B.C. awaiting word from Saanich and Langford on amalgamation
Times Colonist,
May 8, 2015
The B.C. government is still waiting for letters from Saanich and Langford before launching a study of amalgamation in the capital region.
Under questioning in the legislature, Community Minister Coralee Oakes said five municipalities that held referendums on the issue in November have written letters requesting the study.
Colwood also submitted a letter despite declining to put the question to voters, she said.
“To this point, we have heard from the mayors of Victoria, North Saanich, Central Saanich, Sidney, Colwood and Esquimalt regarding their interest in the amalgamation issue,” she said. “We’ve yet to hear from Langford and Saanich.”
Oakes said she was reluctant to set a deadline out of respect for local government autonomy.
But she encouraged residents of Langford and Saanich “to go to your local government and remind them to submit a letter to the province requesting a governance review.”
In the case of Saanich, Oakes could be waiting a while.
Coun. Vic Derman said he’s unaware of any intention by Saanich to send Oakes such a letter. He said the Saanich referendum question, which never mentioned amalgamation, asked voters whether they supported “a community-based review” of the governance structure within Saanich and its partnerships within the region. “That’s still, as far as I know, Saanich’s position,” he said.
NDP MLA Rob Fleming said he fears Oakes may be looking for a way to delay the study.
“The minister said explicitly on Nov. 18, 2014: ‘We will be doing a governance study,’ ” Fleming said in the legislature.
“Now what I’m hearing today is: ‘We may do a governance study, depending on how many letters we get from different mayors.’
“If I could put this delicately, the likelihood of all 13 municipalities agreeing on exactly how to proceed on an amalgamation study is unlikely, and it’s probably symptomatic of why there are 13 municipalities to begin with.”
Eight municipalities held votes on amalgamation during local elections in November. Although the questions varied, a majority of voters in seven municipalities — Langford, Saanich, Victoria, Esquimalt, Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney — supported further study or movement toward amalgamation, while Oak Bay voters rejected it.
Colwood, Metchosin, View Royal, Highlands and Sooke declined to put a question on the ballot.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said he plans to send Oakes a letter next month once city staff have researched the financial implications of amalgamation. “We’re going to be really cautious on this thing to make sure that when [the government’s] study is done that they absolutely look at the financial impact first,” he said.
Oakes said in an interview that the provincial government wants to make sure that it collaborates with municipalities and does things right. “And we want to make sure that we’re doing a comprehensive job. So that is going to require time.”
She said the issue is a top priority for her ministry, which has a five-person team working on it and other active files.
lkines@timescolonist.com
© Copyright Times Colonist
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Times Colonist,
May 8, 2015
The B.C. government is still waiting for letters from Saanich and Langford before launching a study of amalgamation in the capital region.
Under questioning in the legislature, Community Minister Coralee Oakes said five municipalities that held referendums on the issue in November have written letters requesting the study.
Colwood also submitted a letter despite declining to put the question to voters, she said.
“To this point, we have heard from the mayors of Victoria, North Saanich, Central Saanich, Sidney, Colwood and Esquimalt regarding their interest in the amalgamation issue,” she said. “We’ve yet to hear from Langford and Saanich.”
Oakes said she was reluctant to set a deadline out of respect for local government autonomy.
But she encouraged residents of Langford and Saanich “to go to your local government and remind them to submit a letter to the province requesting a governance review.”
In the case of Saanich, Oakes could be waiting a while.
Coun. Vic Derman said he’s unaware of any intention by Saanich to send Oakes such a letter. He said the Saanich referendum question, which never mentioned amalgamation, asked voters whether they supported “a community-based review” of the governance structure within Saanich and its partnerships within the region. “That’s still, as far as I know, Saanich’s position,” he said.
NDP MLA Rob Fleming said he fears Oakes may be looking for a way to delay the study.
“The minister said explicitly on Nov. 18, 2014: ‘We will be doing a governance study,’ ” Fleming said in the legislature.
“Now what I’m hearing today is: ‘We may do a governance study, depending on how many letters we get from different mayors.’
“If I could put this delicately, the likelihood of all 13 municipalities agreeing on exactly how to proceed on an amalgamation study is unlikely, and it’s probably symptomatic of why there are 13 municipalities to begin with.”
Eight municipalities held votes on amalgamation during local elections in November. Although the questions varied, a majority of voters in seven municipalities — Langford, Saanich, Victoria, Esquimalt, Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney — supported further study or movement toward amalgamation, while Oak Bay voters rejected it.
Colwood, Metchosin, View Royal, Highlands and Sooke declined to put a question on the ballot.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said he plans to send Oakes a letter next month once city staff have researched the financial implications of amalgamation. “We’re going to be really cautious on this thing to make sure that when [the government’s] study is done that they absolutely look at the financial impact first,” he said.
Oakes said in an interview that the provincial government wants to make sure that it collaborates with municipalities and does things right. “And we want to make sure that we’re doing a comprehensive job. So that is going to require time.”
She said the issue is a top priority for her ministry, which has a five-person team working on it and other active files.
lkines@timescolonist.com
© Copyright Times Colonist
- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/b-c-awaiting-word-from-saanich-and-langford-on-amalgamation-1.1928594#sthash.AFU5U2xo.dpuf