Barinder Rasode says safety will be the focus of her campaign

WATCH ABOVE: Barinder Rasode joins Geoff Hastings on BC1.

VANCOUVER – Surrey’s new mayoral candidate is already saying safety is a big focus of her campaign.

Councillor Barinder Rasode announced Saturday afternoon that she hopes to replace Dianne Watts as the city’s next mayor.

The move had been widely anticipated for months.

She also says voters have told her they want fiscal responsibility and transportation infrastructure to be addressed.

“The campaign is the community campaign,” said Rasode. “I’ve spent time with hundreds of neighbours in our city talking about what matters most to them. And what matters most to them is, if they don’t feel safe in their neighbourhoods, nothing else matters.”

Councillor Linda Hepner, who is endorsed by Watts, and former mayor Doug McCallum are the other leading mayoral candidates.