The Three Amigos want to keep working together.
This week, the mayors of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody told The Tri-City News they are publicly supporting one another for re-election
"We really work well together and we're exploring new ways in which the three cities can collaborate," Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said, adding, "Parochial in-fighting doesn't benefit anyone."
PoCo Mayor Greg Moore, who is the Metro Vancouver board chair, also said he's backing Stewart and Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay.
In fact, on his Facebook page this week, Moore wrote: "Port Moody has an interesting choice for Mayor.Mike Clay - Mayor of Port Moody wants to work cooperatively with others, while Mayoral Candidate Gaetan Royer wants to fight with others."
Asked how he would work with Royer - a former Metro Vancouver parks planning manager and PoMo city manager - if he is elected Port Moody's mayor, Moore responded that he has "an excellent working relationship with all the mayors around the region, even if we disagree on some policy issues."
Still, he said he prefers Clay's style.
"We are a region of 22 local governments that need to work together," Moore said. "Infighting does not serve this region well nor does is service the community for which the mayor who is not co-operating."
Last week, after at PoMo all-candidates meeting, Moore responded on Facebook to Royer's criticism of the 2014 Mayors' Transportation Plan, writing: "Shocked to hear PoMo Mayoral Candidate Gaetan Royer doesn't support TransLink Mayor Council 30 Yr Vision/10 Yr Plan - said 'things' are missing, but gave no real details. We had 21 of the 22 Mayors in the region support the plan, then business, enviro, education, tourism groups and other levels of government supported and praised the work of the Mayors, including Mike Clay - Mayor of Port Moody."
For his part, Clay has also endorsed Moore and Stewart. "They have made it much better for all of us working together and, when necessary, speaking with our collective voice," he said. "Full support for both of them."
The three mayors were nicknamed the Three Amigos earlier this year when they toured western Canada by RV on their way to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' convention in Niagara Falls. The trip was dubbed Town Haul as they visited two dozen communities on the way, gathering information on best practices from elected officials.
OTHER ELECTION NEWS:
Coquitlam voters have one more chance to vote early in the municipal and school board election.
On Friday until 8 p.m., eligible residents can cast their ballot at the advance poll set up at the Pinetree community centre (1260 Pinetree Way).
As for Wednesday's numbers from advance stations in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, voters came out in droves. Coquitlam's Poirier community centre saw 746 people voting, bringing the total number of ballots marked so far to 2,618, said chief election officer Kerri Lore (in 2011, the total number of advance voters was 2,076 - and increase of 542).
And in PoCo, the Elks Hall drew 634 early voters on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 947 people who wanted an advance voting opportunity, said chief election officer Carolyn Deakin (by comparison, in 2011, it was 696 voters for both days - an increase of 251).
@jwarrenTC
