The Editor,
An open letter to Linda Hepner. Before you settle too far into the comfort of the mayor's chair in our egregiously opulent city hall, there a few truths perhaps you need pointed out to you.
First off, your right hand raised in victory belied the fact that ballots cast for you numbered 50,782,while the total of ballots cast for all other candidates was 53,832, which means there were more voters who did not want you as our mayor.
Coincidently, the Now printed two letters to the editor submitted by obviously disgruntled Surrey residents, dated Nov. 20, just five days after the election.
They were both complaining about the lack of follow-ups in their complaints to city hall, and I quote some and add others: "Illegal suites, increased crime. illegal construction, overdevelopment, loss of trees." The salient complaint is no bylaw enforcement, which is designed to correct most of the above, including going after delinquent owners and/or managers of tourist trailer parks that are allowed to become derelict at the expense of the occupants.
The mandate of bylaw officers seems to allow them to project exculpatory tendencies, and until units such as a mayor and councillors show some willingness to put some backbone into the job description of this entity, nothing will change, to the chagrin of many.
The acoustics of our newly-built palace should also be one of your first duties as sitting in on a council meeting is an exercise in futility if one goes there with the intent on hearing what is being discussed.
As well, I would suggest that as a sincere start, you begin your term as mayor by looking after the concerns of the citizens of Surrey, not the developers, the esoterics and the Chamber of Commerce.
Fran Manary
Surrey
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