Infrastructure, public safety, and responsible leadership are recurring themes. But approaches differ — from accelerating construction and strengthening accountability to advancing long-term plans and government partnerships.
Click on each candidate’s name to read the response to questions about issues, improvements and leadership:
1. What are the three most important issues facing Abbotsford today, and what would you do about them as Mayor?
The three biggest issues are our community infrastructure deficit, public safety and homelessness, and our business climate and affordability.
Our infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with our growth. We’re playing catch-up on roads, traffic, recreation facilities, sports fields and community spaces. As Mayor, I would develop a infrastructure plan, prioritize the projects residents actually need, and aggressively pursue partnerships and senior-government funding.
Second, public safety and homelessness. Residents and businesses need to feel safe, while people struggling with addiction, mental health and homelessness need real solutions. I would bring police, service providers, businesses and other levels of government together around a coordinated approach focused on both enforcement and getting people the help they need.
Third, our business climate and affordability. We need to make it easier to invest, build and create jobs in Abbotsford. That means predictable timelines, less red tape and a more solution-focused City Hall. Growing our commercial and industrial tax base gives us the ability to invest in services and infrastructure without continually putting the burden on the same homeowners and businesses.
Abbotsford has grown. Our challenges have grown with it. Now our solutions need to catch up.
Accountability, public safety and neighbourhood security, and sports infrastructure are three major issues. I believe there are more than three important issues facing our city of Abbotsford. The second question answers I would do about accountability. For public safety and neighbourhood security we would put more officers and community safety staff in neighbourhoods and shopping areas with the highest call volumes, support recovery organizations such as Joshua House and much more that I am not able to put within 100 words.
Build a 10-year capital plan that prioritizes gaps (turf, ice, gyms, pickleball, cricket, soccer) and puts new facilities where growth is, not just where it’s easiest.
As Mayor, my priority is ensuring Abbotsford remains a vibrant, complete community. To address affordability, we are streamlining development approvals and utilizing the Housing Accelerator Fund to deliver diverse, attainable housing choices.
To manage growth and infrastructure, we launched Plan 2050 to systematically upgrade our water, wastewater, drainage, and transportation networks as we grow to a population of 250,000. We are also aggressively securing provincial and federal funding for critical flood mitigation to protect our vital agricultural lands and our transportation and energy corridor.
For public safety, we are fully implementing AbbyPD’s Strategic Framework, constructing a new fire hall, and expanding community partnerships to build a safer city for everyone.
2. If elected Mayor, what is one major change or improvement you would work to achieve during your four-year term, and how would you make it happen?
One major improvement I want to achieve is to get shovels in the ground on at least three community infrastructure projects during my four-year term.
By “shovels in the ground,” I mean projects that have moved beyond studies, concepts and announcements. They have an approved location, the necessary approvals completed, and actual construction underway.
Abbotsford has spent too much time talking about what we need while our population has grown and our infrastructure has fallen behind.
At the end of four years, I want residents to see real construction and real progress — not another stack of reports.
Accountability at City Hall.
As mayor, I will bring an independent integrity commissioner to Abbotsford. Residents deserve to know that the rules apply to everyone at the council table, including the mayor.
- An independent, external commissioner who reports to the public, not to staff or council
- A complaint process that residents can use
- Published findings and annual reporting
- A code of conduct that meets or exceeds the provincial standard
If re-elected, my primary focus will be securing long-range financial stability and critical infrastructure investments through deep collaboration. By building strong, trusted relationships with senior levels of government, we will ensure Abbotsford receives its fair share of provincial and federal funding. This collaborative approach will directly accelerate vital local projects, including the expansion of hospital capacity and extended care beds to support our aging population.
We cannot build a resilient city alone. By leveraging these strategic partnerships, we will successfully deliver essential infrastructure upgrades without placing an unfair tax burden on our hard-working residents and our businesses.
3. The Mayor must lead a Council whose members may not always agree. How would you bring Council together, make difficult decisions and represent the interests of the whole community?
A strong Council doesn’t need to agree on everything, but it does need to work together.
As Mayor, I would encourage each Councillor to champion an area that matches their strengths and interests — whether that’s public safety, agriculture, recreation, infrastructure, housing, business, commercial vehicle parking or another community priority. Give people responsibility, let them take ownership and bring solutions back to the table.
My job as Mayor would be to bring those different perspectives together, keep Council focused on shared priorities and make sure disagreements remain respectful and productive.
Ultimately, we are elected to make decisions. We can debate around the Council table, but once a decision is made, we need to move forward and get the work done for the entire community.
A Mayor has one vote but sets the tone for the table. I’d make sure every councillor is heard, with full information, before a vote. Disagreement is healthy, debate should stay on the issue, not the person.
I would start from common ground: safe neighbourhoods, affordable housing, sound infrastructure, a strong local economy. On tough decisions, I’d put the facts and trade-offs before the public, listen, decide on evidence, and explain my reasoning afterward.
Abbotsford is both a growing city and a farming community. As a farmer, I’ve learned to work with people who see things differently. The Mayor serves everyone, not the loudest voice in the room.
Effective leadership means lowering the political temperature and focusing on shared values. In my first term, I prioritized inclusive collaboration and diplomacy to bridge council divides and ensure that all perspectives are thoroughly evaluated before a final vote.
When Council faces complex, high-stakes decisions, we achieve consensus by focusing on practical, community-centered outcomes rather than divisive regional politics. A prime example is our unified advocacy for the Sumas River Watershed Flood Mitigation Project. By bringing local municipal staff, provincial departments, and First Nations leadership to the same table, we turned a massive regional crisis into a collaborative infrastructure roadmap.
Similarly, we addressed one of our most contentious local challenges through the ACCESS Abbotsford roundtable. Rather than arguing in isolation, we brought frontline operators, non-profit advocates, and housing providers together to share data. This collective effort streamlined our city-wide service strategy to address Homelessness and Addictions issues. By leading with structured transparency and authentic diplomacy, I ensure every Councillor is actively heard while executing firm decisions that serve the entire city.
Editor’s Note: All candidates were invited to participate. Responses are published from those who replied by our editorial deadline. The Patrika does not endorse any candidate, and the analysis above reflects the responses received, not the positions of every candidate running in the election.
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