FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (August 27, 2014)

Leadership required from municipal politicians to put amalgamation vote on the November 15th municipal election -- Will anyone blink?

AmalgamationYes received confirmation today from Langford Deputy Clerk Linda Kaercher that Langford Council agreed that if 75% of the municipalities put the question on their ballot Langford would as well. 

Last week Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen stated on CFAX that Oak Bay would put the non-binding question on if others did.

Central Saanich this spring voted in a narrow margin to defeat a motion to put the amalgamation question on the ballot if other peninsula municipalities did so.

Esquimalt currently has the matter of putting a non-binding question on the ballot under consideration.

John Vickers spokesperson for Amalgamation Yes said, “Its time for leadership at the municipal level. One of the twelve councils needs to take the first step and put an amalgamation question on the ballot in November so that others may have the courage to follow. It is baffling that elected officials seem so reluctant to let the public have their democratic say on this issue.”

Amalgamation Yes will continue to encourage all municipalities to put an amalgamation question on the ballot. The non-binding question proposed by Amalgamation Yes is “Are you in favour of reducing the number of municipalities in the Capital Regional District through amalgamation?” A positive result would motivate the Province of BC to commission an expert study to compare various municipal amalgamation models against the status quo and trigger community engagement about how we wish to be governed.

“The public wants to vote on the matter of amalgamation as evidenced by the recent Angus Reid poll where 89% of those surveyed felt the question should be on the November ballot, by the discussion in the media and in signatures gathered by AmalgamationYes on its petition. How can local officials continue to ignore the public desire to vote on this issue?” added John Vickers.

Contact Information:

John Vickers: Amalgamation Yes Spokesperson, 250-661-5350
Susan Jones: Amalgamation Yes Chair, 250-217-5340
www.amalgamationyes.ca