Surrey First
Encyclopedia
Surrey First is a civic political organization in Surrey, British Columbia
, Canada
. Surrey First is a non-partisan civic organization, members of which were elected to a majority on Surrey City Council
in 2008.
, who was first elected to a Councillor position on Surrey City Council in 1996 when she was a member of the Surrey Electors Team (SET).
In 2005, after ongoing philosophical disagreements between SET Mayor Doug McCallum
, known to be progressive on social issues and fiscally conservative on economic and tax issues, Watts left SET and challenged Doug McCallum as an independent candidate for Mayor. Watts won a convincing victory and became the first women to be elected Mayor of Surrey, the second largest city in the Province of British Columbia.
Watts embarked upon implementing a series of novel approaches and new ideas to the challenges facing Surrey, including the Surrey Crime Reduction Strategy, which has become a model for cities throughout the world. Under Watts’ leadership, Surrey also became one of the first cities in Canada to implement a Whistleblower Policy aimed at protecting employees who report fraud, waste or abuse of tax dollars at City Hall.
Watts also launched The Homelessness and Housing Foundation with a $9 million endowment, making it the first city in British Columbia to undertake such an initiative.
Other innovative initiatives launched by Watts in her first term include a Respectful Workplace Policy, a Lobbyist Registry and a Livability Accord, an agreement signed between Surrey, Abbotsford, Coquitlam and Langley to collaborate on initiatives related to crime, transportation and growth. These four cities will absorb seventy percent (70%) of the growth in Metro Vancouver over the next 20 years.
Surrey also became the first City in Canada to establish economic investment zones to attract investment and create jobs as part of Watts’ Economic Investment Action Plan. The Action Plan was rolled-out in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and was designed to foster strong economic growth through capital investment and strategic partnerships, and support the expansion of clean technology industries.
Soon after the founding of Surrey First, sitting Councillors Linda Hepner, Mary Martin and Barbara Steele resigned from SET to join Watts’ slate. Independent Councillor Judy Villeneuve followed suit and thereafter Councillor Tom Gill.
• Councillor Tom Gill
• Councillor Linda Hepner
• Councillor Mary Martin
• Councillor Barinder Rasode
• Councillor Barbara Steele
• Councillor Judy Villeneuve
• Councillor Marvin Hunt
• Bruce Hayne
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Surrey First is a non-partisan civic organization, members of which were elected to a majority on Surrey City Council
Surrey City Council
The Surrey City Council is the governing body of the City of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.The council consists of the mayor and eight elected city councillors representing the city as a whole.-Council members:* Dianne Watts, mayor - Surrey First...
in 2008.
Formation
Surrey First was founded in 2007 by Surrey Mayor Dianne WattsDianne Watts
Dianne L. Watts is the mayor of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and was elected in 2005 to this office as the city's first female mayor.She ran as an independent candidate, defeating incumbent Doug McCallum at the polls on November 19, 2005, who had been her political ally as recently as 2003...
, who was first elected to a Councillor position on Surrey City Council in 1996 when she was a member of the Surrey Electors Team (SET).
In 2005, after ongoing philosophical disagreements between SET Mayor Doug McCallum
Doug McCallum
Doug McCallum is a former mayor of Surrey, British Columbia. McCallum was first elected to a seat on Surrey City Council in 1993. During this term he served as Chair of the Finance Committee and sat as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Library Board.Doug McCallum was elected...
, known to be progressive on social issues and fiscally conservative on economic and tax issues, Watts left SET and challenged Doug McCallum as an independent candidate for Mayor. Watts won a convincing victory and became the first women to be elected Mayor of Surrey, the second largest city in the Province of British Columbia.
Watts embarked upon implementing a series of novel approaches and new ideas to the challenges facing Surrey, including the Surrey Crime Reduction Strategy, which has become a model for cities throughout the world. Under Watts’ leadership, Surrey also became one of the first cities in Canada to implement a Whistleblower Policy aimed at protecting employees who report fraud, waste or abuse of tax dollars at City Hall.
Watts also launched The Homelessness and Housing Foundation with a $9 million endowment, making it the first city in British Columbia to undertake such an initiative.
Other innovative initiatives launched by Watts in her first term include a Respectful Workplace Policy, a Lobbyist Registry and a Livability Accord, an agreement signed between Surrey, Abbotsford, Coquitlam and Langley to collaborate on initiatives related to crime, transportation and growth. These four cities will absorb seventy percent (70%) of the growth in Metro Vancouver over the next 20 years.
Surrey also became the first City in Canada to establish economic investment zones to attract investment and create jobs as part of Watts’ Economic Investment Action Plan. The Action Plan was rolled-out in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and was designed to foster strong economic growth through capital investment and strategic partnerships, and support the expansion of clean technology industries.
Soon after the founding of Surrey First, sitting Councillors Linda Hepner, Mary Martin and Barbara Steele resigned from SET to join Watts’ slate. Independent Councillor Judy Villeneuve followed suit and thereafter Councillor Tom Gill.
Members
• Mayor Dianne Watts• Councillor Tom Gill
• Councillor Linda Hepner
• Councillor Mary Martin
• Councillor Barinder Rasode
• Councillor Barbara Steele
• Councillor Judy Villeneuve
• Councillor Marvin Hunt
• Bruce Hayne