Scott Kristjanson for White Rock Council — Experience, Accountability and Results

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I’ve called White Rock home since 2010. I served as your City Councillor from 2018 to 2022, and I’m running again because I care deeply about our community, its character and its future.

White Rock Is at a Crossroads.

Just weeks before the municipal election, the current Council has given third reading to major changes to our Official Community Plan (OCP), opening the door to approximately 8,800 new condominium units along North Bluff over the next 20 years. The changes proposed by Mayor Knight and Councillors Cheung and Lawrence were even more extensive, envisioning up to 16,000 new units.

What would this mean for residents? Decades of more construction, noise, traffic congestion, parking problems, pressure on our schools and infrastructure, and potentially even longer waits for emergency services. Is this really the future White Rock residents want?

We’ve seen the consequences of excessive development before. The 1,500 units approved by the White Rock Coalition in 2016 brought years of construction disruption, increased traffic, and the displacement of local businesses and residents. We should learn from that experience, not repeat it.

I believe White Rock residents deserve a real say in how our city grows. That’s why I spoke before Council on September 14, opposing the proposed OCP changes and the decision to advance them so close to an election.

But my commitment to responsible development goes beyond campaign promises.

During my time on Council, I introduced changes to the OCP that reduced maximum building heights from 24 to 12 storeys, following three years of extensive public consultation. Those changes helped protect existing affordable rental housing from redevelopment pressures and preserve the character of our community.

No More Highrises isn’t just a slogan. It’s a commitment backed by my record on City Council.

I also worked to support local businesses during COVID, personally meeting with Marine Drive business owners and introducing a successful motion to close a traffic lane so restaurants could expand their outdoor patios and continue serving customers.

For me, responsible development is about putting residents, neighbourhoods, and quality of life ahead of developers’ profits. White Rock needs thoughtful growth that strengthens our community, not excessive development that overwhelms it.

Many candidates promise to protect White Rock’s small-town character. I have a proven record of standing up for residents, protecting our community, and delivering on my election promises. My commitment to White Rock isn’t just words — it’s backed by my actions and voting record on City Council.

40 Years of Business Experience — Putting It to Work for White Rock

I bring 40 years of experience managing large-scale software engineering projects, including projects valued at up to $1.5 billion in today’s dollars. I also pursued doctoral-level studies in computer science at UBC and SFU.

Throughout my career, I’ve focused on improving efficiency, reducing costs, eliminating waste, and delivering better results. These are the same principles I want to bring to City Hall.

Residents deserve better value for their tax dollars. My experience has taught me how to examine complex budgets, challenge spending assumptions, identify unnecessary costs, and improve how organizations deliver services.

One example is White Rock’s approval process for homeowners and local businesses. Some approvals now take two to three years, when similar approvals once took just weeks. These delays create unnecessary costs, discourage investment, and frustrate residents.

We can do better. I want to identify the bottlenecks, simplify approval processes, and restore reasonable timelines while maintaining appropriate safeguards.

My goal is straightforward: make City Hall more efficient, more accountable, and more responsive to the people it serves.

Lower Taxes Through Better Financial Management

White Rock residents deserve better value for their property taxes. I believe we can reduce unnecessary spending, improve financial accountability, and provide better services without continually increasing the burden on taxpayers.

During my time on Council, I developed a proposal to reduce property taxes by reviewing excessive annual contributions to City reserves, rather than cutting essential services or cancelling needed infrastructure projects.

I consulted two former White Rock Chief Financial Officers about my proposal. Both indicated that, based on the financial circumstances and assumptions we discussed, property tax reductions of up to 30% could potentially be achievable without affecting existing services or planned projects.

That was not a guarantee, but it demonstrated why I believe we need to take a closer look at how City Hall manages our money.

Reserves are important, but they must be managed responsibly. White Rock needs adequate funding for infrastructure replacement, emergencies, and future obligations. However, reserve contributions should be based on clearly documented needs, realistic project schedules, and transparent financial planning — not simply accumulated year after year without sufficient justification.

My approach is straightforward: protect essential reserves, eliminate unnecessary spending, and return savings to taxpayers wherever financially responsible.

My goal is simple: lower taxes where possible, protect essential services, and ensure White Rock residents receive better value for every tax dollar.

My Four Priorities for White Rock

1. No More Highrises — Protect Our Community Character

Protect affordable rental housing, neighbourhoods, views, and White Rock’s small-town character. I will work to roll back the recent Official Community Plan (OCP) height and density increases along North Bluff and restore responsible development policies that put residents first.

