2014 Municipal Election Archive
- Read the Municipal Democracy Report Card for the status of each municipality's deliberations on placing a non-binding referendum question on the ballot leading up to the November 15, 2014 election. Which municipalities valued their residents' opinions and which did not?
- Read the Summary of all candidate responses to the Amalgamation Yes Questionnaire See at a glance how the candidates responded to each question.
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2014 Declared Candidates:
Central Saanich Council Voting locations & times Colwood Council Voting locations & times Esquimalt Council Voting locations & times Highlands Council Voting locations & times Langford Council Voting locations & times Metchosin Council Voting locations & times North Saanich Council Voting locations & times Oak Bay Council Voting locations & times Saanich Council Voting locations & times Victoria Council Voting locations & times Sidney Council Voting locations & times Sooke Voting locations & times View Royal Voting locations & times *************************************************************************** Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Municipal Election Issues 2014 *************************************************************************** Meet Patricia Ross, Councillor, City of Abbotsford, a successful amalgamated city Read the opinions of other area politicians ****************************************************************************************** NOTE: The quotes below are from incumbent mayors and councillors. (Victoria News Questionnaire, April 2, 2013) Do you favour some form of municipal amalgamation? Alistair Bryson, Central Saanich Mayor “It would be an uninformed position to make any type of representation at this point. My job as mayor is to get information and then talk to our communities. It’s not our role as mayors to represent our personal opinions. I am certainly in support of having a better understanding of what the opportunities are for our communities to work more closely together.” Larry Cross, Sidney Mayor "I need to see the analysis of the impact on Sidney residents regarding costs, services and accessibility, first. I believe municipalities can do better in seeking benefits from closer co-operation, however.” Barb Desjardins, Esquimalt Mayor “No. Local land-use decisions are best dealt with by local communities through planning processes which incorporate the values of the residents of the area. The region could do a better job in co-ordination in such areas as public safety and transportation. The key to regional oversight is the governance model which must not allow one area or two areas to control the region.” Alice Finall, North Saanich Mayor “No. Small governments are more responsive to residents in terms of balancing desired services with the amount the community is prepared to pay for them. Amalgamation does not reduce costs, it increases them. Taxes, debt and other charges increase dramatically due to cost levels rising to the highest common denominator. Where issues and needs overlap municipal boundaries, the CRD administration structure has been praised as efficient and effective.” Dean Fortin, Victoria Mayor “Yes. Amalgamation, done well, can give the residents of Greater Victoria better planning: of civic infrastructure, of public transportation and of land-use patterns. It can offer efficiencies in the delivery of services and programs. Program and service design can ensure responsiveness to local and community values so that all voices are heard.” Carol Hamilton, Colwood Mayor “Yes. Communities as a whole are trying to strive for that wholesome sustainability and it’s difficult to do when you have a smaller geographic area, or if you have only one particular entity within your boundaries. Looking to the West Shore, I see the opportunity for some success in moving towards that model. I think we have a stronger presence and a more sustainable presence as a West Shore group.” Graham Hill, View Royal Mayor “No. I don’t believe that the history of amalgamation has illustrated benefit. I believe that the residents of my community would not particularly benefit in terms of the cost of operations and I also expect as the City of Victoria’s potholes get smaller, those in View Royal could get bigger.” Nils Jensen, Oak Bay Mayor "No. Amalgamation, like fool’s gold, has a shiny attraction but little value. Bigger government, bigger bureaucracy does not work – bigger is not always better. Smaller government is more economic and more responsive to the real needs of residents. Where amalgamation has been tried costs have gone up and quality of service has gone down.” Frank Leonard, Saanich Mayor “No. I think we can accomplish improvements to our communities by integrating services, where appropriate. That’s what I’ve always worked on.” Jane Mendum, Highlands Mayor “Perhaps. Highlanders voted to incorporate just 20 successful years ago, and we value our self-determination. The current regional governance/administrative model is diverse, dynamic and representative of local values, and responsive to local needs. If other municipalities choose to join together, I maintain that potential outcomes need to demonstrate an actual net benefit for residents over the current model.” Wendall Milne, Sooke Mayor "No, I don’t support Sooke amalgamating with other municipalities in the CRD, however I support amalgamation with the unorganized areas surrounding Sooke, subject to the desire of those residing there. Sooke is distinct from the municipalities in the CRD because of the geographical separation between the populated areas. But Sooke has many similar interests as the unorganized areas surrounding the municipality.” John Ranns, Metchosin Mayor "Perhaps. The fiefdoms currently work well and amalgamation does not save money, so any change should be done to solve problems. Issues such as policing, transportation, settlement patterns, sewer, etc., would be easier to resolve under a single urban authority. Successful amalgamation models must recognize low-population rural and agricultural areas – they won’t survive unless they are governed separately.” Kevin Murdoch, Oak Bay, Councillor (On-line comment to Victoria News, April 2, 2013): "Amalgamation may (emphasis on uncertain) bring better regional planning and some more accountability for shared services, but has historically also raised costs and reduced access to government. Pretending either the current system is perfect or that amalgamation would solve most problems is unrealistic. For those that complain about the "cost" of 13 mayors, councils, and staff, I can speak for our municipality with details: of the $50,148,415 in the 2013 budgeted revenue, $96,953 is being spent on Mayor and Council, hardly the core problem. I like the trend towards shared services, I think a lot of efficiency can be found there. I think the CRD should be pared back to more utilitarian services (does it really need a full PR department plus outsourced PR consultants?). I also think that all communities have an obligation to support services in the core of Victoria. We have a great community, but the job of all politicians should be keeping an open mind to ideas on ways of improving it, be they radical or incremental. Read quotes on amalgamation from candidates standing for election as Members of the BC Legislative Assembly in May, 2013 |
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