EDITOR’S NOTE: On Aug. 3 city council voted to proceed with a code of conduct and staff will report back in the early fall. But, contrary to the recommendations of staff, council decided that the general public will not be allowed to file complaints. Any complaints will first be vetted by and go through a councillor. Council also agreed to wait two years before exploring the idea of establishing a regional municipal government ethics commissioner, with the idea of sharing the costs with its peers in the CRD.
Is a great municipal governance reboot underway?
Something simply had to be done.
After the last two turbulent administrations, a once-in-a century pandemic and a cost of living crisis, trust in local government has bottomed out for many City of Victoria residents.
Governance hasn’t been reviewed for more than a decade, the governance and priorities committee gave way to a committee-of-the-whole model in 2016, and the highly critical MNP Governance Report was tabled and sat on a shelf for a year. All but one council member left politics, one former councillor returned and the rest got shamed at the election polls.
Council is reviewing the governance structure of the municipality this summer and is off to a good start.
So far, of the 30 recommendations in the MNP Governance Review Report six have been completed, 18 are in progress and six not started. It’s expected there will be lengthy debates, especially if it comes to curbing council powers and increased remuneration. Staff will do another report back on progress at the end of the year.
It remains to be seen though what improvement will be made to the system that directs and controls the municipality and much of our day-to-day lives. There are changes with considerable merit on the table (many applicable to other regional municipalities).
In our view, the governance role of mayor, council and the CAO needed considerably more clarity. That’s been done apparently and it’s hoped the annual council refresher and discussion will reinforce those changes.
MNP recommends the consolidation and delegation of administrative authority to the city manager (CAO) in an updated bylaw, and the appointment of an integrity commissioner to improve transparency and accountability.
It also recommends establishing a policy regarding the council’s role in matters beyond core municipal responsibility, and setting terms of reference for neighbourhood liaisons.
There’s always taxpayer controversy around remuneration, and as recommended by MNP, a review of the existing wage bylaw is warranted. If nothing else it puts the issue to rest for a few more years.
Reactivating a governance and priorities committee should be considered a no-brainer although not yet on the agenda. It was abandoned at the time city administration went sideways.
Staff is currently drafting a code of conduct – as required under provincial legislation – something previous councils have resisted for years.
It’s hoped that will include a social media component providing guidance on how council and staff should behave in what is often a toxic environment. Not all municipalities are addressing this issue.
Provincial whistleblower legislation was proclaimed a few years ago to address the confidential disclosure of concerns about issues impacting the public.
It protects many, but not all, public employees who participate in investigations from reprisals, such as demotion or termination, and ensures employees under investigation are treated fairly.
Time to talk to their Oak Bay colleagues who recently brought in a bylaw to protect staff and improve municipal governance.
In addition, the terms of reference for committees and advisory bodies need discussion, particularly when it comes to the transparency and accountability of the advisory City Family.
If such a fundamental change in governance is contemplated, it must go back to the public for close and thorough scrutiny.
There has been some progress.
Authority was given to the mayor to deal with proclamations, instead of wasting the time of committee-of-the-whole and council. Consent agendas are used more often to streamline council business. Bylaws to update council procedures and committee policies are now under consideration by council.
So, why isn’t improving governance built into the way municipalities operate?
Consider that 14 different CAOs in BC had retired, resigned or were fired in the last six months, often as a result of tensions between staff and new mayors and councils, according to a CBC report. Millions of dollars in lottery-level severances were paid out. It needs to be asked, are CAOs and staff considered professionals or political hacks?
In West Vancouver the top two staff, including the CAO, have left their jobs and a third senior bureaucrat is on leave. There’s a third-party investigation underway into a formal staff complaint alleging bullying and harassment by the mayor.
Then there’s the Kamloops councillor who is being sued by the mayor for allegedly defaming him.
Closer to home, there’s death threats against council in Langford and Victoria, and the deep division around density issues in North Saanich.
What else can be done to overhaul municipal governance? Better governance leads to better decisions and better value for our tax dollar.
The recently revitalized BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus, with Mayor Alto as co-chair, is an informal lobby group. It pressures the province and federal government on urgent issues cities face such as transit and housing.
Urban mayors should get their own house in better order by making the overriding issue of ‘municipal governance’ a top priority.
The province should mandate municipalities conduct a governance review every decade, and provide guidance and funds to do so.
And perhaps, bring back the Auditor General for Local Government that conducted performance audits (2012-21) on the operational issues of local governments.
There are more soul-searching times ahead, and taxpayers need their confidence in local government not only restored but bolstered.