2. Better Services and Infrastructure — A City That Works

Revitalize our waterfront, improve water quality, maintain our infrastructure, and deliver better City services. Residents deserve a City Hall that responds to their needs and gets things done efficiently.

3. Lower Taxes, Better Value — Respect Taxpayers’ Money

Challenge unnecessary spending, review excessive contributions to City reserves, and improve financial accountability. My goal is to lower property taxes wherever financially responsible, without sacrificing essential services or needed infrastructure.

4. Cut the Red Tape — Make City Hall Work for You

Streamline permit approvals for homeowners and local businesses. Reduce unnecessary delays, simplify City processes, and make it easier for residents to improve their homes and for local businesses to invest in our community.

Committed to Our Community

Community service has always been important to me. I’m a board member, producer and actor with the White Rock Players’ Club, Charity Chair of the White Rock Elks, and a former board member of the White Rock Youth Ambassadors.

I’ve consistently supported our local arts community, small businesses and the volunteers who make White Rock such a special place to live.

Make Your Voice Heard — Vote!

Advance Voting — October 7, 8 and 13, 2026

8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Centennial Arena
14600 North Bluff Road, White Rock

Election Day — Saturday, October 17, 2026

8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

  • Centennial Arena
  • Kent Street Activity Centre
  • White Rock Community Centre

Authorized by Scott Kristjanson, Financial Agent.

White Rock’s Future Should Be Decided by White Rock Residents

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White Rock has already experienced significant overdevelopment, and I have been pushing back against excessive development in our community for years. In fact, I created my “No More Highrises in White Rock” website and Facebook page back in 2012 because I was concerned about where this was heading.

When I served on Council from 2018 to 2022, I worked to reduce maximum building heights and densities. My successful motion to reduce maximum heights from 24 storeys to 12 storeys in areas where the previous plan allowed 24 was ultimately incorporated into the 2021 Official Community Plan. This followed more than three years of public input and discussion.

We listened to residents, we respected their concerns, and we made changes.

I also worked every year to find ways to reduce taxes and be more frugal and responsible with taxpayers’ dollars. I worked with the City CFO to identify opportunities to reduce taxes, although unfortunately Council did not support the tax reductions we proposed.

There is still much work to do.

Our single-family home builders have been largely neglected, with some smaller builders reportedly waiting years for approvals. That is not acceptable. We need a development approval process that works for homeowners and small builders.

I have also consistently advocated for our local businesses, who face a significant tax burden while too often feeling that their needs are overlooked by City Hall. After the City removed solid waste collection for businesses and stratas in 2017, I successfully moved on Council to restore that service. Unfortunately, the process that followed was never put into practice in a way that made the service readily accessible to businesses and stratas.

City Hall should be looking for practical ways to support our local business community and make it easier, not harder, for them to operate, invest and succeed in White Rock.

I don’t accept the argument that White Rock needs unlimited high-rise development simply to expand our tax base. We have already added substantial density and tax revenue over the past decade.

The question now should be:

Is White Rock getting the kind of development that improves our community and makes our city more livable? Are we getting value for our taxes dollars?

A city with no development can stagnate. We need development, but also we need the right kind of growth that respects our neighbourhoods and preserves the small town character that makes White Rock special.

We need to focus on the community we already have. That means improving our aging infrastructure, ensuring we have safe, reliable drinking water, maintaining our roads and public spaces, reducing unnecessary tax burdens, supporting local businesses, and making City Hall more responsive to residents and the local business community.

What about amalgamation with Surrey?

I don’t believe amalgamation would solve these problems. If anything, it would give White Rock residents and local businesses less say in decisions affecting our community.

We should be making decisions about White Rock in White Rock.

I am also concerned that becoming part of a much larger municipality could make it easier, rather than harder, to pursue excessive development in our community.

The better answer is to elect responsible leaders to White Rock City Council who will put residents and local businesses first.

The 2021 OCP provides a much better foundation for responsible growth because it was developed with extensive public input. We should respect that work rather than continually increasing density whenever developers ask for more.

I am running for re-election to White Rock City Council because I care deeply about this community and want to continue the work I began on Council. I want to help build a better White Rock, one that preserves our sense of community and small-town feel, supports our residents and local businesses, and manages growth responsibly.

The October 17, 2026 election gives White Rock residents an opportunity to choose the direction they want for our community.

I hope I can count on your support.

While others make promises to get elected, I make promises that I keep. I have a track record that proves it.

It’s our City by the Sea. We should have our say!

