The newly formed BC Mayors’ Steering Committee will have a regional touch to it as City of Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski is one of nine provincial mayors serving on the committee, established following a May 17/18 conference in Penticton.

Stetski stated May 28 that he found the conference enlightening and hopes the caucus and committee can add to the discussion that the federal and provincial governments must give municipalities a greater share of “the single taxpayer” pie. Speaking to his council, Stetski pointed out that despite the fact there is only one taxpayer, municipalities, where those taxpayers live the bulk of their lives, get a small fraction of the tax money provided.

“The federal government gets 50% and the province 42%, and municipalities get eight per cent,” even though municipalities have to cover more than two-thirds of all infrastructure costs.

“We are the front line of government and the backbone of this province. We want a seat at the table so we can ensure the needs of our residents are well represented.”

Mayor Shari Green of Prince George said the feeling in the conference room was clear. “This was an incredibly beneficial meeting where it became evident that B.C. mayors have, for the first time, come together as peers with a single voice. This is a new day in the way we as mayors will move forward for the benefit of all of our residents.”
Kamloops Mayor Peter Milobar noted that the caucus was clear that the time for a change in how governments interact is now. “We have to be far-sighted and innovative and we must be partners with all orders of government in finding efficiencies in how we deliver service.”
Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said a number of common issues came to the forefront at the meeting, including the federal and provincial granting process for local governments. “Right now we’re caught in a ‘grant game’ with the provincial and federal governments. I’m looking forward to establishing a system that is sustainable, predictable, and quantifiable in order that we can budget and plan correctly in our respective communities.”
Mayor Taylor Bachrach of Smithers, also on the Steering Committee, outlined the need for a collective approach to service provision. “As the front lines of government, it is at the community level that changes in public policy, and their resulting cost implications, are felt the most. We must be partners in those decisions.”
The Caucus also looked at ideas around joint economic development on a community partnership basis.
“It was significant that this group, which represented every corner of the province and every size of community from large to small, was coming together for the first time and acknowledging the concept of joint economic development on a community by community level. We saw a spirit of economic cooperation rather than economic competition,” says Mayor Jack Mussallem of Prince Rupert.
Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton spoke of furthering the collective goals through innovative joint initiatives. “B.C.’s strength is built upon the strength of its communities. What we’ve seen is a recognition that we must continue to work collectively.”
The Mayors’ Caucus also decided to move forward as an annual event. Mayor Lori Ackerman of Fort St. John said, “these were very productive meetings, the conversations focused on creating community and we need to maintain the momentum.”
Mayor Dianne Watts of Surrey summed up the event with closing remarks noting “by coming together as peers, we have, for the first time in BC history, established a single voice that is strong in our conviction that we need all orders of government to work together for the best interests of all of our residents.”

The BC Mayors’ Caucus was structured after successful models across North America and Europe including the Alberta Mayors’ Caucus, the Big Cities Mayors’ Caucus (Canada), Atlantic Mayors’ Congress (Canada), Metropolitan Mayors’ Caucus (United States) and the Summit of Mayors (EU).
The inaugural committee will feature the following mayors:

Mayor Dean Fortin of Victoria – Vancouver Island region;

Mayor Dan Ashton of Penticton – Thompson/Okanagan region;

Mayor Shari Green of Prince George – Cariboo
region;

Mayor Jack Mussallem of Prince Rupert – North Coast region;

Mayor Wayne Stetski of Cranbrook – Kootenay
region;

Mayor Lori Ackerman of Fort St. John – Northeast region;

Mayor Taylor Bachrach of Smithers – Nechako
region;

Mayor Dianne Watts of Surrey – Fraser Valley region;

Mayor Greg Moore of Port Coquitlam – Lower Mainland region.

At the close of the inaugural meeting, the 86 attendning mayors from across B.C. called for an immediate discussion, beginning with the premier and cabinet, to examine the state of B.C. communities, and specifically, for a more efficient use of existing resources to better address the challenges facing residents.
The mayors endorsed the following statement:
“B.C. communities are frontline service providers for our citizens and we are seeking a new partnership with the provincial and federal governments in the best interests of all of our communities. The BC Mayors’ Caucus requests an immediate discussion on the efficient use of existing resources to better address the challenges our residents face.”
The mayors outlined a number of specific areas that need to be addressed including:

Create a Premier’s Round Table with the BC Mayors’ Caucus to discuss public policy changes that affect local government budgets and delivery of services;

Eliminate the ad hoc granting process in favour of one that is sustainable, accountable, quantifiable and allows for long term planning by local governments;

Expand the mandate of the Municipal Auditor General to include an examination of the financial impacts of downloading on local governments;

Develop a round table on aging infrastructure that includes federal, provincial and local government participation;

Affirm the core service delivery of each order of government;

Redesign the cost sharing formula for significant infrastructure projects to reflect the tax revenue distribution;

If services are devolved to local governments, a sustainable revenue source for those services must be identified;

Develop a coordinated approach to how social services are delivered into a community;

Call for a full review of ambulance service delivery;

Establish flexibility around the federal gas tax to be goal oriented to the priorities of the specific communities;

Expand the application of the fair share principles province-wide and to include other industry sectors.

Village of Canal Flats Mayor Ute Juras was the only other mayor from the East Kootenay to attend the conference.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW 

 

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