---
title: "Newly elected councillors lay out budget review and policy reversals as first priorities"
description: "Sean Orr, Annette Reilly, Lucy Maloney and Mike Klassen spoke to CTV News about what they plan to do when the new Vancouver council takes office in November."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/new-council-pledge-reverse-abc-decisions-october-20"
last_updated: "2026-10-21T04:59:33.084Z"
---

Four of the ten newly elected Vancouver city councillors told CTV News on October 20, 2026 what they plan to do when the new council takes office in November. The councillors are [Sean Orr](/candidates/sean-orr) (COPE), [Annette Reilly](/candidates/annette-reilly) (Green Party of Vancouver), [Lucy Maloney](/candidates/lucy-maloney) (OneCity), and [Mike Klassen](/candidates/mike-klassen) (ABC Vancouver). CTV News reporter Isabella Zavarise reported the story.

## Budget review and living wage

Orr, who received 83,038 votes in the October 17 election, the highest total of any council candidate according to CTV News, told the outlet that reviewing the city budget will be one of his first acts after inauguration. "We didn't see a lot of transparency in the last budget," he said. "It wasn't line-by-line. So, we need to go in and look at that."

Orr said he will also move a motion to restore the city's living wage policy. The previous ABC-led council scrapped that policy in January 2026, according to CTV News.

## Renters' office and co-op leases

Reilly told CTV News she wants to bring back programs the previous council closed. The renters' office was shut down in 2023; the equity office closed in 2025. Reilly said reinstating them is on her list. She also said she wants to speed up permits for childcare spaces and work on renewing leases for housing co-operatives. "That's something I'd like to focus on right away," she told CTV News.

Both Orr and Reilly said they support reversing the current council's ban on net-new supportive housing. Maloney (OneCity) said the same, according to the report. A reversal would need a council vote.

## Police budget and community outreach

Orr told CTV News he expects some cost savings in the Vancouver Police Department budget. He said he also supports the Green Party's plan for a Community Response Outreach Workers Team, which would send trained outreach workers, rather than police, to non-emergency calls about homelessness, public intoxication, and mental health crises. "Getting mental health off of the plate of the police," Orr said.

## Mike Klassen on a changed role

ABC's Klassen is the only councillor from his party on the new 11-member council after the election saw COPE and Green candidates win four seats each. He told CTV News he looks forward to working with his colleagues across party lines. He said, according to CTV News: "I recognize that my role this term will be different, but I'll seek common ground wherever possible while ensuring Vancouverites have a strong, independent voice at City Hall."

Maloney said Vancouver residents "have clearly expressed their desire for a progressive majority working collaboratively" and that she is committed to results by drawing on diverse perspectives.

Voters who want to track whether these stated plans become actual council decisions can follow each elected person at [/tracker](/tracker), where this site records promises and the official votes or decisions that follow.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.