A critical examination of local governance charged to members of the Victoria-Saanich Citizens’ Assembly
BY JOHN TRELEAVEN, CHAIR, GRUMPY TAXPAYER$ OF GREATER VICTORIA
The creation of the Citizens’ Assembly marks a seminal moment in the evolution of both the District of Saanich and the City of Victoria and has implications for the entire Capital Regional District.
Punctuation is important. Apostrophes matter. A Victoria-Saanich Citizens’ Assembly is significantly more important than an Assembly of Citizens. The former is a significant instrument of public policy creation. The latter is simply a gathering of interested citizens, much like the Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria on whose behalf this is written.
It would be difficult to overstate the complexity of the issues the Citizens’ Assembly is facing, nor the importance of the outcome for the two largest jurisdictions, with a combined population of 225,000 in a region of 450,000.
The agreement by both Councils to pursue the Citizens’ Assembly and the decision process into which it will feed is encouraging. Those chosen to participate have an opportunity to significantly shape the future, not just of the two largest of the 13 local governments, but the entire region.
There have been efforts in the past to provide a forum into which this process will feed. The gratitude of residents will be tempered, of course, by certain apprehension among municipal politicians, employees, and indeed the Government of British Columbia.
As necessary as it may be, change is never easy, particularly for those who see themselves disadvantaged by an outcome. You will encounter a number of defenders of the status quo, as the Chinese say, “iron rice bowls”. Many of them stand between your deliberations and an eventual referendum.
One source of anxiety will be the apostrophe in Citizens’ Assembly, which is at the same time the source of unique strength for the process and participants involved. You must on behalf of all citizens in both communities turn this reality to your advantage as the process moves along. The punctuation mark referred to above may be the only source of real power the Citizens’ Assembly has been given, other than your love of commitment to your community.
Essential Background
The City of Victoria Governance Review was written and published in July 2022 by Meyers Norris Penny. Most of the recommendations have now been implemented.The report is an informative and wide ranging review of the challenges facing municipal councils and staff. In our view it should be required reading by all elected and senior staff officials from all 161 municipalities in BC.
For purposes of the Citizens’ Assembly there is no better place to start understanding the challenging context in which municipal governments define and discharge their responsibilities. The Citizens’ Assembly members are indeed fortunate in our view that MNP has been chosen to author a major research paper during this process.
Late in the administration of former Premier Christy Clark, in response to a broad expression of interest in some form of a local governance study, consultants were hired to produce a report on the matter. The consultant hired to research and write the study visited at length with all 13 municipal mayors and the board of the CRD. It was reported the government was not looking for recommendations, just a survey report. Prior to the 2016 election the Capital Integrated Service and Governance Report (CISGI) was delivered but held until released by the new administration led by Premier John Horgan.
As far as we can determine, it was never tabled for debate or analysis by the CRD, nor by any municipal council. It stands as the most comprehensive view of service integration, or lack of same, and will provide valuable information on Saanich and Victoria.
To say the least, this is a region in transition. The Capital Region is growing rapidly and becoming one of the largest “cities” in Canada. It is not a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Big Cities Caucus due to the fractured governance model, itself a product of history. This effectively means in a national context we fight below our weight and this position comes at a cost. (An amalgamated Saanich and Victoria would perhaps rank us with some current members – Regina, Saskatoon and St. John’s).
Your work as a member of the Citizens’ Assembly will be challenging. The forces ranged against change in whatever governance or service delivery are long entrenched. Uniquely however you have accepted an opportunity to shape the future of your communities for the better, outside the constraints imposed by electoral politics.
To ensure the work of the Citizens’ Assembly has the impact it should, early briefings should include an analysis by the very experienced consultants who are shepherding the process as to processes, which Assemblies had eventual impact and those that failed. (Duncan-Cowichan might be a place to start but there are others one can be sure).
The readings suggested above are based on a knowledge that both political amalgamation and services integration are within the purview of the Citizens’ Assembly.
Our world has changed fundamentally since 2011, the first time voters expressed, across the region, strong interest looking seriously at amalgamation. Those were the good old days before COVID, before the resultant economic shock, before inflation shredded municipal budgets, and drove historic property tax increases, when everything seemed affordable, when duplication of municipal services was just a reality not a problem for harried taxpayers.
In the current challenging circumstances, be bold, be imaginative and be persistent. It has taken a long political process in this community beginning in 2011, to recognize the broad will among residents and voters to reach this stage. There are many reasons for this delayed response, none of which is particularly edifying. That was then and today is now.
There will be endless numbers identified, service standards, budgets, liabilities, staffing and the like. The recent Victoria Council wage increase deliberations might be an example of how not to choose comparable communities to strengthen a position. Assembly members may find it useful to identify a community of comparable size against which to benchmark operations and budgets of Saanich plus Victoria. Not an exact science to be sure.
A rather unique characteristic of municipal governance in BC may be “sovereignty” of municipalities ,which in reality of course are entirely creations of the provincial government. But the illusion of sovereignty has supported a very hands off policy by the province which at times borders on wilful blindness, as for example, in its decision to dissolve the Office of the Municipal Auditor General.
This concept of municipal sovereignty does not, in many instances , serve either the needs of the community, nor the interests of taxpayers (residents) and tax collectors (businesses), or a deteriorating municipal infrastructure. We all live, work and play in the broader regional community. There is only one economy, a regional governance structure which lacks electoral legitimacy. Against these realities your work is made more challenging.
Economies of scale, both quantitative and qualitative are not easy to measure to the third decimal point. That you have been “selected” rather than “elected” , as the chair pointed out in his opening remarks at the inaugural session in September is in reality a weakness which the Assembly has the opportunity to turn into a great strength.
While all municipal services are important to every resident, those involving public safety are particularly so. We urge the Citizens’ Assembly to take a particularly careful look at consolidation of police and fire services. It would be useful to request a separate study by MNP to inform discussions on this critical subject.
Those selected to serve on the Citizens’ Assembly have been asked, however indirectly, by all 225,000 residents of Victoria and Saanich to bring them a set of recommendations which will shape the evolution of these two communities for decades to come. While many other layers of authority are involved in this elaborate and important process no other has the mandate given to you.
Credit to those who brought the Citizens’ Assembly to this point, thanks to those who volunteered to be selected to serve, and courage to those charged with accepting the eventual recommendations and approving them at the ballot box.
DIG DEEPER
Victoria-Saanich amalgamation assembly kicks off, Greater Victoria News, Oct.1, 2024.
Citizens’ assembly on amalgamating Saanich, Victoria taking public submissions, Times-Colinist, Sept. 19, 2024.