Respecting the democratic votes of citizens (continued)
City of Duncan: Are you in favour of spending time and resources to study the costs and benefits of the amalgamation of the municipalities of North Cowichan and the City of Duncan?
YES: 554 NO: 502 (quite close)
District of North Cowichan: Are you in favour of conducting a study to explore the costs and benefits of the amalgamation of the municipalities of North Cowichan and Duncan?
YES: 4446 NO: 2065
Duncan also asked their residents about extending their municipal boundaries, either with or without amalgamation; that question also passed.
The questions and answers can be found at: http://www.election2014.civicinfo.bc.ca/2014/reports/regionresults.asp?regionid=11
I attended a joint North Cowichan and Duncan council meeting at the District of North Cowichan office on November 13, 2015 and was very impressed with the cooperation demonstrated by those councils.
Council discussions were respectful and acknowledged that their residents had spoken on the issue. They agreed “to direct their staffs to work collaboratively with two councillors from each municipality to draft terms of reference for a citizens' assembly that will make a recommendation to both councils on the scope of a study on amalgamation of the two municipalities, with the aim to complete the entire study process within the current term.”
It is intended that the study will be completed before the next municipal elections in 2018, so that a follow up referendum can held in conjunction with those elections (if warranted).
Their two questions were a bit different. It could be argued that the Duncan question implied that some local funds might be expended, while the North Cowichan question didn’t address the costs of a study. At that point, the two councils had not approached the BC Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development concerning funding for their study.
To view the archived video of the discussions, click on the following link:
(The discussion starts at 1:38 minute point)
http://www.northcowichan.ca/Documents/Cache/Agenda%20Package%20-%20Committee%20of%20the%20Whole_Nov13_2015.pdf
The minutes of the meeting can be found here:
Committee of the Whole – Nov 13, 2015 at North Cowichan
http://www.northcowichan.bc.ca/Documents/Cache/Committee%20of%20the%20Whole_Nov13_2015.pdf
Background:
Duncan is a relatively small municipality with a population of 4,932. North Cowichan has a population of 28,807 (Statistics Canada Census 2011).
Duncan is well aware that their policing costs will increase when the population exceeds 5,000. At present they pay only a Police Tax to the Province for RCMP services.
North Cowichan is much larger. It encompasses Chemainus, Maple Bay and Crofton (none of which are municipalities) and much of what many people think is Duncan.
The southern municipal border of Duncan is just north of the Cowichan River bridge on the Trans Canada Highway. The casino and shopping centre immediately north of the bridge are located on Cowichan Tribes First Nation land.
The northern municipal border of Duncan is James Street. Cowichan Senior Secondary is in Duncan, while across James Street, the recreation centre, arena and aquatic complexes are in the District of North Cowichan.
In the past, amalgamation has been discussed, but has never been the subject of a plebiscite, or non-binding public opinion poll.
- Colin Nielsen
City of Duncan: Are you in favour of spending time and resources to study the costs and benefits of the amalgamation of the municipalities of North Cowichan and the City of Duncan?
YES: 554 NO: 502 (quite close)
District of North Cowichan: Are you in favour of conducting a study to explore the costs and benefits of the amalgamation of the municipalities of North Cowichan and Duncan?
YES: 4446 NO: 2065
Duncan also asked their residents about extending their municipal boundaries, either with or without amalgamation; that question also passed.
The questions and answers can be found at: http://www.election2014.civicinfo.bc.ca/2014/reports/regionresults.asp?regionid=11
I attended a joint North Cowichan and Duncan council meeting at the District of North Cowichan office on November 13, 2015 and was very impressed with the cooperation demonstrated by those councils.
Council discussions were respectful and acknowledged that their residents had spoken on the issue. They agreed “to direct their staffs to work collaboratively with two councillors from each municipality to draft terms of reference for a citizens' assembly that will make a recommendation to both councils on the scope of a study on amalgamation of the two municipalities, with the aim to complete the entire study process within the current term.”
It is intended that the study will be completed before the next municipal elections in 2018, so that a follow up referendum can held in conjunction with those elections (if warranted).
Their two questions were a bit different. It could be argued that the Duncan question implied that some local funds might be expended, while the North Cowichan question didn’t address the costs of a study. At that point, the two councils had not approached the BC Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development concerning funding for their study.
To view the archived video of the discussions, click on the following link:
(The discussion starts at 1:38 minute point)
http://www.northcowichan.ca/Documents/Cache/Agenda%20Package%20-%20Committee%20of%20the%20Whole_Nov13_2015.pdf
The minutes of the meeting can be found here:
Committee of the Whole – Nov 13, 2015 at North Cowichan
http://www.northcowichan.bc.ca/Documents/Cache/Committee%20of%20the%20Whole_Nov13_2015.pdf
Background:
Duncan is a relatively small municipality with a population of 4,932. North Cowichan has a population of 28,807 (Statistics Canada Census 2011).
Duncan is well aware that their policing costs will increase when the population exceeds 5,000. At present they pay only a Police Tax to the Province for RCMP services.
North Cowichan is much larger. It encompasses Chemainus, Maple Bay and Crofton (none of which are municipalities) and much of what many people think is Duncan.
The southern municipal border of Duncan is just north of the Cowichan River bridge on the Trans Canada Highway. The casino and shopping centre immediately north of the bridge are located on Cowichan Tribes First Nation land.
The northern municipal border of Duncan is James Street. Cowichan Senior Secondary is in Duncan, while across James Street, the recreation centre, arena and aquatic complexes are in the District of North Cowichan.
In the past, amalgamation has been discussed, but has never been the subject of a plebiscite, or non-binding public opinion poll.
- Colin Nielsen
