Janjua pitches transparency, growth and faster permits in city council bid

Janjua currently works as an account executive with GFL Environmental, where he manages more than 900 accounts across industries including mining, pipeline construction, heavy industry and civil construction. He believes that experience gives him valuable insight into sectors that are expected to play a significant role in northern B.C.’s future economic growth.

Among the central themes of his campaign is what he describes as a need for greater transparency at City Hall.

“One of the biggest things is fiscal accountability and transparency,” he said. “The city just isn’t giving us transparency on what’s happening, where money is going. Our taxes are through the roof, but what’s happening with it?”

Janjua said residents deserve clearer explanations about municipal spending and debt levels, arguing that better communication would help build trust between taxpayers and local government.

Public safety is another major pillar of his campaign. He pointed to concerns about crime and social disorder that many residents have raised, particularly in the downtown core.

“Safety is a huge issue here,” he said. “If we don’t get our hands on it and get control at some point here, it’s going to be out of control.”

He also believes the city’s permitting process is discouraging investment and slowing growth. Janjua cited an example of a local contractor who, he said, has been waiting roughly a year for a permit approval.

“This is the kind of stuff that deters business from opening here,” he said. “We’re losing jobs because of it.”

With Prince George facing the loss of industrial tax revenue following the closure of Northwood’s pulp operations, Janjua acknowledged that council will face difficult financial decisions during upcoming budget discussions.

While some residents have called for tax freezes or cuts, Janjua said he believes those options are unrealistic in the short term.

“We can’t freeze taxes. We can’t lower them. Not this year,” he said. “Maybe we can slow them down, but it’s going to take a couple of years to fix what’s happened.”

Instead, he said council should focus on finding efficiencies in municipal spending while working to attract new industrial and commercial investment to help replace lost tax revenue.

Janjua sees major opportunities in the mining, trucking and pipeline sectors, particularly given Prince George’s position as a transportation hub with rail connections, major highways and an international airport.

“We have nothing but opportunity,” he said. “Everything that passes through the city should have our hand on it.”

He believes his professional relationships within those industries could help open doors and encourage companies to consider Prince George for future projects and investment.

Housing and development also remain priorities for the candidate. Janjua said he would support modernizing the city’s permitting system through digitization, reducing paperwork and streamlining approvals.

He also floated the idea of pre-engineered building designs that could allow some residential and commercial projects to move through the approval process more quickly.

“If somebody says, ‘Hey, I want to build this,’ and the design is already approved, you can cut through the red tape,” he said.

While campaigning, Janjua said concerns about infrastructure continue to dominate conversations with residents. Roads, snow clearing and rising property taxes are among the issues he hears about most often.

“Our roads are terrible. There’s no question about it,” he said. “We’ve let them go for so long.”

He added that many residents feel they are paying more in taxes without seeing corresponding improvements in services.

Looking at municipal procurement and project management, Janjua said he would support stronger performance benchmarks for contractors, including clear timelines and budget expectations for city-funded projects.

“If it drags into the next year, there’s inflation. The cost of supplies goes up, the cost of labour goes up and that lands on our shoulders,” he said.

He also called for a more rigorous review process when awarding municipal contracts, one that balances cost with factors such as quality, performance history and a contractor’s ability to complete work on time.

“We need a fair process, but we also need to look at the quality of the work, who the contractor is and what their track record looks like,” Janjua said.

Prince George voters will head to the polls on Oct. 17 to elect a mayor and city council for the next four-year term.

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Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com

by Adam Berls

Janjua pitches transparency, growth and faster permits in city council bid

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