“There are many residents of Surrey who have not been immersed in the mayoral campaign,” said Mario Canseco, vice president, public affairs at Insights West, pre-election.
It’s impossible to know what ran through every voter’s mind, but it was clear the Surrey First brand held up better than alright following its first election without its primordial leader.
Surrey First, again, dominates council.
Greater accountability, now. That caveat so missing from democracy is even more brittle with a council woven from a single thread. Granted, from councillors Gill on downward, personalities among Surrey’s council vary, but allegiance does not and that should be concerning as the city moves forward.
Greater accountability, that is, sooner consequences for political leaders who fail to achieve results is absolutely necessary to make local democracy more efficient and effective. And the best tool to keep politicians sharp arrives only every few years.
So what was strangely surprising was the reelection of another Surrey First slate, especially given the city’s failings in areas of crime, provision of public transportation and by-law enforcement, to name a few.
Certainly clear was that the voting public differs from the opinionated folks active on social media. Those posting to Facebook and tagging tweets with #SryElxn14 took the time to engage in the local scuttlebutt. Many others may have left the decision to what felt familiar.
Ever more evident, returning to Canseco’s remark, is that the elections last month, in Surrey at least, felt like a tale of two voters: those immersed and “the many” in stark contrast.
Surrey BC'er 