Delay, defer, delay

 

 

After months of delays there’s still no indication exactly when city council will take action on a governance report that was highly critical of how Victoria is managed.

 

It’s almost a year since the report work started involving an extensive engagement with staff, council and 881 survey respondents. Despite indications to the contrary, the MNP Governance Review Report never appeared on an agenda for discussion in January as planned or February as indicated.

 

“An optimist would say the council is again delaying the reviewing of the report to allow the full consideration of its recommendations”, says John Treleaven, chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$.

 

“Pessimists think this latest delay is to give time for taxpayers to forget the report so the council can bury it at the bottom of the Salish Sea.”

 

Once again, council has delayed discussing the governance review report, this time to ‘spring 2023,’ according to a notice on the city website.

 

The highly critical 111-page analysis by Meyers Norris Penny (MNP), one of the largest chartered professional accountancy and business advisory firms, is wide-ranging and considered highly credible.

 

The $64,000 study was tabled in July 2022 and made 30 recommendations on how the City of Victoria could improve how it’s managed.

 

It found that 81 per cent of respondents were either very dissatisfied or dissatisfied with the governance of the city. More than 80 per cent also disagreed that council focused on the right things and that they addressed citizen priorities.

 

Recommendations include adopting a code of conduct (the province has now mandated that or to explain the reasons why), appointing an integrity commissioner, developing a policy on council’s role in matters beyond core responsibilities, adding more transparency about the City Family, and focusing more on the strategic plan.

 

The scope of the review included examining the role of mayor and council, council meetings and decision-making processes, remuneration, advisory committees and task forces, public access and input into decision-making, transparency and accountability.

 

Many recommendations could apply to the governance practices of the other 12 boutique municipalities across the region.

 

So, it remains to be seen if the mayor and council of Victoria will take this high-level analysis to heart and act on the concerns of residents. Many of the current council expressed support for making improved governance a priority during the fall election.

 

Better governance leads to better decisions and better value for our precious tax dollars, Treleaven says.

 

It’s almost spring – doesn’t the council want to improve how it does business on behalf of taxpayers?

 

 

 

Council code of conduct among suggestions in consultant’s report for City of Victoria, Times Colonist, July 20, 2022.

 

Editorial: Victoria council governance report has lessons for candidates, Times Colonist, July 27, 2022.

 

Commentary: Rebuilding the public trust will take courage, Times Colonist, Oct. 29, 2022.

 

MNP Governance Review Report, Public Engagement Survey, April-May 2022.

 

Have your say: Governance Review, City of Victoria, 2023.

 

MNP Governance Review Report, July 2022.