re: CRD backs Helps' bid to join Big City Mayors' Caucus, Times Colonist, May 23, 2017
Lisa Helps is Mayor of the City of Victoria with a population of 85,792. Why should the Big City Mayors Caucus (BCMC) of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) accept the Mayor of Victoria as a representative for either the City of Victoria or the Capital Regional District?
There are 6 regions in Southern Ontario with populations exceeding the combined population of our 13 municipalities that have a two tier governance models who might also want a seat at the BCMC. Two of those regions have cities that are already 'stand alone' members of the BCMC: the City of Kitchener (population 233,222) in Waterloo Region, and the Region of Peel, with the City of Brampton (population 593,638) and the City of Mississauga (population 721,599), both in Peel Region.
The four remaining regional governments in southern Ontario would have stronger cases (based on population) for inclusion in the BCMC.
The BCMC is intended to represent the Canada's largest cities and, at 85,792, the City of Victoria just doesn’t cut it. Even the name of the caucus, the Big City Mayors' Caucus, should rule out Victoria. And Greater Victoria is in the awkward position of having too many local governments and no effective and accountable regional government.
Why would the FCM dilute the BCMC by bringing in the mayor of a small city to represent a region across which she has no direct accountability? The FCM would need to change the name from Big City Mayors’ Caucus to the Big City Mayors' and Regional Director/Mayors Representing Regions Caucus (acronym: BCMRDMRRC).
Without governance reform, this initiative is doomed to failure. Other regional governments, with larger populations, would also want inclusion in the BCMC. Greater Victoria’s 13 local governments and the CRD already belong to the FCM, along with every municipality (big and small) in Canada. This is the chosen voice of our 13 Greater Victoria governments and the result of the status-quo fragmentation.
Information on the six Ontario Regional (two tier) governments (with populations greater than ours) follows:
Region of Waterloo
2016 Census: 535,154
Regional Council: Composed of the Regional Chair, eight directly elected Regional Councillors, and the mayors of the seven local municipalities - the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo and the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. (7 municipalities)
The Regional Chair is elected by all eligible voters throughout the Region of Waterloo. Eligible voters in the City of Kitchener elect four Regional Councillors, two Regional Councillors are elected by eligible voters in the City of Cambridge, and two Regional Councillors are elected by eligible voters in the City of Waterloo. See:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalGovernment/regionalcouncil.asp
Region of Peel
2016 Census: 1,381,739
Regional Council: 24 Councillors plus the Chair appointed to Peel Region Council:
• Regional Chair: Frank Dale
• Caledon, 5 Councillors
• Brampton, 7 Councillors
Mississauga, 12 Councillors
All members of each of the 3 local governments are automatically appointed as Regional Councillors. See:
https://www.peelregion.ca/council/councill/index.htm
Region of Durham
2016 Census: 645,862
Regional Council: 28 member council – The Mayors of the 8 local councils are Regional Councillors (dual role). At least two of the local municipalities (Pickering & Whidby) elect two types of councillors (local ward councillors and regional councillors – elected “at large”). Regional councillors sit on both their local city council and at the Regional Council. See:
http://www.durham.ca/default.asp?nr=/council/council14_2018.htm&setFooter=/includes/councilFooter.inc
Region of Halton
2016 Census: 548,435
Regional Council: 21 Members. Mayors of the 4 local municipalities are Regional Councillors. The six local council members of both Burlington and Oakville are also Regional Councillors. In the case of the two smaller municipalities; Halton Hills and Milton, residents elect 8 ward councillors and 2 Regional Councillors elected “at large” (Regional Councillors sit on both Local council and the Regional Council - See:
http://www.halton.ca/regional_council_administration/halton_regional_council_2014-2018/
Region of Niagara
2016 Census: 447,888
Regional Council:
• One elected regional chair
• 12 elected mayors from Niagara's area municipalities
• 18 elected representatives from Niagara's area municipalities
Residents of the 12 municipalities elect both Ward and Regional Councillors (Regional Councillors at elected “at large” and serve as both local and regional council members – the number of councillors elected to the Regional Council is based on each municipalities population. See:
http://www.niagararegion.ca/government/council/profiles/default.aspx
Region of York
2016 Census: 1,109,909
Regional Council: 21 members. Council sets policies, direction and budgets for York Region.
Members of York Regional Council are elected in what is known as a "double direct" form of election. In this type of system, those elected as Mayor or Regional Councillor for a local municipality earn a seat on both Local Council and Regional Council for four years.
