Five Priorities
01
A City That Moves
Getting around Port Moody is the number one thing people raise with me.
Traffic on St. Johns is not working for us. Over this term we have tried smaller fixes, and now it is time for a real vision for the street.
The Shoreline Shuttle is back on the road this summer, the e-bike and e-scooter program is in place, and the multi-use path on St. Johns is built, with more to come.
We widen the bridge at Barnet and Ioco first, then add the rush-hour lane on St. Johns, in that order, because the bridge has to come first or the lane simply moves the problem down the road.
St. Johns deserves a real plan, not another band-aid, and that is what we are building.
02
Growth We Can Be Proud Of
I am not interested in growth for the sake of growth.
I watched Newport Village and Suter Brook go from contentious to beloved, and the lesson stayed with me: building something the community is proud of requires active listening, a commitment to putting people first and genuine collaboration. Moody Centre is our chance to get this right, and I want to see the right growth for Port Moody there. The community has waited a long time for the shops and services that will come with this vibrant neighbourhood enhancement.
I believe in moderate growth. To me, that means placing density near transit and ensuring that other forms of housing, such as townhomes, low-rise housing and infill development, can take place throughout the rest of the city.
Housing has to work for everyone.
We have a solid plan for providing both rental and non-rental housing. Ensuring affordable housing gets built in this community is a high priority, and we are pursuing it through our inclusionary zoning policies, recent changes to our bonus density program, and our ACC program. We still have a gap when it comes to seniors housing.
We need to ensure there is housing for all seniors: those who are downsizing and seeking market housing opportunities, as well as those who require affordable seniors housing. This is a priority.
03
Value for Every Tax Dollar
Responsible financial management is about more than keeping one year's property tax increase down.
It means protecting the services people rely on while preparing Port Moody for a sound financial future. It also means the services people count on actually working, from swimming lessons to field space to the everyday business of dealing with the city.
It is also a priority to keep diversifying City revenues by attracting business and growing our commercial and industrial tax base, so homeowners are not carrying the City's needs on their own.
That requires aligning service levels with financial planning, planning for asset lifecycle and renewal costs, and making sure the City can maintain the infrastructure and facilities residents depend on.
We look for revenue and savings before cutting core services. That same discipline helped bring this year's budget increase down from where it began and resulted in the lowest increase of the term.
04
A Council That Works Together
When I became mayor, there was important work to do rebuilding relationships with the business community, local, provincial and federal partners, non-profits and neighbouring municipalities. That work came first.
Council is made up of people with different perspectives. I created an environment where those voices could be heard, and we worked together to agree on one strategic plan, revisited it every year and followed it through.
We do not always agree on how to get there, but disagreement is not division.
What we have built is a council that works together, and Port Moody needs a mayor who can work with anyone. I have shown that I can.
Leadership is not a solo exercise. It is about seeking to understand what people are saying, creating space for them to articulate their positions, bringing people together and driving consensus.
We make decisions together, in public, and my door stays open to any resident who wants to sit down. That progress is worth protecting, and we cannot afford to slide backwards. That is what good governance looks like.
05
Expanding Rocky Point Park
The community is growing and our studies have shown that we need more park space in Moody Centre.
This is why I held the Mayor's Townhall on Park Expansion in Moody Centre, where the community came together to discuss opportunities for both park expansion and park land acquisition in the area.
Over the past 3 1/2 years much has been done to advance this opportunity with the completion of the Parks Acquisition Strategy, Rocky Point Park Master Plan and the recently adopted OCP (Official Community Plan).
As mayor, I support the expansion of this park, in fact, I brought forward the motion to articulate this in our newly adopted OCP.
Because of my motion, this new OCP specifically identifies that a large contiguous waterfront park will be developed on the lands west of RPP.
How we get there?
We must respect the fact that the land to the west of Rocky Point Park is privately held, and as such the land owners have rights.
I have always said that the best way to expand this park is through good faith negotiations with the land owner. Depending on the size of park that the community is wanting to achieve, it may require the addition of land, over and above what is being proposed, and to achieve this, we need to look at all options, including some form of land swap or acquisition, or a combination of both. My preference would be to acquire the land through negotiation, but we will do whatever it takes to get this right. I've made sure the landowner is aware of our desired outcome and work is underway on a plan for their site.
