As part of our ongoing election coverage leading up to the May 14 vote, The Tri-City News asked the region's mayors what their municipalities need to be addressed by the next provincial government. Here are their responses:
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart: "We really need transit solutions in much of Coquitlam, particularly in the northeast and connecting to the new SkyTrain stations, and that will require a long-overdue review of TransLink governance and funding options. And also on transportation, we need a solution for the longstanding traffic challenges along United Boulevard and the Brunette overpass to allow proper goods movement. And we're pushing hard for a new elementary school on Burke Mountain as the children have arrived."
Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore: "Local governments are responsible for providing services that help keep people healthy, safe and active every day, including police and fire, clean water, air quality, liquid and solid waste management, transportation, parks and recreation. However, our ability to do so is often severely constrained by limited sources of revenue, which forces local governments to rely primarily on property taxes, user fees and transfers from other orders of government to provide these services."
Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay: "I believe we in Port Moody, and all of the Metro [Vancouver] region, are hopeful that future provincial governments will focus on, and provide additional resources for, our transportation network and transit. We would like to see stronger partnerships, in general, between the city and the province, and specifically, funding directed to address the infrastructure deficit - and, as the City of the Arts, increased support for cultural programs, events and festivals."
Anmore Mayor Heather Anderson: "As a small municipality with only a residential tax base, I would like the provincial government to work with municipal governments to develop revenue sources other than municipal taxes to fund all the services provided by municipalities. It is also critical that the provincial government work with municipal governments to ensure the grant programs meet the needs of the municipalities."
Belcarra Mayor Ralph Drew: "The next provincial government needs to eliminate the Pacific Carbon Trust and the obligation for provincial ministries, agencies, Crown corporations and school districts to purchase carbon off-sets. This is a case of taxing entities funded by tax dollars which is an unwarranted (and unnecessary) burden on B.C. taxpayers. The next provincial government also needs to reduce the ever increasing burden on municipalities to report on greenhouse gas emissions, which increases municipal costs without any benefit to the environment. The reporting burden on municipalities is onerous and only benefits the province at a cost to municipal taxpayers."
