John Roston, a Steveston resident, is the third candidate to declare his intentions to run for a vacant seat on Richmond city council.
The by-election is anticipated to be held on May 29 – council will make its final decision on the date on Monday.
He joins current School Trustee Ken Hamaguchi and retired Vancouver police superintendent Andy Hobbs, who are also running for the council seat.
After considering whether to run or not, Roston said the 2021 tax increase of 5.68 per cent was the “last straw.”
While he said he “fully supports” the RCMP and Richmond Fire-Rescue, he doesn’t feel they need additional staff now.
The tax increase was partially to hire 16 new police officers and 12 new fire fighters along with municipal staff to support the RCMP.
Roston has been advocating for more rental housing in Richmond, especially in new developments like the Polygon Talisman development in Capstan and the redevelopment of Lansdowne Shopping Centre.
He is also part of Richmond FarmWatch.
Kelly Greene resigned from Richmond council in the fall after being elected to the provincial legislature.
The by-election is expected to cost up to $716,000. City staff are recommending four advance voting days as well as mail-in ballots available for all voters.