The Chair of Regional Council is elected by members of Regional Council at the first meeting of the term and also serves for a four year term. There are nine municipalities within the Region of York. Mayors of each municipality are automatically Region Council members and, for larger municipalities, duel role councillors are elected to sit as both local and regional Councillors.
http://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/yorkregion/yr/councilandcommittee/council/!ut/p/a1/rZTLbsIwEEW_pQuWkSfOyyzdtCUJIlR9qCQbZBwDKcQJwaDSr29CEYuqQKnsnUczR_fOSBelaIRSybb5jKm8lGzZ_lN3HNJeGAR9iIY28YHCkEbYI0D6XtOQNA1w4lHYz2Nsu4HpQwTBkED44D06dyQwwXfQG0pRyqWq1Bwlu3rMS6mEVB3YlfWi-axVrjb7wrwsxHe5FrNGXQd4uZE8XzKZ8bIocqWEOBZbbMXzDCV8anPTZp7RtdzMsMlEGERwZmTCZu7EwV0HsoONMzovrGFv4wyhjw8N5zZ1aVdJI9I7qeLZRM9Xur4A9DQDMdYNdHQDdVsO_3uUKATfpA2wZ91bQHHok1srInEMuhVamoFU95Wpbsv0-itHf8hBXA_8wazBMjU3cjkt0eiXhDoW25H8fbVKaROAbep9KDTSmYBV8VoQa2csnghYTrX9fJkWxTiODTb5UUgTsqY3X5ExAqo!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#.WSUdMBQwjzI
Our Capital Regional District (Greater Victoria)
2016 Census (of the 13 municipalities, excluding unincorporated areas): 367,770
Regional Board of Directors:
3 members are directly elected from the unincorporated areas – all other board members are either appointed by their respective councils, or, in the case of Victoria and Saanich, where the Mayors are automatically appointed and council members run as both local councillors and for the board – a non-binding option is given to electors to select up to 3 (Victoria) or 4 (Saanich) councillors as their preference to sit on the Board. Note this non-binding option means there is no legal requirement for the municipality to comply with the voters' preference. The municipality may appoint whomever it wishes to the CRD.
- Colin Nielsen
Lisa Helps is Mayor of the City of Victoria with a population of 85,792. Why should the Big City Mayors Caucus (BCMC) of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) accept the Mayor of Victoria as a representative for either the City of Victoria or the Capital Regional District?
There are 6 regions in Southern Ontario with populations exceeding the combined population of our 13 municipalities that have a two tier governance models who might also want a seat at the BCMC. Two of those regions have cities that are already 'stand alone' members of the BCMC: the City of Kitchener (population 233,222) in Waterloo Region, and the Region of Peel, with the City of Brampton (population 593,638) and the City of Mississauga (population 721,599), both in Peel Region.
The four remaining regional governments in southern Ontario would have stronger cases (based on population) for inclusion in the BCMC.
The BCMC is intended to represent the Canada's largest cities and, at 85,792, the City of Victoria just doesn’t cut it. Even the name of the caucus, the Big City Mayors' Caucus, should rule out Victoria. And Greater Victoria is in the awkward position of having too many local governments and no effective and accountable regional government.
Why would the FCM dilute the BCMC by bringing in the mayor of a small city to represent a region across which she has no direct accountability? The FCM would need to change the name from Big City Mayors’ Caucus to the Big City Mayors' and Regional Director/Mayors Representing Regions Caucus (acronym: BCMRDMRRC).
Without governance reform, this initiative is doomed to failure. Other regional governments, with larger populations, would also want inclusion in the BCMC. Greater Victoria’s 13 local governments and the CRD already belong to the FCM, along with every municipality (big and small) in Canada. This is the chosen voice of our 13 Greater Victoria governments and the result of the status-quo fragmentation.
