The Burnaby First Coalition held its third town hall meeting on Tuesday, speaking with locals at the Bonsor Recreation Complex about key issues in the city.
A handful of residents took the podium to express their concerns, ranging from voter apathy to quality of education in public schools. One attendee asked about the party’s pledge to not raise taxes for three years, questioning where they would get funds to maintain city services.
Mayoral candidate Daren Hancott said the BFC would conduct a core review of all budgets, departments and city positions to find ways to save money and spend more efficiently. He also referenced the city’s portfolio, calling Burnaby’s return on investment poor.
“I wasn’t joking when I said we had pathetic returns,” he said. “There’s a billion dollars in the bank and there’s so much required by law – the law says about $500 million, so we’ve got an extra $500 million.
“If you take that and invest it properly, you can get much better returns – but we don’t. If you go back five years, six years, seven years, they get the same returns every single year.”
Gordon Shank, a consultant and a member of the scientific community who has turned out at previous town halls, brought up homelessness and sustainable jobs as issues, but noted his trust in the BFC to address those concerns and formally announced his support for the coalition.
“I think we need a government in Burnaby for the citizens of Burnaby,” he said.
The town hall ended with the party urging residents to make their voices heard by voting on Nov. 15, with council hopeful Matthew Hartney’s words resonating with the crowd.
“This election is a key point for the city,” he said. “Put aside Orange Burnaby or Red Burnaby or Blue Burnaby – now’s a time when people can make real change to have people accountable to them.”
