Provincial government must step up
Times Colonist, May 21, 2014
Re: "Province has role in sewage debate," editorial, May 17.
The rock and hard place the Capital Regional District is between regarding sewage planning leads back to the idea that the regional-district system of regional government is not working for Greater Victoria - an urban/semi-urban conurbation of 350,000 people with many cross-municipal border issues.
CRD director Geoff Young's recent article in the Times Colonist clearly makes the case for this concern. I am not a sewage partisan but someone concerned that the regional-district model of governance is not working. Not only does the province need to intercede to set the sewage process back on track, but it and the region need to take a long, hard look at local government itself.
The region has a system of 13 municipalities and an upper tier of government without the power and mandate needed to act effectively. Such an arrangement is bound to lead to trouble. Trouble has arrived on many fronts as challenges of governance grow more complex.
Ensuring effective local government is the province's responsibility. Will it step up?
John Olson
Colwood
Times Colonist, May 21, 2014
Re: "Province has role in sewage debate," editorial, May 17.
The rock and hard place the Capital Regional District is between regarding sewage planning leads back to the idea that the regional-district system of regional government is not working for Greater Victoria - an urban/semi-urban conurbation of 350,000 people with many cross-municipal border issues.
CRD director Geoff Young's recent article in the Times Colonist clearly makes the case for this concern. I am not a sewage partisan but someone concerned that the regional-district model of governance is not working. Not only does the province need to intercede to set the sewage process back on track, but it and the region need to take a long, hard look at local government itself.
The region has a system of 13 municipalities and an upper tier of government without the power and mandate needed to act effectively. Such an arrangement is bound to lead to trouble. Trouble has arrived on many fronts as challenges of governance grow more complex.
Ensuring effective local government is the province's responsibility. Will it step up?
John Olson
Colwood