I'm Jeanne Harris and I'm Vancouver's senior council member having served you for over 16 years and I've loved every minute of it. It's been exciting, challenging and sometimes even a bit messy modeling what our democracy is all about, working together with a diversity of team members on council as we've solved important issues that have crafted the city I love, Vancouver.
On my watch we've transformed our deserted downtown into a vibrant community gathering place that offers free summer concerts at Esther Short Park that now draw thousands of people from all over the region. We've successfully melded a city that was once 58,000 to over 165,000 and stands as a driving force in Olympia where I've fought for you serving on the board of the Association of Washington Cities for over ten years making sure our tax dollars are spent here in Vancouver. In Washington DC, I've crafted national policies with the National League of Cities and played an important role in successfully bringing our federal tax dollars home.
My favorite part of the job is working with you, the citizens of Vancouver. You've asked for leaner government and I've delivered by designing new ways to deliver higher levels of service at a lower cost. I've carefully cut the budget every year I've served while building parks, increasing fire and police, and constructing an infrastructure that meets capacity for new good paying jobs.
We made it through the great recession in an even stronger financial position with AAA credit rating that has saved millions of tax dollars and we have seen a new industry in digital high tech sprout and grow right here in Vancouver.
We're healthier now with lower rates of teen smoking and I'm very proud of my initiative that has made us a leader in the region by ending smoking in Vancouver's public parks and spaces.
Now it's time to develop 32 acres of development on our waterfront, beginning with a beautiful public park along the shore of the Columbia River. I've proposed using half the 2.2 million dollars programmed for overtime for police to hire 13 more officers as well as reconstituting a transportation budget that maintains and builds new roads in the future.
There's a lot to do and I can't wait for this next chapter for Vancouver. I'm Jeanne Harris and I'm energized, excited and experienced and I'm asking for your vote so together we'll continue to grow a bright future for Vancouver. Thank you.
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