Scott Kristjanson

Candidate for White Rock City Council

White Rock City Councillor, 2018–2022

Scott Kristjanson Announces Candidacy

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White Rock, BC – October 14, 2025 — Former City Councillor Scott Kristjanson has officially announced his candidacy for City Council of White Rock, pledging to restore accountability, transparency, and balance to City Hall — and to put residents and local businesses, not developers, first.

Note: That I originally announced running for Mayor, but after hearing of other Mayoral candidates being announced, I decided it was better for White Rock not to split the vote.

Kristjanson, who served on White Rock Council from 2018 to 2022, is known for his independent voice, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment to the community. He has a proven track record of keeping promises and standing up against excessive development that threatens White Rock’s small-town character.

“White Rock deserves a mayor who listens to residents and local businesses — not developers,” said Kristjanson.

“We need to fix what’s broken: improve our infrastructure, reduce red tape, and bring back common sense and accountability to City Hall. The Mayor of White Rock should get things done for residents and local businesses — not just do what developers want.”

As Mayor, Kristjanson says he will focus on practical solutions that deliver real value for taxpayers — improving infrastructure and city services rather than building more towers.

Actions That Matter

• Getting the Basics Right – Focus on the core responsibilities of local government and deliver them well. It’s not always flashy, but it’s what matters most.

• Reduced Heights & Slower Growth – Stick to the Official Community Plan (OCP) and keep White Rock livable. The city already has a strong tax base from existing towers — collecting over $29 million in taxes that go unspent each year, with reserves nearing $200 million. White Rock doesn’t need more towers — and certainly not a 25-storey “Community Hub” tower replacing City Hall.

• Improved Infrastructure – Upgrade water quality by connecting to Metro Vancouver’s water supply, and improve drainage and roads to better serve existing residents.

• Reduced Red Tape & Wait Times – Streamline approvals for renovations and new homes. It shouldn’t take years to get a permit.

• Fair Taxes, Real Value – End wasteful spending and focus on essential city services. With nearly $200 million in reserves, it’s time to put residents’ tax dollars to work.

• Safer Streets & Better Enforcement – Continue to invest in RCMP, Fire Services, and bylaw enforcement to keep our city safe.

• Shuttle Service to the Beach – Restore the beach shuttle to help customers, workers, and families access the waterfront.

• Real Solutions for Homelessness – Partner with the province and local agencies to provide compassionate, effective support to help people off the streets.

• Protect Our Trees & Environment – Enforce the Tree Protection Bylaw and strengthen environmental safeguards to preserve slopes, prevent erosion, and keep White Rock green and beautiful.

• Support Local Businesses & the BIA – Partner with the business community to revitalize storefronts and patios. City staff should help local businesses and contractors succeed — not stand in their way.

Kristjanson brings extensive experience in software engineering, project management, and computer science, as well as a deep understanding of the arts and public service through years of local volunteerism and community advocacy.

“I’m running for Mayor because I believe in White Rock — its people, its beauty, and its potential,” Kristjanson said.

“Together, we can restore trust at City Hall, strengthen our community, and keep White Rock the vibrant, welcoming city we all love. Let’s build a City Hall that helps us all succeed — not one that gets in our way.”

White Rock Doesn’t Need More Towers to Pay Its Bills

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Many residents believe White Rock must “keep growing” to afford city services. But that’s simply not true.

No one wants White Rock to stagnate — some growth is healthy — but we need to push back against plans for a Community Hub and multiple 30- and 40-storey towers along North Bluff.

Since 2006, more than 20 new towers and high-density developments have already been approved and built. They’ve brought in plenty of new tax dollars. In fact, White Rock is collecting far more than it spends.

In 2024, the City took in about $80 million, yet $29 million went unspent and was placed in “reserves.” That means 36% of every tax dollar you pay sits in a bank account instead of improving our roads, parks, or services.

Those reserves now total nearly $200 million, and the City Manager has said he wants to grow them to $1 billion — yes, one billion dollars — for a city of only 22,000 people. That’s excessive by any measure.

When I served on Council, I repeatedly called out these sky-high taxes and oversized reserves. I even moved to cut property taxes by 5% to give residents and small businesses some relief. Council rejected that — choosing instead to match Surrey’s tax increases. We can do better.

White Rock’s Reserves Over Time

  • 2010: $20M reserves on a $35M budget → 50% of budget
  • 2018: $35M reserves on a $44M budget → 80% of budget
  • 2024: $200M reserves on an $80M budget → 250% of budget
  • Future plan: Grow to $1 billion in reserves. Ouch.

