Report urges election reform

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: June 01, 2010 7:00 PM

Voters in B.C.’s municipalities and regional districts may not head to the polls as often in the future. A task force has presented 31 recommendations on local government elections, including possibly having elections every four years instead of the current three. "It would give you more time to get things done and for new councillors, they need at least a year to get a handle on things,” said Dee Wejr, Enderby mayor, in response to the report. Wejr believes a longer term may limit some people from putting their name on the ballot. “It will make people decide whether they want to make the commitment,” she said.

Wayne Lippert, Vernon mayor, has mixed feelings about four-year terms for council. “Three years does go quick and to get things accomplished, it will help,” he said. “But a lot of people get in for one term and realize it’s not for them.” Among the other recommendations are making campaign finance disclosure statements available earlier and requiring registration and disclosure by third party advertisers. It’s being suggested that expense limits be placed on candidates running in local elections. “It creates a more level playing field. If you have limits, anyone can run,” said Wejr. Herman Halvorson, North Okanagan Regional District chairman, also supports a cap, saying spending on campaigns can overshadow voters becoming familiar with candidates. “You should stand on your own merit,” he said.The task force wants a ban on anonymous donations to campaigns, and Halvorson says that will increase transparency. “If you get a contribution, they (donor) could be looking for favouritism down the road,” he said.

A contentious recommendation will likely be not granting a corporate vote in B.C. “We are very disappointed,” said Val Trevis, Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce general manager. “There has been a very strong voice from this community in favour of the corporate vote and we were hoping for success.” Lippert says a corporate vote wouldn’t have addressed specific concerns in Greater Vernon. “A lot of small business owners live in Coldstream or the BX and pay lots of taxes to the city, but they don’t have a vote,” he said. The task force is recommending that the provincial government, the Union of B.C. Municipalities and business groups find ways to create a competitive business climate through taxation in B.C.. “We will ensure our chamber is involved in those discussions and that the voice of our membership is heard,” said Trevis.

The task force — which was created in 2009 — was chaired by Community Development Minister Bill Bennett and UBCM president Harry Nyce. The government and UBCM will now consider the recommendations, and if they are accepted, they could be implemented for the 2011 civic elections.

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Longer terms make sense Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: June 01, 2010 7:00 PM

Some of the public reaction to proposed changes to municipal elections has been quite interesting. And specifically, some impromptu polls have shown opposition to extending terms from three to four years. I’m not sure what’s driving this except for the perception that the longer politicians hang around, the more out of touch they are with voters. But the reality is that three years goes by in the blink of an eye. To try and take a community on a different course — particularly if critical issues have been ignored over the years — is challenging. Bylaws may have to be rewritten. Lobbying senior government may be required for major capital projects. Budgets may have to be adjusted and, of course, there is the lengthy, but necessary, process of consulting with the public. As an example, it took the City of Vernon two-and-a-half years for the last overhaul of the official community plan, and that was considered fast-tracked.

Lumby council has just raised the spectre of a prison in that community. Any negotiations with the provincial government, as well as addressing residents’ concerns, will be detailed and take time. But the clock is ticking on this current bunch of politicians because the next election is less than a year-and-a-half away. And there’s no ignoring the fact that every municipal council and regional district board has a finite lifespan. Elections occur every three years, and that means a bunch of greenhorns will be sworn into office for the first time. Forget about not knowing what a development cost charge is or what the advisory planning board does. They won’t even know where to find the bathroom in city hall. Running a community of any size is complex. Not only do you have to become familiar with every department, there are broad regional issues that may affect your jurisdiction. If appointed to a committee, there’s pressure to become an expert on the activities of that group. And with the help of staff, you also have to become familiar with the Community Charter, provincial legislation that dictates what municipalities, regional districts and officials can do.

It’s often said that it takes about a year-and-a-half — or half a term — for a new council member or electoral area director to actually feel comfortable with their duties. So by extending the term to four years, there is more time to actually tackle the community’s business (by the way, I’m not advocating anything longer than four years because a sense of entitlement can eventually take over). Longer terms would also be financially beneficial. It cost $55,875 to run the 2008 election in Vernon, while the bill in Enderby ranges between $5,000 and $8,000. Instead of budgeting for elections in the third year, that money can be spent somewhere else. Of course there is a potential downside to having mayors, councillors and electoral area directors in office longer and that’s that there in office longer. If you think they are doing a horrible job, you will have to bide your time in the four-year cycle before heading to the polls. Ultimately I may be naive, but I am willing to risk the possibility of incompetency if it means politicians will have a better understanding of the governance process and that leads to enhanced decisions that benefit all of us.