Abbotsford City Councilor Simon Gibson says he has been encouraged by the many people who have wished him well as he seeks re-election to Council in the election on October 17.
He was an area MLA for two terms and served on the finance committee, public accounts and Treasury Board. He was also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education and a Deputy Speaker.
“My experience representing Abbotsford in Victoria has been useful to our current Council as I understand many of the issues facing government and the relationships needed to benefit our city.
It was a privilege to be a government MLA and I was successful in having $10 million approved for funding of Matsqui Prairie drainage projects.”
Gibson says he will continue to be mindful of the budget as Council sets the tax rate each year.
“We need to be very cautious and not approve unnecessary expenditures which need to be ultimately paid for by our citizens.
Local government represents only about 12 per cent of the total tax bill. The other 88 per cent, provincial and federal, represents so many taxes which we must pay as citizens,” he said. “It is important that we don’t assume services that can best be served by other levels of government. Arts and culture, for example, are of concern to me and can be quite expensive.”
“People seem to like the fact that I am an independent and won’t be running with a slate or party. I can represent our residents without needing to check with other Council members. Some other larger cities like Vancouver and Surrey have parties which may not always be the best for voters when sharing their concerns with individual Council members.”
Gibson previously taught professional communications and business at UFV – all three campuses – and TWU for 16 years. He served as marketing manager for a major Fraser Valley credit union.
He is a graduate of UVic, SFU and Carleton University in Ottawa.
Gibson is married to Joy, a retired Abbotsford elementary school teacher who taught at Aberdeen, Chief Dan George, Prince Charles and Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts. They have two daughters and three grandsons.
He runs regularly and also enjoys riding his bike throughout the community in the summer months. His hobbies also include reading, writing, travel and gourmet cooking.
Authorized by Richard Gilbert, Financial Agent 604-217-6200
Leave a Reply