Four more city council candidates were announced by their respective parties this week; three of whom have unsuccesfully run for a seat at Richmond City Hall in years past.
And some of the emerging words-du-jour for this November’s municipal election — which will introduce four-year terms — are: “engagement” and “transparency.”
According to the newest city council candidates for the Richmond Community Coalition, it is you, the voter, who will shape the issues they take to city hall.
“We want to hear from them and listen to what the issues are as opposed to us telling them what the issues are,” noted Dan Baxter, who was introduced as the newest candidate for city council, along with running mate Helen Quan, a former Richmond First candidate.
Baxter and Quan were announced as candidates at Aberdeen Mall on Monday. The public affair was in contrast to the more subdued, media-only event held at Minoru Park last month in which candidate chair Sylvia Gwozd introduced incumbent councillors Ken Johnston (formerly of Richmond First) and Chak Au (formerly of R.I.T.E) as RCC candidates.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, RITE Richmond (formerly the Richmond Independent Team of Electors) announced its two-candidate slate for city council, consisting of high school teacher Michael Wolfe and small-business owner Carol Day.
RITE Richmond, via a news release, announced three platform issues for the upcoming municipal term, including: Campaign disclosure reform, greater development transparency and a health-related business plan.
Day and Wolfe say they are planning to disclose political funding before the election (instead of after) and have vowed to lobby the City of Richmond and the province to cap election spending. RITE will also “visit the issue of term limits” on municipal politicians.
RITE Richmond vows to “go through an improved civic engagement process” and provide better, clearer communication to home owners for development applications.
Furthermore, “through public feedback we can create lists of the most pressing needs and fast track the approval process for businesses that will fill those gaps in quality of life and preventative health,” noted the party’s letter.
RITE Richmond said it is also hoping to tackle Richmond’s perceived “spending problem” by finding efficiencies at city hall.
Both Day and Wolfe are longtime Richmond residents who have run for city council in years past. In 2011, with 12,681 votes, Day placed ninth in the eight-seat city council race, finishing behind Johnston by just 302 votes. Wolfe placed twelfth with 11,465 votes. Day is a former school board trustee. She also ran for MLA of Richmond-Steveston with the BC Conservative Party in 2013.
Day has played an instrumental role with VAPOR, a community group that opposes fuel tankers in the Fraser River, while Wolfe, 32, has been a leader with the Garden City Conservation Society.
Another candidate giving it another go is Quan, a 21-year resident of Richmond and mother of two, who prides herself on her charitable work and community outreach, having served as an executive member of the Richmond Mandarin Lions Club and the Richmond Scouts Group.
Quan unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2005.
She said the city needs more “transparency and engagement,” when asked what she would like changed.
“City Hall has no problem, but at the last town hall meeting they (participants) want transparency,” she said, referring to RCC’s public engagement event last month.
Quan said she would have an open-door policy if she’s elected.
“I will listen to the people and get their input,” said Quan, who speaks Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, and Cantonese.
On the RCC website Quan is touted as someone who can be a “conduit that brings together the city’s diverse cultural groups in a harmonious way.”
“Richmond is a diverse community and we need more outreach,” said Quan, having been asked what the most important issue is in the city for her.
Baxter echoed many of Quan’s desires, stating that he would like to see council members provide the public with their direct email and telephone numbers. He also suggested satellite, neighbourhood council meetings, if feasible.
Baxter, a 34 year-old father of two who has lived in Richmond for three years, was asked what issues he would address individually at city hall.
“My background — and I think this will flavour how I will view issues coming to council — is as a policy and research analyst for the BC Chamber of Commerce. So I really have that business lens in terms of developing policy that can support the growth of business,” replied Baxter.
Baxter is a member of the provincial BC Liberal Party and the federal Conservative Party. He worked as a public policy analyst with the federal Minister of International Trade on Pacific Gateway issues.
He noted the city has nearby assets such as Vancouver International Airport and Port Metro Vancouver, both of which it needs to work closely with.
Baxter said he’s interested in making Richmond a place where business opportunities can support new families living in the city. He cited his devotion as a member of Fraserview Mennonite Brethren Church.
RCC has maintained it is a non-partisan party, whose limited goals, to date, include increased public political engagement with the goal of increasing voter turnout in a city that has historically low voter turnout over the past 20 years.
During its short campaign RCC has ensured news releases have been in both English and Mandarin.
“The goal is, really, engagement, and hearing more voices so when it comes to something like the George Massey Tunnel, the community coalition will hopefully come to a common position on that based on what they’re hearing from the public,” noted Baxter.
You can meet Baxter and Quan tonight at the RCC town hall meeting at the Richmond Cultural Centre at 7 p.m. The topic is youth engagement.
Also, on Sunday, RITE Richmond will be hosting a free, public barbecue from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 11631 Seahurst Road.
Editor's note: RITE Richmond previosuly reported as R.I.T.E.
