Surrey Forward and Mayoral Candidate Jinny Sims announced three new candidates for the upcoming City Council Election on October 15.
“I am delighted to welcome Philip Aguirre, Jody Toor and Arsh Mander to the Surrey Forward team,” said Jinny Sims, Mayoral candidate for Surrey Forward. “We are adding expertise in small business, creating a healthy city and building strong communities.”
“These three candidates are committed to a more open and transparent city, creating fairness for all the people of Surrey and making Surrey more affordable for families.”
Philip Aguirre owns and operates the Old Surrey Restaurant and is the Executive Director of the Newton Business Improvement Association. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the university of Victoria.
“Small businesses in Surrey are simply asking for fair and predictable taxes that reflect the high cost of doing business in Surrey,” said Aguirre.
Jody Toor is a complementary health care practitioner who runs her own practice in Cloverdale. “The overall health of our community is a significant issue in Surrey,” said Toor. “We can create a prosperous city that also protects the health of our citizens. It saves money and builds a better city for families.”
Arsh Mander is very interested in the transitioning economy and the development of good paying jobs right here in Surrey. He has a bachelor of engineering he earned from BCIT. Born in India, Arsh came to Surrey 14 years ago, where he completed his education, and worked for BC Hydro for six years.
“There is no question that the economy is changing,” said Mander. “But this change offers tremendous opportunity for Surrey. We are connected to the world in ways that other cities can only dream of. If we use this unique opportunity, we can build our economic strength and capacity.”
Philip Aguirre, Jody Toor and Arsh Mander join existing Surrey Forward Council candidates June Liu, Ramon Bandong and Theresa Pidcock.
Sims formally announced her run for the post of Mayor in Surrey challenging current Mayor Doug McCallum and incumbent Councillor Brenda Locke in June. She is the Mayoral candidate of the new elector organization Surrey Forward.
She said that she joined in to fix what she called a “broken,” City hall. “There are two factions at City Hall fighting with each other instead of fighting for the people of Surrey,” she said.
She said that her election campaign runs on three principles: openness and transparency, fairness, and making Surrey affordable for families. She claimed that her elector organization “will choose policy positions in an open manner on transit, roads, recreation facilities, community infrastructure, childcare, education, and so on.”
