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Candidates
Taproot Survey responses
Taproot has put together 30 multiple-choice questions drawing from what we heard when we asked voters what key issues they wanted the candidates to be talking about as they competed for votes in the 2021 municipal election. We sent this survey to candidates; now voters have an opportunity to answer the same questions to see how they align with those who are running for mayor and council in their wards.
Taproot received 2 responses to the Taproot Survey from candidates in this ward. Here they are by category:
Economy
a) It should spend more
Steve Weston Councillor
b) Current support is sufficient
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) It should spend less
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, we have effective initiatives in place
Steve Weston Councillor
b) No, the city should put more resources behind nurturing homegrown businesses
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) No, the city should put more resources behind attracting global businesses
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, and we should fully fund the plan
No candidates selected this response
b) Yes, at the current level of investment
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) No, we have already spent enough on downtown
No candidates selected this response
d) No, I support investment in downtown but not this plan
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Environment
a) It's a good start but we need to go farther to reach our goals
No candidates selected this response
b) It's a strong plan; we just need to follow it
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) The action items are too expensive
No candidates selected this response
d) Climate action is not the responsibility of the city
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, every decision has climate implications
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) Yes for some decisions but not all
Steve Weston Councillor
c) No, most decisions don't have climate implications
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes
No candidates selected this response
b) No, I support solar power but that's the wrong location
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) No, I don't support solar power anywhere
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Finances
a) City council hasn't been willing to raise taxes enough
No candidates selected this response
b) The city has limited ability to raise revenues
No candidates selected this response
c) The city spends too much
Steve Weston Councillor
d) The city spends its resources inefficiently
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) The current mix is acceptable
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) Residences should pay more
No candidates selected this response
c) Businesses should pay more
No candidates selected this response
d) Both should pay less, even if that means a reduction of services
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) The city has about the right number of employees
Steve Weston Councillor
b) The city has too many employees
No candidates selected this response
c) The city has too few employees
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Housing and homelessness
a) The city should build more affordable housing, even if it can't get funding from other orders of government
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) The city cannot afford to build more affordable housing without financial support from other orders of government
Steve Weston Councillor
c) The city should not build more affordable housing regardless of financial support from other orders of government
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, Housing First is the right approach and we need more of it
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) No, the existing programs are sufficient
No candidates selected this response
c) No, residents should undergo treatment for underlying issues such as substance use and mental illness before participating in housing programs
Steve Weston Councillor
d) No, this shouldn't be the city's responsibility
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) The current policy towards encampments is acceptable
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) Encampments should be allowed if there are no better housing options available
No candidates selected this response
c) Encampments should be dismantled immediately
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Planning
a) Council has shown the right amount of flexibility regarding zoning bylaws
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) Council has been too flexible under pressure from developers
Steve Weston Councillor
c) Council has not been flexible enough to make way for development
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) No, primarily because it harms the character of mature neighbourhoods
Steve Weston Councillor
c) No, primarily because it allows too much gentrification
No candidates selected this response
d) No, primarily because it interferes with market forces
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Council should use every tool at its disposal, including financial penalties and incentives
No candidates selected this response
b) Council should rely mostly on zoning decisions to support their creation
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) Council should not intentionally create 15-minute districts
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Police
a) Systemic racism is apparent throughout the EPS
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) The EPS is not racist on the whole, but there are some racist members
Steve Weston Councillor
c) There is no racism within the EPS
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Increase it as determined by the funding formula
No candidates selected this response
b) Freeze it until it is in line with comparable cities
Steve Weston Councillor
c) Decrease it somewhat
No candidates selected this response
d) Defund the police altogether
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Council should trust the police to know what they need and generally approve their requests
No candidates selected this response
b) Council should closely scrutinize all requests
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) Council should not approve any further funding requests from police
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Politics and governance
a) Yes, before the election
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) Yes, after the election
No candidates selected this response
c) They shouldn't have donors
No candidates selected this response
d) They shouldn't have to disclose donors at any point
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, and the current one is working fine
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) Yes, but the current one is not doing the job
Steve Weston Councillor
c) No, elections are a sufficient mechanism for governing councillors' conduct
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes
No candidates selected this response
b) No
Steve Weston Councillor
c) I accept the principle but object to some or all of these additions
Andrew Knack Councillor
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Quality of life
a) It should spend more
No candidates selected this response
b) Current support is sufficient
Steve Weston Councillor
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) It should spend less
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, we need more permanent public washrooms
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) No, we have enough
Steve Weston Councillor
c) No, we shouldn't have any
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Yes, I support the current approach
No candidates selected this response
b) No, the city should do more
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) No, the city is doing more than it should
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Roads
a) 30 km/h
No candidates selected this response
b) 40 km/h
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) 50 km/h
Steve Weston Councillor
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) The city should make roads more accessible to active transportation
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) The city has enough infrastructure for active transportation
Steve Weston Councillor
c) The city should make roads less accessible to active transportation
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) I support these expansions
Andrew Knack Councillor
b) I oppose these expansions, primarily on financial grounds
No candidates selected this response
c) I oppose these expansions, primarily on environmental grounds
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
Transit
a) Fares should decrease
No candidates selected this response
b) Fares should be frozen where they are
Steve Weston Councillor
c) Fares should go up as planned
No candidates selected this response
d) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) It struck the right balance between frequency and coverage
No candidates selected this response
b) It sacrificed too much coverage to provide more frequency
No candidates selected this response
c) The city should have taken money from something else to increase frequency and maintain coverage
Steve Weston Councillor
d) Regardless of how it is configured, the city spends too much on transit
No candidates selected this response
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response
a) Divert budget from other projects to build the LRT more quickly
No candidates selected this response
b) Continue with the current plan
Andrew Knack Councillor
c) Pause LRT construction and consider bus rapid transit instead
No candidates selected this response
d) Pause LRT construction and explore more future-focused technology like autonomous vehicle networks
Steve Weston Councillor
e) Skip this question
No candidates selected this response