About Joe.
Running for Mayor in the District of West Vancouver
I will work tirelessly as Mayor to keep West Vancouver the envy of the world. However good the plan, I will judge it by the results.
Facts about me
This is my first run for office, but not my first campaign. I have worked in federal and provincial politics, helping elect MPs and supporting Marc Garneau’s leadership campaign. I have owned property here since 1993 and have run businesses from OceanHouse (Pacific) in Horseshoe Bay since 1996. I served as Vice President of a marine terminal, logistics, trucking and value added forestry company in Port Alberni. My late father spent 38 years in public service. His passing at 96 told me it was time to give back to the community that has given me so much. I will be a hard-working, full-time mayor who listens.
How will you grow revenue for West Vancouver?
West Vancouver is at a crossroads. We rely too heavily on property taxes and development fees, and we are using reserves to balance a budget of almost $500 million. That cannot continue. We must expand our economic base, and our greatest untapped asset is the water at our doorstep, beside Canada’s largest port. I will bring together the brain power, experience and business leadership already living here to build new revenue, so we can invest in young people and care for the seniors who have earned it.
What does the ocean economy mean for West Vancouver?
It means jobs, investment and a stronger tax base. We have a strategic position and a rare concentration of professional, financial and specialized expertise next to Canada’s largest port. I want to build a marine, environmental, commercial, financial and education node here, while protecting our villages and high standard of living. Navvy Jack understood this a century ago as he rowed across First Narrows and the Squamish Nation at the mouth of the Capilano River. That will be my legacy.
How will you ease the tax burden without cutting services?
Relief will not come from cuts. It will come from growth. By working with business, our marine sector and every level of government, we can broaden the base so homeowners are not carrying the load alone. We also need to fund aging infrastructure properly and protect our reserves, so today’s decisions do not become tomorrow’s tax bills.
If there is one change you could help bring about, what would it be?
Fix the North Shore Wastewater Treatment fiasco. An $800 million project is, in my estimation, on track to become an $8 billion problem by 2030. That cost will fall on residents, and on our children and grandchildren. We need a real investigation, both criminal and civil, and a hard look at governance at Metro Vancouver, where there was no oversight. Over the last four years, where were our elected officials? As Mayor, I will ask the hard questions and lead from the front.
What experience will you bring to council?
Measurable results at every level of government, including $100 million pledged by the Government of Canada for port development in a previous role. I understand marine risk, and West Vancouver faces plenty, from increased daily tanker traffic in the Port of Vancouver to LNG carriers transiting Howe Sound. I bring decades of experience in public safety, federal law enforcement, investigations and prosecutions. With great power comes great responsibility, for elected and unelected officials alike.