13 Reasons in Support of Amalgamation
Greater Victoria lacks a 'sense of place', perpetuated by having 13 municipalities. For most of us, our mailing address is Victoria, yet daily we study, play, work, shop, and travel in three or more municipalities.
May 31, 2016
Greater Victoria lacks a 'sense of place', perpetuated by having 13 municipalities. For most of us, our mailing address is Victoria, yet daily we study, play, work, shop, and travel in three or more municipalities.
- Thirteen mayors and 78 councillors hold 30 - 40 municipal meetings a month and many also serve on the CRD Board/Committees or other governmental organizations as municipal representatives. When local and regional issues conflict, often these officials chose their local municipal priorities over regional priorities.
- Multiplicity of special independent agencies. The CRD Board is not directly accountable to electors and yet has over 90 separate Committees and Commissions, e.g. CRD Parks, West Shore/Peninsula/ SEAPARC recreation facilities, CR Hospital District Board, CRD Trunk Sewers & Treatment (CALWMP), CRD Watershed Operations/bulk water sales to municipalities, CRD Recycling and Landfill Operations.
- Three school districts, two library boards, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, Greater Victoria Transit Commission, CREST and Greater Victoria Labor relations, Royal/McPherson Society. Each with different and complex arrangements for municipal representations and cost sharing.
- No central emergency service coordination centre in case of earthquake or major disaster. Instead there are six (6) separate 9-1-1/emergency services dispatch centres (3 for fire, 3 for police) as well as numerous Emergency Operations Centers located in different Municipalities. CREST (Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications) provides a common communications platform at field level it does not eliminate the need for a common Emergency Dispatch Center to coordinate emergency service resources. A common 9-1-1 & Emergency Dispatch Center is badly needed.
- At least 17 separate fire departments serve the residents of the CRD and response is determined by municipal boundaries, rather than by who can get to a fire scene the fastest or who has the proper specialized equipment. Mutual aid agreements are no substitute for an amalgamated fire service.
- Four independent municipal police forces (Victoria/Esquimalt PD, Oak Bay PD, Saanich PD & Central Saanich PD) and 3 separate RCMP Detachments (policing 6 municipalities under contract: North Saanich, Sidney, Colwood, Langford, View Royal and Sooke) and Highlands and Metchosin under Provincial contract. A regional force could still incorporate a community policing model, seeking local public input for specific needs in each patrol district, while providing a common command structure.
- A complex local government framework with 20 separate Official Community Plans (OCPs) and 522 separate zoning bylaws inhibits rational land use and economic development. Builders and tradespeople deal with up to 13 different inspection departments, building permit processes and sign bylaws.
- The diverse ecosystems which characterize our “green” city do not correspond to municipal boundaries effective regional plan to guide urban residential/commercial/industrial growth, key transportation corridors. Each municipality does its own planning without regard to municipal neighbours. Each is responsible to protect a prized natural environment, e.g. riparian areas, flora, fauna and niche habitats. The CRD Regional Growth Strategy serves as a guideline for municipalities but has limited authority to assess, direct and fund regional development priorities or meet provincial environmental standards. Individual municipalities can’t meet our collective provincial obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or reduce pollution.
- No unified voice to speak for Greater Victoria to lobby and access federal and provincial funding, e.g. transit, bridges, McKenzie overpass, Inner Harbour renewal, social housing, arts and cultural facilities. Mayors and council don’t speak with common interests and priorities for the region. The 7 Members of the BC Legislative Assembly and three Government of Canada Members of Parliament must represent the electorate from competing municipalities.
- For the majority of the residents, the journey to places of employment, to institutions of higher education or to utilize the regional Gateway portals i.e.: ferry or airport require inter-municipal travel on massive scale. Regional transportation facilities; arterial roads and bridges need to be planned and cost shared across the region which is difficult to achieve given conflicting municipal interests.
- Limited co-ordination to decide on the siting, funding and operation of capital facilities i.e. parks, recreation centers, fire and police stations, seniors’ centres and sewage facilities. Municipalities tend to focus on only their own needs rather than looking at the ‘big picture’. There is poor integration of service delivery in areas such as engineering, planning, recreation leading to gaps, duplication and excessive costs. Municipal workforces have duplicate management structures. Separate municipalities purchase expensive machinery (public works maintenance specialized equipment and fire fighting vehicles) and establish public works service yards without regard to neighboring municipalities. Amalgamation might not save money but may rationalize services, provide better value and improve effectiveness.
- Amenity gaps exist in such areas as libraries, art galleries, culture and sports facilities are not “metro scale”, worthy of a capital city with a population of 360,000. Many key facilities are substandard with some badly needing upgrades or replacement but “free rider” issues impair fair cost sharing.
- The CRD has numerous meaningless municipal boundaries. E.g.: UVic & Royal Jubilee Hospital grounds span two municipalities, boundaries divide residential and commercial streets and there are oddities like the Saanich Panhandle (north of Royal Jubilee Hospital). Boundaries of View Royal are a mystery? Residents too often can’t deliver garden waste or recyclables to the nearest depot. Some boundaries were established more than 100 years ago for the purpose of establishing Fire Protection Districts (e.g. Sooke, Metchosin, Colwood, Langford, View Royal) and don’t reflect settlement patterns. North Saanich and Sidney have conflicting interests re: adjacent airport lands.
- A more current impasse is the issue of homelessness and social housing where majority of the social and economic costs including grants and tax exemptions for charitable/cultural service agencies are borne by Victoria with only 23% of the regional population.
May 31, 2016