October 10 2026— On Facebook, I was asked: Could you provide more details about how you plan to achieve your stated objectives, while still meeting the core responsibilities of the municipality, without increasing taxes? The list below suggests what I think we could reasonably do in the first year to begin substantive work on these topics without expanding budgets for the most part. Although some things, like police, fire, 911 and sidewalks come at a cost.

Protect Sooke Environment– this is a core responsibiity

Maintain environmental protection guidelines contained in current OCP, hold planned review, adjust accordingly.Support the diversification of Sooke’s tax base through the creation of a town centre that showcases our many local businesses.

• Connect with stakeholders in the core to explore their hopes and encourage them to consider low rise mixed use development. Stakeholders include: residents, property owners, business owners looking for space, local builders/developers. (this consultation could be done within existing budgets)
• Encourage development proposals to create our town centre. These will proceed according to regular practice over time. (will result in financial benefit to the District and reduced residential property taxes for most)

Increase our community safety and resilience by ensuring that emergency services keep pace with our population Police, fire and 911 are core responsiblities

• Follow the plan to increase our fire and police capacity to recommended levels including necessary administrative staff
• Widely promote fire smart awareness education events/ build a fire smart culture. (No-judgement neighbourhood clean up assistance?)

Eliminate the daily threats to safety relating to speeding, lack of sidewalks and bike lanes.

• Review assessments of existing transportation networks for sidewalks, bike paths, including cost estimates for correction of these.
• Increase budget for correction of sidewalk issues on walking routes around schools starting by 2028
• Plan regular increase for sidewalk infrastructure and budget for ongoing work in coming years. (Predominantly grant funded)
• Act on requests for traffic calming and speed reduction on Sooke’s major roads.
• Formalize a bikeway from Pond Park Corridor through to the core.

 Build Sooke’s relationships with senior governments for infrastructure.

• This starts with picking up the phone.
  • With the Provincial election so soon, we have the opportunity to engage early with our MLA to explore the best ways to get the needs of our constituents (for transportation, medical, housing infrastructure help,) met.
  • Build on the existing relationship with our Federal MP, (again, a regional approach will help here)

Promote Reconciliation

• Engage with T’Sou-ke regarding next steps in the MOU relationship. (in budget)
• Include Reconciliation in the budget going forward. (may include budget increases)
• Explore amending Sooke’s letters patent to include the T’Sou-ke reserves in Sooke’s municipal borders so the T’Sou-ke residents can vote in Sooke Municipal elections. (can be done within existing budgets)

Improve community dialogue and citizen “ownership” of community decisions with new approaches to engagement that put citizens at the centre. This is a core responsility

• Convene a neighbourhood advisory committee with reps of each neighbourhood to ensure hyper-local issues are dealt with and that residents have additional access to the decision-making process. (can be done within existing budgets)
• Explore the use of a community assembly format to engage citizens on important local issues (could result in budget increases). Such assemblies are representative and transparent (proceedings are livestreamed).
• Quarterly workshops exploring important local issues. Proceedings could be livestreamed, and their recommendations incorporated into the business of Council. (Town Halls tend to fan existing divides within a community and don’t result in clear directions)

I will always make myself available to listen the needs, hopes and preferences of Sooke’s citizens.

I’ll have office hours and will be accessible through District email.