Shelley Leonhardt, running for Richmond city councillor with Richmond Forward, provided yes/no responses to a municipal candidate questionnaire covering public safety, housing and policing.
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Shelley Leonhardt is a candidate for Richmond city councillor with Richmond Forward, according to her questionnaire responses published online in the run-up to the civic election.
The candidate said she lives in Broadmoor and works as an entrepreneur and an executive assistant for Westland Benefits, and she listed golfing as a favourite hobby.
On questions framed around Richmond’s livability, Leonhardt said Richmond is a safe place to live, work and play.
She also answered yes to whether the city would increase taxes to pay for more police officers and firefighters.
Leonhardt supported continuing the city’s appeal of a Cowichan Tribes ruling, and said the matter requires all levels of government and the Cowichan Tribes to ensure legally binding terms, including that the written agreement reflect that the private homeowners’ land is not wanted. She said she wants homeowners to be able to buy, sell and secure mortgages with confidence.
Leonhardt said she would increase reconciliation efforts with First Nations and supported new small-scale multi-unit housing developments fitting into Richmond.
She answered yes to lowering fees for developers to support faster housing development, and yes to allowing more City of Richmond-owned land to be used for affordable housing. Leonhardt said no to supporting continuing temporary modular housing contracts.
On transportation and related measures, Leonhardt said the city needs to reduce traffic congestion and to add more buses in Richmond, and she said no to adding more bike lanes.
She also said Richmond should support reducing environmentally sensitive areas on private property, answer yes to additional recreational facilities, and support increasing funding for arts programming.
Leonhardt answered yes to continuing taxpayer-funded free community events and to supporting more industrial or commercial development along the Fraser River waterfront, while saying no to allowing retail cannabis stores in Richmond.
On commercial space for entrepreneurs, she said yes to the city creating more low-cost or subsidized commercial space for local entrepreneurs and startups, and she called for ensuring red tape does not delay business openings.
Leonhardt said she would increase City of Richmond consultations before major infrastructure decisions, and she answered no to whether Richmond receives enough support from senior levels of government for housing, health and transportation.
In explaining her no response on senior-level support, Leonhardt said the Richmond Hospital was promised about eight years ago and that the city is still waiting, adding that she believes provincial housing density imposed on Richmond “did not work for us.” She also said the Canada Line has been an asset for Richmond but that further bus routes are needed, noting that bus routes are operated by the BC Transportation Authority established by the province.
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