Housing continues to be one of the biggest issues I hear about from people who live and work in Whistler. I’m proud of the work the RMOW, WDC and WHA have done, but we aren’t finished.

Over the next four years, I’m committed to continuing to build homes for Whistler workers and pursuing new development opportunities for seniors housing. People who have built their lives here should be able to find a place to live here. There is more to do.

Cheakamus Crossing has played an important role in providing employee housing, but I believe it’s time to look elsewhere for our next major project.

The municipality has other land that could potentially be used for housing, and having employee housing throughout Whistler is important to building a balanced community.

If re-elected, I will make it a priority to identify an opportunity in another neighbourhood for our next major employee-housing development.

Affordability isn’t just about the cost of housing. It’s also about whether families can access the programs and services that make it possible to raise a family and build a life in Whistler.

Our library, recreation programs, after-school care and sports programs are all important parts of a healthy community. I want to make sure Whistler continues to take that seriously and invests in the services residents rely on.

We’ve seen critical programs and services cut in communities in the Lower Mainland in an effort to reduce costs. I don’t believe every budget saving is a good saving. We need to find efficiencies, but not at the expense of programs that are critical to Whistler families.

The Northlands rezoning and the amenities being proposed represent a major opportunity for Whistler. I’m enthusiastic about Council’s recent decision to begin determining what we could build and where we could build it if the rezoning is ultimately realized.

The current racket club facility is a great community and recreation venue. My commitment is that any significant amenity contribution from a future development should deliver meaningful new recreation opportunities for residents.

Whistler’s recreation facilities are increasingly busy, and Meadow Park is bursting at the seams. We need to start planning for the next generation of recreation facilities.

We need to get to work now on the recreation what and the where.

Good customer service matters. Whether you’re a resident trying to get an answer or a business trying to get a project approved, dealing with municipal hall should be as straightforward as possible.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve put tools in place to improve service, and we’ve made progress in reducing permitting wait times. But there is more to do.

I’m excited about the concept of creating a development services function that gives applicants a single point of contact for all aspects of their project.

It was important to me that our new CAO be a customer-service enthusiast, and I’m confident we made a choice that will help us deliver the kind of municipal service Whistlerites expect.

The climate challenge isn’t going away, and local action matters.

As federal and provincial governments step back from some of the climate commitments they have made, the job becomes both more difficult and more important for municipalities like Whistler.

I will continue to push for a shift toward higher-occupancy transportation and for investments that improve our wildfire protection and resilience.

We need practical actions that make a real difference on climate while also making Whistler a safer and more livable community.

Whistler Village and Creekside are critical to our community and our economy. Both need continued investment and reinvestment.

The municipality has a role to play in making it easier for landowners to invest in these important centres. That means making it easier to do business, reducing unnecessary barriers and coming to the table with improvements of our own.

I want to see continued vibrancy and successful Village and Creekside centres for residents, businesses and visitors for decades to come.

The pressures on the municipal budget are real, and they are growing.

Whistler’s population is approaching 15,000, which means we will be required to fund 90% of policing costs rather than 70%. We have opened the Spring Creek Fire Hall for full-time service to improve our wildfire readiness and reduce response times in the south. At the same time, we are significantly expanding transit service.

These are important investments, but they come with real costs.

We need to be disciplined about how we spend every municipal dollar. That means looking for efficiencies, prioritizing the services residents value most and making sure new spending delivers real value for the community.

Fiscal responsibility isn’t about cutting for the sake of cutting. It’s about making smart choices and keeping Whistler financially strong.

The Sea to Sky Highway is a provincial asset, and the Province has jurisdiction over it. But that doesn’t mean Whistler can simply abdicate responsibility for a problem that has such a significant impact on our community.

Congestion affects our economy, our quality of life and our safety. It affects residents trying to get to work, families travelling to appointments and businesses trying to operate.

The Smart Tourism Committee has been working hard on this issue, and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of that work.

I will continue to advocate for solutions with the Province and other partners. We may not control the highway, but we have a responsibility to keep pushing for solutions.

Whistler needs successful local businesses. They provide jobs, services and much of the character that makes our community special.

I continue to hear concerns from businesses, including members of the Chamber of Commerce, about rising costs and the impact those costs have on their ability to operate and deliver for the community.

There is no single solution, but there is a lot we can do together.

I’m committed to working with the Chamber and the business community on every aspect of this challenge—from shared advocacy with other levels of government, to partnerships on business supports, to reducing red tape and making municipal processes easier to navigate.

A healthy business community is an important part of a healthy community. I’m all in.