This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Don't Know Who To Vote For In Surrey? Check Out This List!

The citizens of Surrey have an opportunity to elect candidates who will put the best interests of the residents and people first. Wow! Can you imagine? Let's make it happen.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
ME659I/Flickr

Surrey, B.C. is on the verge of an historical election. After decades of the same people with the same agenda in power, the city has an opportunity to elect some fresh faces with new ideas and enthusiasm. We have a chance to make Surrey a better place for all whether rich or poor.

I have lived and worked in Surrey for over 20 years. I have witnessed Surrey suffer from a poorly planned proliferation of housing and new subdivisions including those with secondary suites, a rampant increase in crime, inadequate public transportation, lack of parks and green space, and an influx of social problems such as homelessness, addictions, and mental illness.

Don't know who to vote for in this election? Not surprising considering the huge list of candidates. No need to worry. There are excellent progressive candidates running for all three political slates whether One Surrey, Safe Surrey Coalition, or Surrey First. There are excellent independent candidates as well.

I have reviewed all the bios on the City of Surrey elections website and I encourage you all to do your own research and come to your own conclusions.

In the past it could be argued that elections were basically bought and paid for by the developers in Surrey. It would be interesting to see how many times incumbents who are running again actually voted against their donors? That's what I mean when I say do your research!

The citizens of Surrey have an opportunity to elect candidates who will put the best interests of the residents and people first. Wow! Can you imagine? Let's make it happen.

As someone who follows and is aware of local issues and writes about current affairs affecting the city, here is my list of candidates who I encourage you to vote for on Nov. 15, 2014.

Selected candidates in alphabetical order by last name:

MAYOR (1 to be elected)

•Barinder RASODE - One Surrey

CITY COUNCILLOR (8 to be elected)

•Merv BAYDA - One Surrey. Retired Surrey RCMP Officer.

•Mike BOSE - One Surrey. Farmer.

•Narima DELA CRUZ - One Surrey. Realtor.

•Kal DOSANJH - One Surrey. Vancouver Police Department Investigator.

•Rina GILL - Safe Surrey Coalition. Small Business Owner.

•Jim MCMURTY - Independent. Teacher.

•Martin ROONEY - Independent. Social Advocate.

•Judy VILLENEUVE - Surrey First. Incumbent City Councillor

SCHOOL BOARD (6 to be elected)

•Sukhi DHILLON - Independent. Teacher.

•Charlene DOBIE - Independent (Surrey Progressives). Incumbent School Trustee.

•Patricia ENAIR - Independent (Surrey Progressives). Former Co-Chair of District Parent Advisory Council.

•Kristy PETERSON - Independent (Surrey Progressives). Chapter Development Officer for Canadian Parents for French - BC and Yukon Branch.

•Niovi PATSICAKIS - Independent (Surrey Progressives). Retired Learning Support Teacher.

•Laurie LARSEN - Surrey First. Incumbent School Trustee.

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.