Surrey mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk proposes lower costs, safer streets and faster commutes

Mike Starchuk, who grew up in Newton, spent 32 years with Surrey Fire Services and retired as chief fire prevention officer. He later served as a councillor and MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. His three priorities are safer streets, lower costs and faster commutes. He proposes treating extortion as an emergency, keeping taxes at or below inflation without cutting services, and improving travel with rapid transit, synchronized traffic lights and more sidewalks.

On affordability, Starchuk says too many young families are being priced out of Surrey. He proposes reducing a one-zone monthly transit pass to $70, lowering recreation fees for seniors, keeping property tax increases at or below inflation for four years, and building affordable housing across the city. He says costs rose under Brenda Locke, Doug McCallum and Linda Annis, and that it is time for change. Starchuk says property taxes rose about 27 per cent across four budgets and a one-zone monthly pass costs $117. Under his Imagine Surrey plan, property tax increases would be capped at or below inflation for four years with no service cuts. Recreation fees would be cut in half for people aged 60 to 69 and eliminated for those over 70. He also proposes negotiating a bulk-fare deal with TransLink and cutting property taxes in half for new builds with below-market homes.

Addressing extortion, gang violence and other safety concerns, Starchuk says Newton business owners are paying protection money and families are afraid on their streets. He says reported extortions this year have already surpassed last year's total, while City Hall spent its time fighting over policing. He proposes funding a police-led anti-extortion command, with intelligence officers targeting gangs, their money and their leaders. He says every victim would be contacted within 48 hours, given a safety plan and assigned a named liaison. He also says he would hire the officers police say they need and finish the transition.

Starchuk says he showed up when Surrey called for 32 years and now wants to “put out the fire at City Hall” and deliver visible results. Surrey voters go to the polls Oct. 17.