council meeting regarding the plan.
Clay said the plan aligns with the city's OCP and its master transportation plan, it was "rolled through council before it was endorsed" and it was also reviewed by city staff.
The candidates also battled over their thoughts on the mayor's role in dealing with other levels of government, with Royer stating he would work collaboratively but also "stand up for Port Moody forcefully and aggressively represent the city" in the face of senior government downloading.
Clay said the old style of picking fights with senior governments didn't work and the result was little to no provincial or federal funding for city projects.
The debate continued with pairs of candidates first answering a Chamber question, followed by a chance to question each other. But it turns out there is very little separating the 14 council candidates and many questions elicited similar answers that came down to the need to attract new businesses offering well-paying jobs, diversify the tax base and develop carefully around the Evergreen Line.
A few did generate some sparks, however, such as the question regarding slates posed to incumbents Zoe Royer and Diana Dilworth, each suggesting the other was part of an NDP or Conservative slate, respectively (Zoe and Gaetan Royer have both been publicly endorsed by New Westminster-Coquitlam NDP MP Fin Donnelly). Both denied it, adding their aim is to work collaboratively on solutions.
Incumbent Rosemary Small was up against Tom Bell, a longtime community volunteer running for the second time, as they were asked about potential uses of the old fire hall site (Bell: a community garden; Small: a seniors' home).
And newcomers Cathy Cena and Bryan Hoad offered their thoughts on affordable housing - Hoad suggesting the city needs to offer more options at different price points and Cena saying density bonuses can be an effective tool.
The Tri-Cities Chamber was set to host all-candidates meetings for Port Coquitlam on Tuesday night, school trustees tonight (Wednesday) and Coquitlam tomorrow.
The Moody Centre Community Association is also hosting a PoMo all-candidates meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Kyle Centre.
