Independent city councillor candidate Ben Lee, whose home neighbourhood is Brighouse, says he would increase taxes if necessary for additional police and firefighters and supports more small-scale multi-unit housing.
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Independent candidate Ben Lee is running for Richmond city council and provided questionnaire responses outlining his positions on public safety, housing, reconciliation and traffic congestion.
Lee listed his background as an environmental engineer and said he moved to Richmond in 2019 after working in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States. He identified his home neighbourhood as Brighouse and said he appreciates Richmond’s “peaceful neighbourhoods,” diverse community and quality of life.
On public safety, Lee said Richmond is a safe place to live, work and play, and he would support additional funding for police officers and firefighters, including a tax increase if necessary. He said simply hiring additional staff would not automatically guarantee better public safety, and that improvements should include adequate staffing, modern equipment, technology, crime prevention, emergency preparedness and effective planning.
Lee said he would also review existing resources and spending before increasing taxes to ensure taxpayers’ money is used effectively, and that any additional funding should have clear objectives, measurable results and accountability.
On reconciliation and Indigenous relations, Lee said he would continue the city’s appeal of the Cowichan Tribes ruling and supports increasing reconciliation efforts with First Nations.
For housing and development policy, Lee said new small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) developments fit into Richmond. He also said he supports lowering fees for developers to support faster housing development and supports allowing more City of Richmond-owned land to be used for affordable housing. Lee said he does not support continuing temporary modular housing contracts.
On transportation, Lee said Richmond needs to reduce traffic congestion and supports adding more bike lanes in Richmond. In his responses, Lee said he favours practical, data-driven solutions and cited the use of traffic-signal coordination improvements, real-time traffic data and smart technology. He also said targeted road improvements should be evaluated by cost, effectiveness and measurable impacts on travel times, traffic flow and road safety, and that congestion management should involve neighbouring municipalities, TransLink and the province.
Lee said Richmond should have more buses, and that he supports more recreational facilities as well as increased funding for arts programming and more taxpayer-funded free community events.
He said he does not think Richmond receives enough support from higher levels of government for housing, health and transportation. On environmental and land-use questions, Lee said he does not support reducing environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) on private property.
On cannabis policy, Lee said he does not support allowing retail cannabis stores in Richmond. On economic development, Lee said he supports more industrial and commercial development along the Fraser River waterfront and supports creating more low-cost or subsidized commercial space for local entrepreneurs and startups.
The questionnaire responses were provided as part of a series intended to introduce municipal candidates to voters, with entries scheduled to be published online from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8.
Lee’s full name as provided in the questionnaire is Pak Hing Lee, commonly known as Ben Lee. His favourite leisure activities were listed as biking, boating and fishing.
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