Mayoral race gets crowded with Surrey NOW candidate

Yet another candidate has announced a campaign to become the mayor of Surrey in what has already become a crowded race.

Troy Van Vliet is a Surrey builder and business owner who is running under the banner of Surrey NOW, with plans to run a full slate for council and school board.

“Strong communities are built through practical leadership and long-term thinking,” Van Vliet said.

So far, the slate includes Andrew Garisto, Brad Kielmann, Dr. Werner Spangehl, Jesse John, Rahul Gill and Cheney Cloke for council, and Silveria Roselli, Dave Armstrong, John Banovich and Ray Goldenchild for school board, although they are looking for additional candidates.

The latest news follows ex-Surrey mayor Doug McCallum’s candidacy just last week, and adds to a list that includes Connect Mayor Brenda Locke, Surrey First Coun. Linda Annis, Imagine Surrey’s Mike Starchuk, and the Conservative Party of Surrey’s Honveer Singh Randhawa.

Four main priorities were listed by Surrey NOW:

• housing families can afford, through rent-to-own programs, streamlined approvals for family-sized homes, incentives for builders who prioritize family-sized units, and partnerships with non-profits to create affordable housing options;
• safer neighbourhoods, through consistent bylaw enforcement, a compassionate but accountable approach to encampments, strong support for community policing and local officers, and investment in lighting, parks and public spaces; 
• strong schools and growth planning, through advocating for provincial funding that matches Surrey’s growth rate, co-ordinating development approvals with school capacity planning; protecting land for future schools and parks and, partnering with school boards to prioritize family neighbourhoods;
• a city hall that delivers accountability, transparency and results, through clear project timelines, transparent budget reporting, reduced red tape and regularly accountability updates on major city initiatives.