March 7, 2016
Honourable Peter Fassbender,
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development,
Province of British Columbia
Dear Minister Fassbender,
In order to assist with the Province's discussions with mayors in the Capital Region District to review and reform local government, the Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society has prepared a Report Card on the current level of delivery for eight major regional municipal services.
The local business community, the general public, and our members, have provided input into preparing this Report Card. The definition of letter grades allocated to each service are as follows.
Grade A: Good service provided by an elected and accountable municipal agency.
Grade B: Good service provided by a municipal agency that is not elected or accountable (e.g. CRD)
Grade C: Good service but facing significant future challenges.
Grade D: Fair service encumbered by significant current challenges.
Grade E: Poor or partial service encumbered by significant current challenges.
Grade F: No service, but significant current expenditures.
The attached Report Card indicates clearly an overall inadequate delivery of major municipal services in the Capital Region. Businesses and taxpayers are suffering economically, socially and environmentally as a result of the fractured ineffective and unaccountable municipal structure.
In addition, the residents of the region look forward to providing comments and input to the Province's deliberations with mayors of the Capital Region. To date, there has been no reference to an opportunity for residents' input directly to the Province's consultant. This is a critical component that cannot be left to municipalities to oversee due to their inherent conflicts of interest and, in some cases, public statements opposing this governance review.
Yours truly,
Tony Heemskerk,
President,
Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society
www.amalgamationyes.ca
amalgamateyes@gmail.com
cc: Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria
Richard Atwell, Mayor of Saanich
Barb Desjardins, Mayor of Esquimalt
Nils Jensen, Mayor of Oak Bay
Carol Hamilton, Mayor of Colwood
Stew Young, Mayor of Langford
John Ranns, Mayor of Metchosin
Ken Williams, Mayor of Highlands
Steve Price, Mayor of Sidney
Alice Finall, Mayor of North Saanich
Ryan Windsor, Mayor of Central Saanich
Maja Tate, Mayor of Sooke
David Screech, Mayor of View Royal
Honourable Peter Fassbender,
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development,
Province of British Columbia
Dear Minister Fassbender,
In order to assist with the Province's discussions with mayors in the Capital Region District to review and reform local government, the Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society has prepared a Report Card on the current level of delivery for eight major regional municipal services.
The local business community, the general public, and our members, have provided input into preparing this Report Card. The definition of letter grades allocated to each service are as follows.
Grade A: Good service provided by an elected and accountable municipal agency.
Grade B: Good service provided by a municipal agency that is not elected or accountable (e.g. CRD)
Grade C: Good service but facing significant future challenges.
Grade D: Fair service encumbered by significant current challenges.
Grade E: Poor or partial service encumbered by significant current challenges.
Grade F: No service, but significant current expenditures.
The attached Report Card indicates clearly an overall inadequate delivery of major municipal services in the Capital Region. Businesses and taxpayers are suffering economically, socially and environmentally as a result of the fractured ineffective and unaccountable municipal structure.
In addition, the residents of the region look forward to providing comments and input to the Province's deliberations with mayors of the Capital Region. To date, there has been no reference to an opportunity for residents' input directly to the Province's consultant. This is a critical component that cannot be left to municipalities to oversee due to their inherent conflicts of interest and, in some cases, public statements opposing this governance review.
Yours truly,
Tony Heemskerk,
President,
Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society
www.amalgamationyes.ca
amalgamateyes@gmail.com
cc: Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria
Richard Atwell, Mayor of Saanich
Barb Desjardins, Mayor of Esquimalt
Nils Jensen, Mayor of Oak Bay
Carol Hamilton, Mayor of Colwood
Stew Young, Mayor of Langford
John Ranns, Mayor of Metchosin
Ken Williams, Mayor of Highlands
Steve Price, Mayor of Sidney
Alice Finall, Mayor of North Saanich
Ryan Windsor, Mayor of Central Saanich
Maja Tate, Mayor of Sooke
David Screech, Mayor of View Royal
| report_card_spring_2016.pdf |