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October 20 - Get Out and vote. Issues at the core of Municipal Elections
10-17-2018
In less than twenty-four hours British Columbians will be headed to the polls to elect their municipal leaders. Unlike other municipal elections, with low voter turnout, this election will be a nail biter, as projected. With a higher expected voter turn out, this election will probably lead to many long-time incumbent mayors, councillors, and school board trustees ousted and replaced with a new slate of candidates. Especially those who are focussing on eliminating or revising the provincially backed, controversial curriculum, Sexual Orientation Gender Identity 123 (SOGI 123), and tackle housing affordability. It is therefore imperative that our community members take an active role by participating in this election and make their voice heard.
There is a growing opposition to controversial SOGI 123 curriculum, and as the election day nears the opposition is gaining momentum. An anti-SOGI website has a list of candidates across different municipalities who oppose the curriculum and have pledge to support parents who wish to see this curriculum scrapped. We encourage our readers to visit the www.cultureguard.com/candidates/ to view the list of candidates who oppose the SOGI 123 curriculum.
If you are against the SOGI curriculum and feel strongly about it. This is the time to have your voice heard!
If you’ve tried looking for housing over the past few years than you know. Housing crises is no longer limited to Vancouver. It has spread across the region within Lower Mainland and beyond. A recently published report “No Vacancy” – High Rents, Low Vacancy, Growing Homelessness – is on everyone’s mind. Whether you are a homeowner or renter. Without doubt, its tearing families apart, as the young ones, after graduating or families with young children forced to leave the province or move elsewhere, because they cannot afford the rent or mortgage.
The report’s key findings were: “Shelter occupancy is over 100%,” homelessness “increased by 14%,” Vacancy rates in Vancouver “remain critically low at under 1%” and it is now spreading to other municipalities, Surrey is witnessing “most striking changes (5.7% in 2012 to near zero in 2017)” and rent surge between “23% to 24%.” To view the complete report, visit https://www.ugm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NoVacancy-2018.pdf
According to another survey, more than half residents and small business owners in Lower Mainland have considered moving away due to high housing rates, and inability to hire employees.
These are the two main impending issues voters are facing, and they want changes.
However, these are not the only issues. There is transit, traffic congestions, cannabis retail shops, gang violence, policing, to highlight the few.
Our readers need to understand this is the most important elections where their participation is of utmost importance because the elected candidates on October 20th, are the ones who will be addressing issues we face on daily basis.
Within few years, Surrey will become the largest city in BC. Transportation, and transit are upfront and center during the campaign.
Other issues facing voters such as cannabis retail shops. As of October 17th, recreational cannabis is legal in Canada and municipalities now must face with the influx of retail shop applications. Certainly, there are candidates both mayoral and councillors whom have taken for and against positions on such outlets in their municipalities.
RCMP vs Local city policing is another issue. Richmond has a long contract with the RCMP, whereas, the idea of city policing by Surrey has been floating for some time now and in this election is front and center. Depending on which side of the debate you stand on. This might be requiring some work on your part to be educated on before heading to the polls.
Another issue facing voters, especially if you own a home, is increased property taxes for homes over a certain price range.
According to BC Business, issues such as taxes, affordable housing, empty home taxes, foreign owner tax, transportation, over development (loss of agriculture land ALR), transportation, remain the key concerns among voters in Vancouver and suburbs.
The voter turnout during the 2014 municipal elections was abysmal 42.3% in Vancouver, only 32.9% in Surrey, 31.3% in Richmond, 27.3% in Burnaby, and 30% in New Westminster.
Therefore, in our view, participation by our community members during these elections can be instrumental in setting the course for the city hall and may prove to be a game-changer.
If past federal and provincial elections are any indications, especially in Surrey, we can certainly claim to not only have the numbers, rather have become the key ethnic group to be the king maker. Therefore, it is imperative that we participate in these electoral processes to have our voices heard.
If you have not registered yourself with elections BC, we recommend that you do so by visiting elections BC website https://elections.bc.ca/
We encourage all our readers once again to go out and vote. It is your democratic right. It is the only way to bring about the necessary changes we wish to see on how our local government conducts its affairs which affects all of us on daily basis.
We encourage our readers to learn more about each candidate and where they stand on various important issues which not only affects us today but has lasting impact on our children, such as SOGI 123, and Housing affordability.
You can also learn more about your local candidates on your local municipalities websites.
For the convenience of our readers those useful links are available on our websites:
Burnaby: https://www.burnaby.ca/Our-City-Hall/Elections/Candidate-Information.html
Coquitlam: https://www.coquitlam.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/elections.aspx
Delta: http://www.delta.ca/your-government/elections
Langley: https://city.langley.bc.ca/council-admin/city-council/elections/2018-local-government-election
New Westminster: https://www.newwestcity.ca/city_hall/election_information.php
Port Coquitlam: https://www.portcoquitlam.ca/city-government/elections/election-candidates/
Richmond: https://www.richmond.ca/electionservices/candidates.htm
Surrey: https://www.surrey.ca/election/
Vancouver: https://vancouver.ca/your-government/candidate-profiles.aspx
White Rock: https://www.whiterockcity.ca/156/Local-Government-Elections-General-Infor
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