During the fall municipal election voters may want to ask candidates if they will continue to upgrade their abilities.
It’s a question residents in the Capital Regional District are asking after the current term draws to a close and a new one begins this fall. While most of the 100 local politicians may think they are well-qualified, many voters probably think otherwise.
Since elected in 2022, only two local politicians in all 13 municipalities have availed themselves of leadership and knowledge opportunities offered by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). They recognized there’s a need for education and training of elected officials and launched the Local Government Leadership Academy back in 2010.
The three certificate levels for mayors and councillors are built around ‘developing core competencies for effective governance’ and “increased understanding of both the ‘big picture’ and the ‘fine details’ of governance.”
From 2022 to 2025, only Esquimalt Coun. Jacob Helliwell completed Level 1 and 2 certificates requiring a total of 45 hours of coursework and an elected officials seminar. Mayor Maja Tait, who will not be seeking re-election, completed Level 3.
The electorate must look at each candidate’s work/life’s experience to see if they have the skills necessary to run a large corporation such as a municipality. But it raises questions as to why most local elected officials don’t bother seizing the opportunity to further their education.
Do potential candidates and local governments not know about the training opportunities? Should the UBCM be reviewing the curriculum to ensure it meets their needs? Or do councils feel they don’t need to develop their leadership skills and knowledge base?
Come election time, ask your elected official if they possess sufficient knowledge and leadership skills to help enable effective local governance.
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