A healthy reserve should be about 50% of the annual budget. We hit that goal in 2010 — but since then, taxes and reserves have skyrocketed, even after all those new towers expanded our tax base.

It’s time for taxpayers to get value for their money — through better services, not bloated bank accounts.

Imagine what $29 million could do for our city in 2024:

✅ Improve infrastructure
✅ Restore shuttle service from Uptown to the beach
✅ Support seniors and small businesses
✅ Reduce approval times and improve city services

A Transparency Problem

When I asked the City for detailed financial data for the past 10 years, I was told it was too difficult to provide.

Why?

There are only two possible explanations:

  1. The City doesn’t have the data readily available — which raises serious questions about how budgets are managed; or
  2. They have the data but won’t share it — which raises even more serious questions about transparency.

Either way, taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going.

What do you think?
Should White Rock keep building towers as described in the North Bluff Study and the 11 Pillars White Paper, while $200 million sits unused in reserves?
Or is it time for real transparency, improved services, and fair taxation?

Thank You, White Rock!

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The byelection is over, and while I came up just 88 votes short of a Council seat, I am deeply proud of the support I received from the people of White Rock. With a turnout of only 16.63%, every single vote truly mattered — and I am grateful to each resident who believed in me and my vision for our city.

Over the past weeks, I had the privilege of knocking on doors, speaking with residents, and listening to your hopes and concerns. I made many new friends, built strong connections with local businesses, and shared inspiring conversations with neighbors who love this city as much as I do.

I also gained the friendship and respect of many fellow candidates who put themselves forward to serve White Rock — congratulations to Anthony Manning and Susan Bains on your wins, and to everyone who stepped up for our community.

To my campaign team: thank you for your time, your energy, and your belief in me. But above all, thank you to the residents of White Rock — you are the heart of this campaign and of this city.

Though I won’t be at the Council table this term, I will continue to fight for White Rock, to advocate for our community, and to do everything I can to make our city stronger and more vibrant.

Now it’s time to collect the signs — and yes, we’ll bring them out again next year for the election in 2026. Until then, thank you very much for your support!

With gratitude,

Scott Kristjanson

White Rock By-Election Final Results

Does White Rock Need to Build More Towers to Expand Our Tax Base?

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There is a lot of misinformation out there that says White Rock is mandated to build more towers and that we need to do this to cover city costs and expand our tax base.

None of that it true!

White Rock has already built enough towers that were approved in 2016 to cover our regional growth targets past 2040. I know because I sat on the Metro Vancouver board when these targers were reviewed.

In addition, the Province’s Bill 43 and Bill 47 make it clear that the mandate for more towers do not apply to White Rock since we do not have any rapid transit such as sky train in White Rock. Only areas near sky trains are mandated to have towers approved. Bill 44 suggests that White Rock must approve multi-unit 4 story housing in single family neighbourhoods, but there is plenty of opportunity for cities to push back. Cities such as Port Coquitlam under Mayor Brad West have successfully done so. With the right people on City Council, White Rock can push back on Bill 44 too!

What about the need to expand our tax base?

No! That was already done by the push for towers in 2016.

  • In 2010, our unspent cash reserves were $20M or 50% of our annual budget
  • In 2018 when I was one Council, the reserves were up to $35M or about 80% of the budget
  • Today, the White Rock surplus is about $240M or about 400% of the annual budget
  • Taxpayers continue to get overtaxed even with the new towers and 30% of your taxes go unspent
  • City Staff have said that they want to increase this to $1B, but these funds are only for emergencies and other contingencies, and 50% of the annual budget is much more typical
  • What are they doing with this money besides getting very little interest in the bank

So why the push for more towers in White Rock?

  • Follow the money!
  • The new 30 and 40 story towers being pushed by Council is worth about $2.7B to real estate investors and developers.
  • The Mayor has said that she cannot stick to my version of the 2021 Official Community plan because developers cannot make money at 12 stories, and so they need at least 25 stories to make a profit! Shouldn’t the Mayor be more focussed on creating a better community for residents, visitors, and local businesses, rather than focusing on Developer profits?

The Mayor has said that she cannot stick to our version of the 2021 Official Community plan that reduced heights uptown to 12 stories because she claims that developers cannot make money at 12 stories, and so they need at least 25 stories to make a profit!

During the election, the Mayor promised voters that she would stick to the OCP 12. What happened to that promise?

