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Mission mayoral candidate – Nelson Tilbury

Candidates answer three questions about issues impacting Mission
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Mission mayoral candidate Nelson Tilbury.

The Mission Record asked every candidate three questions about local issues impacting the community.

The following are their answers. (The Mission Record asked the mayoral candidates to limit their answers to 200 words.)

1. The Fraser Valley Regional District’s 2020 Homeless Count and Survey shows that Mission’s homeless population has nearly tripled in three years. At the local level, what are the policy prescriptions needed to tackle the issue? Council has been fairly unified on their approach, what would you add to the conversation?

Homelessness is a multifaceted issue. I do not have the answers, I wish I did. I do have some creative ideas that I will share with council and implement. I do know that our community has many volunteers and employees that work endlessly to assist those in need.

It is obvious that additional resources and options are definitely needed.

I will lobby our new Mission-based MP who hopefully will be able to assist in this matter. Mayor and council have and will continue to work in partnership with various community services and agencies to collectively continue creating successful programs and focus on addiction support and affordable housing.

One thing we can do is make sure these areas are zoned appropriately so as to minimize conflict and have harmonious relationships.

2. Mission’s waterfront development has been a hotly debated topic for decades. Council has been moving forward recently with a masterplan, and designated 297 acres as a comprehensive planning area. In your opinion, what needs to happen to turn Mission’s waterfront from a plan into a reality?

This problem cannot be answered in 200 words. Break this down into the problem and the cause and remember you cannot fix the problem without fixing the cause.

A proposal was submitted checking all the boxes required by the city as per the work done. The response – city hall decided they had a better idea. But wait, to do that, another study at 1.4 million dollars and years away going in a different direction.

City hall fixated on housing, not jobs and desperately needed commercial tax revenue. The value of time and money seems to have gone out the window.

City hall is the foundation which supports the development on the waterfront. You cannot build on a poor foundation.

The attitude at city hall is hobbling the work that is required and undermining our foundation, hurting people and our reputation.

Until this ends, planning, development and permitting will be mired in bureaucracy.

We need local jobs, and this requires a place to put them.

The zoning is already in place to achieve this as well as the requirements.

The city response is the cause of the problem. If you do not fix the cause, you have not fixed the problem. Management by crisis should not be an option, either should a cover up with a study. I will push to have the city honor it’s promises

3. What do you want the people of Mission to know about you, and your policies, before they cast their ballots?

I want the people to know my background and the benefit this brings to the table. I want the people to know my short-term actions.

I do not complain without providing options.

My working practice, in all areas, is first to research existing, successful action plans, and then to promote and support those plans into working models.

I want people to trust in me and believe in me and I will gain that by being a person of my word.

I will work hard to bring the responsibility of running this city back to the Mayor and Council.

I want the people to support us, Mayor and Council, as a united collective in directing staff to repair the chaos in the departments and give them the tools and support to get it done.

I want the people to understand that winning the election is not just a win but rather it is day one of getting the job done. The job of Mayor requires focus, understanding, patience, determination, and true grit.

I offer those attributes.