Information on the six Ontario Regional (two tier) governments (with populations greater than ours) follows:
Region of Waterloo
2016 Census: 535,154
Regional Council: Composed of the Regional Chair, eight directly elected Regional Councillors, and the mayors of the seven local municipalities - the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo and the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. (7 municipalities)
The Regional Chair is elected by all eligible voters throughout the Region of Waterloo. Eligible voters in the City of Kitchener elect four Regional Councillors, two Regional Councillors are elected by eligible voters in the City of Cambridge, and two Regional Councillors are elected by eligible voters in the City of Waterloo. See:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalGovernment/regionalcouncil.asp
Region of Peel
2016 Census: 1,381,739
Regional Council: 24 Councillors plus the Chair appointed to Peel Region Council:
• Regional Chair: Frank Dale
• Caledon, 5 Councillors
• Brampton, 7 Councillors
Mississauga, 12 Councillors
All members of each of the 3 local governments are automatically appointed as Regional Councillors. See:
https://www.peelregion.ca/council/councill/index.htm
Region of Durham
2016 Census: 645,862
Regional Council: 28 member council – The Mayors of the 8 local councils are Regional Councillors (dual role). At least two of the local municipalities (Pickering & Whidby) elect two types of councillors (local ward councillors and regional councillors – elected “at large”). Regional councillors sit on both their local city council and at the Regional Council. See:
http://www.durham.ca/default.asp?nr=/council/council14_2018.htm&setFooter=/includes/councilFooter.inc
Region of Halton
2016 Census: 548,435
Regional Council: 21 Members. Mayors of the 4 local municipalities are Regional Councillors. The six local council members of both Burlington and Oakville are also Regional Councillors. In the case of the two smaller municipalities; Halton Hills and Milton, residents elect 8 ward councillors and 2 Regional Councillors elected “at large” (Regional Councillors sit on both Local council and the Regional Council - See:
http://www.halton.ca/regional_council_administration/halton_regional_council_2014-2018/
Region of Niagara
2016 Census: 447,888
Regional Council:
• One elected regional chair
• 12 elected mayors from Niagara's area municipalities
• 18 elected representatives from Niagara's area municipalities
Residents of the 12 municipalities elect both Ward and Regional Councillors (Regional Councillors at elected “at large” and serve as both local and regional council members – the number of councillors elected to the Regional Council is based on each municipalities population. See:
http://www.niagararegion.ca/government/council/profiles/default.aspx
Region of York
2016 Census: 1,109,909
Regional Council: 21 members. Council sets policies, direction and budgets for York Region.
Members of York Regional Council are elected in what is known as a "double direct" form of election. In this type of system, those elected as Mayor or Regional Councillor for a local municipality earn a seat on both Local Council and Regional Council for four years.
The Chair of Regional Council is elected by members of Regional Council at the first meeting of the term and also serves for a four year term. There are nine municipalities within the Region of York. Mayors of each municipality are automatically Region Council members and, for larger municipalities, duel role councillors are elected to sit as both local and regional Councillors.
http://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/yorkregion/yr/councilandcommittee/council/!ut/p/a1/rZTLbsIwEEW_pQuWkSfOyyzdtCUJIlR9qCQbZBwDKcQJwaDSr29CEYuqQKnsnUczR_fOSBelaIRSybb5jKm8lGzZ_lN3HNJeGAR9iIY28YHCkEbYI0D6XtOQNA1w4lHYz2Nsu4HpQwTBkED44D06dyQwwXfQG0pRyqWq1Bwlu3rMS6mEVB3YlfWi-axVrjb7wrwsxHe5FrNGXQd4uZE8XzKZ8bIocqWEOBZbbMXzDCV8anPTZp7RtdzMsMlEGERwZmTCZu7EwV0HsoONMzovrGFv4wyhjw8N5zZ1aVdJI9I7qeLZRM9Xur4A9DQDMdYNdHQDdVsO_3uUKATfpA2wZ91bQHHok1srInEMuhVamoFU95Wpbsv0-itHf8hBXA_8wazBMjU3cjkt0eiXhDoW25H8fbVKaROAbep9KDTSmYBV8VoQa2csnghYTrX9fJkWxTiODTb5UUgTsqY3X5ExAqo!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#.WSUdMBQwjzI
Our Capital Regional District (Greater Victoria)
2016 Census (of the 13 municipalities, excluding unincorporated areas): 367,770
Regional Board of Directors:
3 members are directly elected from the unincorporated areas – all other board members are either appointed by their respective councils, or, in the case of Victoria and Saanich, where the Mayors are automatically appointed and council members run as both local councillors and for the board – a non-binding option is given to electors to select up to 3 (Victoria) or 4 (Saanich) councillors as their preference to sit on the Board. Note this non-binding option means there is no legal requirement for the municipality to comply with the voters' preference. The municipality may appoint whomever it wishes to the CRD.
- Colin Nielsen