Tom Gill has been a resident of Surrey for the past 25 years and currently lives with his wife Pav and their three young children in the Fraser Heights neighbourhood.
As the only certified accountant at City Hall, Tom has served on the Surrey City Council since 2005 where he has been a part of a new generation of leadership. During his time as an elected official, Tom has been guided by his fundamental belief that his job is to give a voice to all constituents, and that his duty as a Council member is to constantly work toward responsible growth and development in the creation of a fiscally sound and socially progressive city. Since 2005, he has had the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee and spearheading custom recreation opportunities for the community with innovative buildings and new world-class sport fields.
Tom has served on a number of other committees, including the Police; Transportation & Infrastructure; Investment & Innovation; Parks, Recreation & Sport Tourism; and Audit committees; as well as the Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel and the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. Tom was also a leader in the development of Surrey’s new corporate identity, “The Future Lives Here,” and the city’s new logo.
Tom’s community service has focused on helping some of the most vulnerable populations in Surrey and across the province. Tom was a founding Director of the Surrey Homelessness & Housing Society, a Director of the Healthcare Benefit Trust, and is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Coast Mental Health, the largest, non-profit mental health agency in British Columbia.
Aligned with his community service, Tom’s key projects focus on advocacy and solution building. Tom wants to promote responsible fiscal leadership, using his professional accounting background to further facilitate financial policies and strategies, ensuring public funds are used in the most beneficial and responsible manner. He wants to find solutions to the transportation needs of the City of Surrey. He believes in supporting young families and providing the best opportunities for healthy activities. Finally, he strives to advocate for the citizens of Surrey through ongoing community participation, including meeting personally with residents, often new immigrants, and assisting them by interpreting issues and working with staff to resolve concerns.