Shouldn’t the Mayor and City Council be more focussed on creating a better community for residents, visitors, and local businesses, rather than focusing on Developer profits?

Building Permits Take Too Long

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It can take years to get simple approvals done for renovations or to build a single family home in White Rock, or to get a business renovation approved. That’s costs builders and businesses tens of thousands of dollars in delays, and costs city taxpayers due to extended approval times. We can do better.

The Mayor promised to fix this but it appears nothing has been fixed. Taxpayers deserve to get value for their money and that includes creating a faster and more taxpayer friendly approach to help people and businesses get their projects done quickly. It take years to get approvals in White Rock for simple approvals that takes weeks in Surrey..

The Fieldstone Bakery on Russell took over three years to get approved. In any other city, it would takes weeks, not years. Three Dogs ran into similar problems and delays.

Many home builders frequently have run into similar delays and hassles. Our Engineering department has some great staff but the current corporate culture is not focused on getting things done for the builders of single family homes. Towers can get approved in months it seems, but renovating a business or building a single family homes takes years.

I don’t blame poor city corporate culture and high turnover rates on staff. The Mayor and City Council sets the standard and is responsible for creating the kind of culture that wants to help taxpayers get projects done, not delay them and get in the way.

On Columbia, as an example, the builder was given formal approval to build a home that included a double paved parking pad on Columbia. The building spent tens of thousands of dollars to build a beautifully built parking pad to code as approved by city planning.

However, according to the builder, after it was built at great expense, the city engineering department changed it’s mind and demanded that the parking pad be removed. Council was notified of this, but that same day the City Engineering department drove down to the builders new home with several employees and backhoe, and ripped up the cement pad and the blocked it off so the new owner could not use it.

That was in 2019. The parking pad is still blocked off by the city in 2025. We need a Council that knows how to work together with staff, using continuous improvement techniques for process review and improvement, and create a corporate culture that helps taxpayers succeed. I know how to get it done based on my 40 years of experience in businesses using these techniques. Vote for Scott Kristjanson and I will work with staff and council and taxpayers to create a Can-Do corporate culture that works for taxpayers instead of getting in their way.

I have improved project completion time in business using Continuous Improvement techniques developed by Dr. Deming to reduce project times while also saving money and customer and employee satisfaction. We can do that at City Hall too Let’s fix this together.

The North Bluff Study is bad for White Rock and needs to be rejected!

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White Rock faces a new threat: proposals by the current council for over a dozen 30–40 storey high rises along 16th Ave in what they call the North Bluff Study, as well as other projects like the Community Hub. Once again, City Councilors are pushing for projects that will reshape our community forever. But with 2 seats up for election in this election, we can shift power back to the people of this community.

The North Bluff study has one goal: force hundreds of families out of affordable rentals so large out of town developers can build more million dollar condos.

The Area of the City Affected by the North Bluff Study to build 30 and 40 storey condos

The area highlighted by blue is included in the North Bluff study that hopes to replace the existing homes and rentals with condos and towers. Is this what you want for your city?

I talk about affordable housing and my first priority is to retain as much of the existing affordable rentals that we already have along North Bluff and the two blocks South of that.

On September 27, White Rock voters will decide: Do we stick to the Official Community Plan (4, 8, and 12 storeys) — or do we give developers the green light for more and higher towers?

I’m running for City Council to defend our community. If you live in White Rock, I ask for your vote. When I was on Council from 2018 to 2022, we spent three years in the public input process to find out was residents want and that was to reduce heights and density.

My motion in 2021, as supported by Council, reduced maximum heights from 24 stories down to 12. It can be done! Voters can have a say in the future of your city. I ask for your support once more so we can block the North Bluff Study and keep people in their homes.

Many candidates are funded by big money developers. Check out how many have large numbers of signs with many on newly developed building sites. They may not tell you that they are funded by developers, but many are.

Don’t be fooled.

Vote for someone with a long history of supporting our community, residents, and local businesses, not developers with deep pockets.

Vote for Scott Kristjanson.

White Rock Needs To Do More to Support Local Businesses

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As a city, White Rock needs to do more to help local businesses prosper. The Boat House closed on Sunday. Another local gem gone. So many good memories for so many visitors, residents, and staff.

On Sunday, Sept 21st, the lights went out on a large presence on the strip, The Boathouse Restaurant. A landmark restaurant that has lasted 44 years, boasted the best view on the strip and has hosted many special family events over the years.

Although many are excited to see what might go into this space next, for now the pretty lights on our corner will dim and they will be missed. Well done staff, good luck in your new adventures!