Growing up in Delta, I’ve been exposed to the expedient growth of the community throughout the late 1900’s and early 2000’s, while holding dear the nostalgia of our small-town locality.
As Delta continues to grow at a modest rate it's not only important to hold value to where we came from – but plan on where we’re going. Delta is on the cusp of expansion that will define how it is portrayed to the neighboring communities in the years to come.
Being a Delta resident for the entirety of my life and involved in the community from a young age with local sports, to starting my business here and supporting our local residents, gives me an inside view as to what our community holds near and dear – and most importantly – has allowed me to develop the relationships with my neighbours and hear firsthand what is important to them.
Preserving our ‘small-town’ feel, while allowing growth and development of our community, and ensuring the parameters are in place as we grow to support mental health issues, substance abuse issues and senior's well-being. These important foundations need to be laid while not forgetting where we come from.
On Oct. 15, I hope I can count on your vote to bring Delta into the future, together.
What are your election issues?
Top issues during this election would be: addressing housing and rental affordability and increasing our emergency support systems.
Growth is inevitable and how we manage that growth is vitally important. Housing is 'supply and demand'. If we supply more, people will be able to move to and within Delta. But with less supply, people fight over what is there, which drives prices up. It's simple, and yet not. We must increase the supply of housing.
Supply needs to include duplexes, fourplexes, coach/tiny houses, condos and townhomes. We need comprehensive housing built specifically for seniors, renters and young families. Offer incentive packages for people to charge market rent prices instead of gouging rent prices. As a community, we must allow these different choices of accommodations in order to house everybody. It's aesthetically pleasing to see a mix of housing within our community if it’s done right.
All of these choices must be sprinkled into the single-detached neighbourhoods in order to maintain the appeal that attracted us all to Delta in the first place. With the different styles of homes and rentals, I’d like to see all Delta properties on water meters. We pay for usage with hydro, gas and we should with water as well. It’s not right that a home with two people pays the same for water as a home with eight people. And as new builds begin, I’d like to see solar panels being added, as this would be a step in the right direction of clean reusable energy.
As more people are afforded the ability to live in Delta, our emergency support systems must grow as well. Police, fire, ambulance, medical clinics must increase.
It’s a fine balancing act that government works on daily and I would like to be a part of that, representing you.
