A business-minded "green" candidate is hoping to shake things up at Richmond City Hall come November.
Jerome Dickey, a member of the BC Green Party and 20-year resident of the city, said he is running independently for Richmond City Council for the Nov. 15 election.
He said he wants to bring "smart growth" to the city, which would involve building a strong, local economy that's sustainable in the long-term.
He is the third independent candidate to announce his intentions, joining community worker Henry Yao and executive coach Alexa Loo.
Dickey, a business consultant who ran unsuccessfully in Steveston-Richmond during the 2013 provincial election, has posted a robust platform to his website — jeromedickey.com — that highlights his thoughts on a plethora of issues.
Dickey, 48, questions the city's constant tax hikes each year — the city has earmarked annual three per cent tax raises to keep pace with inflation as well as to boost reserves. He said development cost charges could be increased to pay for inflation of service costs.
Dickey has been a member of Richmond’s Economic Advisory Committee where he worked on the Employment Lands Study and the Resilient Economic Strategy — as such he’s a proponent of fostering relationships between Vancouver International Airport and the city. He’s also volunteered for nine years with the Richmond Emergency Program.
He noted Richmond's ageing population can be best supported by council through facilities and recreational and social programs. He'd also like to lobby Translink for more community shuttles.
He said arts and culture must be promoted as "conceptual thinking will be critical" for the future economy.
He said council needs better public consultation, meaning it needs to leverage "the vast knowledge, experience and education of community organization volunteers, seniors and youth leaders, along with the business community."
To get people more involved in decisions, Dickey said he would advocate to have at least two council meetings held at satellite locations.
As a trained negotiator and mediator, Dickey said "robust debate is essential for making good choices and combined with improved stakeholder collaboration, functioning of city council can be improved."
He noted crime rates are low in Richmond and cited support for the Richmond RCMP Strategic Policing Plan, which aims to prioritize youth outreach and lowering property crime. He said police should enhance building relationships with the city's diverse cultures.
Pertaining to the environment, Dickey said the city has done well but needs to take another step, namely, involving outside agencies, like Port Metro Vancouver, Translink and senior governments, in its environmental goals.
"I will advocate for a community conference to bring together important stakeholders to develop a local plan that is supported by the community," he wrote.
Dickey said flood planning means more than just building dykes; it involves maintaining the surrounding ecosystem, such as Sturgeon Bank.
He also said he will focus on a "comprehensive" plan for the Garden City Lands. He told the Richmond News an agreement between the City of Richmond and Kwantlen Polytechnic University to farm at the Garden City Lands must be solidified.
He said he's a defender of the Agricultural Land Reserve and wants to promote local farming. He would do this with continued support for community food groups.
He applauded the city's efforts on geothermal projects and stated he would continue on this path.
Pertaining to development, he vouched to continue to improve the city's affordable housing strategy.
Dickey said the Steveston boardwalk issue needs to be resolved following better public consultation.
“As Councillor I will work to find a resolution to the Imperial Landing problem immediately and support broader engagement with the local community," wrote Dickey, noting the city must accrue enough community amenities and respect local merchants' wishes as well as those of the developer, Onni.
Dickey wrote that he welcomes anyone to help volunteer for his campaign and is receiving donations no more than $50.
"I don't intend to match the thousands of dollars being spent by other candidates as I believe on principal, big money corrupts the democractic process and the principal of equality that our democracy and community are based upon."
