Name: Ronn Harris
Education: BA, SFU, double major in economics and commerce
Occupation: Self-employed horticulturalist/contractor
Political experience: Served a previous three year term on Mission council
Community Activity
Previous director and presidency Canadian Homebuilder’s Association (Fraser Valley chapter)
Previous executive director and chair, Fraser Valley Credit Union (now Prospera)
Provide a miniature free “petting zoo” and park for the enjoyment of the neighbourhood
Issues:
· Efficient and effective use of the revenues the district generates. This is best summed up by “making the most out of what we’ve got”.
· Pay off our debt so we have financial resources to better deal with and react to needs, both now and in the future. The progress CRMG-led council has made to date in reducing the municipal debt is already saving us over $1000 per day.
· Infrastructure maintenance. Mission has over $400 million in infrastructure assets, and if a comprehensive ongoing emphasis is not placed on maintenance and upgrading, the resultant costs to the city for make-do or band-aid fixes could be overwhelming. Sewer line maintenance, for example, is not glamorous but if the sewer system fails, as anyone who has ever had their toilet plug up can testify, the world comes to a halt.
CRMG's record on these three issues - spending, debt reduction, and infrastructure maintenance - speak for itself. All other things can fall into line if our own house is in order.
Further, ongoing active civic engagement is the key ingredient in the ongoing prosperity and vitality of our community. With everyone having their voice heard and acknowledged, everyone can get on the same page and work together to best handle the social and economic issues that confront us daily. Singling out only one issue over others confuses the picture and fragments the overall response. Only with everyone informed and participating as a team can we manage to advance for the betterment of all. If one fails to see the forest for the trees, we will never move constructively, decisively, and all inclusively into the future.