One by one hopeful residents are starting to announce their candidacy for about 100 positions in local government this October. To do so will require them to collect anywhere from ten or 25 nominations from supporters in the elector district.
But rather than supporting or voting for a familiar name or pleasant personality, we prefer candidates who believe in driving improved governance and better value for our tax dollar.
Local government is arguably the most important level of government and touches many aspects of our lives. Here is an action-orientated checklist of questions for residents to ask aspiring local politicians prior to nomination:
Are they presenting a specific platform or spouting empty generalities? Few candidates bother to share a meaningful and detailed platform of their priorities.
Are they able to understand and critique a budget worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars? By law municipal budgets must be balanced so difficult choices must be made despite inflation and limits on revenue.
Are they prepared to reduce staff and share more services across the region in order to balance a budget? As many as 25% of staff in some regional municipalities earn $125,000 or more excluding benefits. Operating costs for some municipalities are as high as 57%.
Are they prepared to attend countless council and committee meetings? If they are standing for re-election their attendance records can be checked through council minutes.
Are they a one-or-two issue candidate? There’s probably another few dozen other major issues before most councils which need attention.
Are they of good character? The province has just introduced legislation requiring every municipality to adopt a code of conduct that includes penalties.
Are there potential conflicts of interest? Candidates may receive election donations from unions, developers and others which eventually become part of the public record. Candidates may be running independently or on a slate as part of a political party.
Are they genuinely interested in improving your community or are they motivated by making politics their new career? In recent years many councils have received substantial pay increases for what is usually a part-time job.
Are they focused on renewing infrastructure deficiencies for the next generation? Some municipalities focus more on bright, shiny objects rather than core responsibilities such as improving services such as sewer, water and roads.
Are they supportive of an open municipal government and the taxpayers right to transparent governance? Underlying legislation governing municipalities speaks at length about respecting and honouring the public’s right to know.
Are they prepared to represent and be accountable to the entire community including the business sector, not just those who voted for them? The Community Charter (Sec. 115) states clearly that “every council member must consider the well-being and interests of the municipality and its community.”
Are they supportive of tax rate hikes of three or four times the rate of inflation? The annual rate of inflation in Victoria sits at 2.8%, yet some municipalities are hiking taxes by a multiple of 300 to 400%.
So, what questions will you be asking? Are they up to a challenging job? Do you really want to nominate or vote for that candidate?
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