VICTORIA – Significant changes to local government election rules will be put in place for the 2014 elections, announced Ida Chong, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. In July 2010, the Province gave the "green light" to proceed with the recommendations of the Local Government Elections Task Force to take effect this fall. However, due to tight timelines for spring legislation and the complexity of the planned changes, government has decided it is best to proceed instead for 2014. The recommendations constitute the most substantial changes to local elections legislation in nearly two decades. In addition, thousands of election participants across the province need to be educated on the changes prior to them taking effect. The Province remains strongly committed to the recommendations of the Local Government Elections Task Force, and will continue to work with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) and with other stakeholders, including Elections BC, the Local Government Management Association and the BC School Trustees’ Association to ensure these changes are implemented for the 2014 elections.
For more information on the Local Government Elections Task Force report and recommendations, go to: www.localelectionstaskforce.gov.bc.ca
3 comments:
The fair approach would be to allow the grass-roots to vote on "Significant changes" at the next civic election.
I am taking note of this top-down implementation of policies.
If these proposals include longer terms it would instantly rule out people who have family members with changing needs or frail health.
Four years is a long-stretch for the compensation offered. I would like to think that most of our community leaders are doing it as a service.
Requiring a commitment of four years would exclude many, leaving these positions to those on a pension or with other means to support themselves and their families.
Our civic representatives should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, the size of one's bank account should not be a limiting factor.
The article below states that the trustees surveyed would support a change.
Respectfully, I would suggest that trustees do not have the same volume of unending diverse issues demanding immediate attention as do municipal politicians.
Vancouver Sun:
Municipal politicians prefer three-year election cycle
By Janet Steffenhagen 30 Sep 2010 COMMENTS(3) Report Card
Filed under: B.C., municipal, elections, Whistler, UBCM
Municipal politicians don't want four-year election terms, preferring to stick with the three-year cycle.
That was the vote Thursday after a divisive debate at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Whistler, the Sun's Jeff Lee reports.
Lytton Coun. Jan Polderman said the shorter term allows the public to hold politicians to account.
"There are good reasons for turning down a four-year term. One is that if the public decides they've got deadwood on council, they can get them off in three," he said. "And if we so decide that we need more time, we can go back and get re-elected."
Read Jeff's story here and check out his blog here
The B.C. School Trustees' Association had called for four-year terms in a brief to the task force that studied municipal election reform. Here is the pertinent paragraph from that submission:"A majority of school trustees surveyed would support a change to a four-year cycle. In any case, the cycle for elections of school trustees should be the same as for local government members."
Cutting through the Baffle Gab, does this mean they will stuff the 4 year term rather than the current 3 year term down the voters throats?
When will the public finally rise up against these "Higer Purpose Persons" who have become a law on to themselves.
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