Mayors’ Caucus still after effective partnership

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Posted: April 25, 2014

Mayors’ Caucus still after effective partnership

After two days of meetings in Cranbrook and Kimberley, the fifth BC Mayors’ Caucus wrapped up today (April 25) with renewed calls for 10 actions from the province.

Between 60 and 70 mayors from around the province took part in meetings each day.

“For a number of them it was their first visit to this part of the province and they were all appropriately impressed with our communities. The discussion was animated but collegial and the final recommendations come about through voting just like at Council meetings,” reported City of Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski.

“The BC Mayor’s Caucus is a great group; passionate about their communities and our province,” he said.

The mayors expressed particular concern over issues affecting B.C. communities, and specifically, are seeking a more effective partnership between municipal, provincial and federal governments to better address the challenges facing B.C. residents.

The following are the items the caucus has renewed a call for:

1. The creation of a Premier’s Roundtable with the BC Mayors’ Caucus to discuss public policy changes that affect local government budgets and delivery of services;

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

3. Review the mandate of the Municipal Auditor General;

4. Develop a roundtable on aging infrastructure that includes federal, provincial and local government participation;

5. Re-affirm the core service delivery of each order of government;

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

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

8. Call for a full review of ambulance service delivery;

9. Establish flexibility around the federal gas tax and the Build Canada Fund to be goal oriented to the priorities of the specific communities;

10. Update on the status of the 2010 Regional Districts Task Force.

In other business, the mayors affirmed support for the UBCM Strong Fiscal Futures report.

Members of the BC Mayors’ Caucus Steering Committee are:

Mayor Wayne Stetski of Cranbrook

Mayor Lori Ackerman of Fort St. John