Brian McHattie: An experienced community leader for a more sustainable Sooke

Brian is running for Sooke Council on October 17 as part of Sooke Together, a team committed to responsible planning, public safety, respectful leadership and decisions that put the long-term interests of our community first.

Why I’m Running

I believe that this is a critical time for Sooke. The future could go one of two ways: moving ahead with planning in the public interest or proceeding with the kind of urban sprawl and inappropriate high-density residential buildings we have watched with concern happen here and in neighbouring municipalities.

Sooke has grown very fast in the last decade and it is now time to take a breath and for citizens to take charge of our future guided by the community-driven Official Community Plan and Transportation and Parks Master Plans. In my experience, every time citizens get deeply involved in planning, better outcomes are achieved.

As a member of Council I will stand with the Mayor and fellow Councillors in helping the Provincial Government understand that we need them to be a better partner in negotiating an affordable deal on RCMP and 911 service costs, while providing funding for much-needed improvements to Highway 14, affordable housing, and economic development projects: the residential property taxpayer cannot fund these large ticket items on their own.

To ensure Sooke is governed well, I have joined the four-person Sooke Together slate and I invite you to learn about our platform at here.