The Need for Amalgamation Discussion in the Capital Region

John Ranns, the Mayor of Metchosin has prepared a model for amalgamation in the Capital Region.  He proposes moving from 13 to six municipalities. His plan preserves and strengthens the rural nature of Metchosin so, in some ways; he is saying amalgamate others but leave Metchosin alone. His motivation is honourable. 

If we care about the preservation of our rural areas and communities, we must find ways to recognize their importance in our local government structures. BC Greens believe in diversity and recognizing the value of all communities is an important part of our thinking. BC Greens propose moving to strong local economies and, as we do that, rural areas and communities large, small and micro need to participate and be stitched into the quilt that becomes a healthy, prosperous BC from all of those local economies. For me, that means creating opportunity and quality of life where people live.  And when rural communities exist within a larger urban fabric, that becomes complicated. 

But the issue of amalgamation needs to be discussed. If we were starting from scratch, would we go with the present governance model of 13 individual councils, the CRD, fragmented emergency services and so on? Almost all of us would say an emphatic no.

Something needs to change 

While the Capital Regional District (CRD) manages water, solid and liquid waste and regional parks, the deficiencies of a Regional District as a amalgamator for the public good, are evident. In transportation, the CRD has no ability to fund a study on E&N or to influence the operations of BC Transit in Greater Victoria. With the current plan for sewage treatment, a mandate is forced on the region and, when a plan has been developed, decision-making is taken out of the hands of the CRD and transferred to a non-elected body that is connected to a secrecy prone agency of the provincial government. 

The governance structure and areas of responsibility of the regional district itself warrant re-examination.  Regional districts add a layer of complexity and are less accountable to citizens, especially those from smaller communities and rural areas. Incremental spending decisions are made without the need to go to the people of the region for approval.

The CRD regularly uses the Alternate Approval Process (AAP) when making spending decisions and rarely acknowledges the cumulative impact of multiple spending decisions on the taxpayers of the region. For citizens to have a say, the AAP requires that 10 percent sign a petition to force a spending referendum. It’s hard to collect that number of citizens in a compact community as was illustrated on the Blue Bridge in Victoria. It’s almost impossible to imagine being able to organize across the region well enough to get that ten percent within the limited time allowed for under the Community Charter. 

These are just a few examples of the problems that permeate our model of local government and the quandary this level of government faces as a creature of the provincial government. Greens believe we need substantial change in our governance structures at both the provincial and local level.

One aspect of the change requires a look at amalgamation    

Amalgamation is a sticky subject. As Leader of the British Columbia Green Party I have felt for some time that some form of amalgamation is needed in Greater Victoria – the peninsula, the urbanized core and the Western communities. Yet, in Canada, amalgamations have rarely achieved the expected improvements. Many have actually led to an increase in costs rather than the expected decrease. And the larger the amalgamated local government, the less accountable it becomes to the people from regions within the local area as Toronto so aptly illustrates. 

It really comes down to what sort of governance model we want for Greater Victoria. For policing and transportation planning we know that the existing fragmented model is inadequate. I believe in regional policing but here too we have the problem of the municipal forces and the RCMP. The Green Party of British Columbia would get rid of the RCMP and set up a provincial police service with regional policing as part of the structure.

We would also establish a regional transportation authority for comprehensive regional planning using the latest thinking in transportation demand management. 

Amalgamation that simply entrenched dominance by Victoria or Saanich would not be welcome to the citizens of Oak Bay or View Royal. Just ask the residents (and successive councils) of Esquimalt how well the so-called police amalgamation has served their community.

Even three municipalities would challenge the rural character of Metchosin.  

We don’t have an accurate picture of what makes sense and what does not. Local governments don’t have the resources or the motivation take on the question of amalgamation. In any event, the provincial government could nix any change. Again, Esquimalt serves as an example. They were invited to explore a different policing model and once they did, the province said no to the proposal because Esquimalt apparently made the wrong choice. 

The BC Green Party is committed to advancing positions in the legislature that are practical but ones the traditional parties seem unwilling to advocate for due to political considerations. We could establish a commission of eminent citizens or a Citizens’ Assembly to look at amalgamation. We believe in a broadly based process of community consultation and that would have to form part of the process. 

The deliverable would be a comprehensive discussion paper that presents concrete options and recommendations. The commission would provide factual information to the public as a whole, and to individual local governments for informed discussion and decision.

 

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