Since first elected Mayor of Surrey in 2005, I have focused on building consensus in our community for new approaches to both the challenges and the opportunities before us.
Amid economic uncertainty, a key priority has been creating jobs. Our new Build Surrey Program is re-defining our downtown core and building infrastructure and community facilities in every town centre of our diverse community.
Our new Sustainability Charter is ensuring we balance growth with the preservation of green space – we have not removed land from the ALR for residential, commercial or industrial development. I have also been working hard to bring light rail to Surrey to ensure we have the public transit infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing city.
Safe streets are central for a thriving and healthy city. The successful strategies used in other cities that we have adopted in our innovative Crime Reduction Strategy are working by putting more police officers on our streets and addressing issues related to homelessness and addiction.
I am proud that Surrey was the first city in BC to establish a Housing and Homelessness Foundation - over the past two years 356 homeless have been placed into permanent housing.
Decision-making at City Hall must be open and transparent so residents know they are getting value for their tax dollars. Surrey was the first city in BC to adopt a Whistleblower Policy , protecting employees who report fraud. That taxes on the average family home are the lowest in Metro Vancouver is one sign that we are being responsible with tax dollars.
My husband Brian and I live with our two daughters in Cloverdale.
I am a member of the independent and non-partisan Surrey First team.