Former MLA Brenda Locke and realtor Stephen Gammer team up as TeamSurrey

 

Brenda Locke (right) with Stephen Gammer
Brenda Locke (right) with Stephen Gammer

 

FORMER provincial cabinet minister Brenda Locke and Surrey realtor and community activist Stephen Gammer have teamed up as candidates for Surrey Council as TeamSurrey.

Brenda Locke, who announced her candidacy much earlier exclusively through The VOICE, has extensive experience in public service and association management. As MLA, she was integral to the development of the Simon Fraser University Central City Campus, and was a guiding voice in the successful effort to bring the RCMP ‘E’ Division Headquarters to Surrey.

In her capacity as minister of state for mental health and addiction services, Brenda was responsible for expanding client-centered services and developing an effective housing strategy for those living with mental health issues and addictions. Her community service includes executive director positions with various organizations for more than two decades. Currently, Brenda sits on the Board of Directors for the Surrey Urban Mission.

For 35 years, Brenda and her husband have lived in Surrey. They raised their family here.

Stephen Gammer is an advocate for small business and entrepreneurism, having devoted more than a decade to the business community as a Surrey commercial real estate agent and a director of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Stephen’s non-profit involvement includes past president of the Surrey Hospice Society, director with the New Hope Recovery Society, and an active captain of his neighbourhood Block Watch Program.

Stephen is a graduate of Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary. He and his wife have called Whalley home for the past four years.

Running under the TeamSurrey banner, Brenda Locke and Stephen Gammer’s priorities for Surrey are focused around the need to build a stronger city, create an accountable city, and develop a safer city.

STRONGER CITY – Developing a plan for social services and infrastructure that keeps pace with growth by:

* Addressing homelessness and social housing needs that keeps up with growth

* Allowing for affordable rental housing in secondary suites for families, singles and seniors

* Petitioning provincial and federal governments for day care funding that meets the needs of working and single parents

* Restoring Community Access Grants for families

* Being at the TransLink table so our priorities are heard by other levels of government

* Improving our major roads so the movement of people and goods support our economy and our network of small businesses

* Working with Translink and other governments to replace the Pattullo Bridge

* Developing a plan for the expansion of SkyTrain or Light Rail that services Newton, South Surrey, Cloverdale, Clayton Heights, and Guildford

* Working with the City of White Rock, Semiahmoo First Nation, and provincial and federal governments to rail-realignment the BNFS tracks in South Surrey.

ACCOUNTABLE CITY – ensuring that the new city council is:

* Respectful of tax payers by holding property tax increases to the rate of inflation

* Reviewing the cost overruns and disclosing the construction costs of City Hall that went $40+ million over budget

* Implementing guaranteed processing times for licensing and permits at city hall

* Discussing electoral reform with the community including the consideration of a ward system of civic representation.

SAFER CITY – Creating safer communities with:

* The Office of Public Safety Commissioner to coordinate a ‘safer city strategy’ with city services including police, by-laws, parks and recreation, engineering, planning, development, and schools

* 100 community officers on the street in each of the six town centers to reduce crime

* 25 new bylaw officers, and all bylaw officers implementing a strategy of “no