Nearly all seats were occupied in a middle school auditorium in Squamish, with the parking lot full as residents gathered for a debate among candidates for the upcoming municipal election. The event, held on Monday at Don Ross Middle School, drew around 400 attendees in person and a significant online audience, with a focus on questioning the mayoral and council candidates about key issues such as taxes, homelessness, and growth affecting the district.
During the debate, tensions arose among mayoral contenders regarding tax policies. Candidate Sean Easton advocated for a tax freeze to curb budget inflation, while two-term councillor Jenna Stoner criticized the idea, emphasizing the need for experienced decision-making. Another mayoral candidate, Daniel Deal, highlighted the importance of prioritizing essential infrastructure needs over ambitious tax goals.
The debate also delved into discussions on property taxes, the Woodfibre LNG project, property density, growth, parking, and the local recreation center. Candidates expressed differing views on addressing homelessness, with proposals ranging from creating services and leveraging provincial funding for housing projects to advocating for specialized response teams like Heart and Hearth.
Moreover, candidates clashed over the issue of police enforcement costs, with Deal questioning the expansion of RCMP resources. The candidates further diverged on business permit policies, with Easton calling for streamlined processes and Stoner proposing a permit tracking system for transparency and efficiency.
In addition to these topics, the candidates touched on tourism, growth, parking, and improving the Brennan Park Recreation Centre. The municipal election in Squamish features three mayoral candidates and 15 contenders for six council positions. Voter turnout in previous elections has varied, with advance voting already underway for the upcoming election day on October 17.