A spokesperson for a group favouring improved governance says it will encourage Saanich and Victoria to create a citizens assembly on amalgamation in a B次元官网网址渢imely mannerB次元官网网址� following the municipal election.
Almost 67 per cent of voters in Victoria and almost 57 per cent of voters in Saanich voted in favour of the non-binding referendum question on their election ballot: B次元官网网址淎re you in favour of spending up to $250,000 for establishing a CitizensB次元官网网址� Assembly to explore the costs, benefits, and disadvantages of the amalgamation between the District of Saanich and the City of Victoria?B次元官网网址�
RELATED:
B次元官网网址淚 am pleased with the community question result,B次元官网网址� said Shellie Gudgeon, a spokesperson for . B次元官网网址淣ow we will encourage the newly elected council to fulfill the mandate from the electorate in a timely manner.B次元官网网址�
Gudgeon said she was optimistic that the referendum would pass in both communities. B次元官网网址淥ur team worked very hard to overcome the [dollar figure] that was attached to the question,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he voter understood that this cost is worth it. Most importantly both councils now have a mandate to ensure that this is a top strategic priority for the upcoming year.B次元官网网址�
The first order of business will be to establish terms of references for the citizensB次元官网网址� assembly, a deliberative forum, which the provincial government defines as an B次元官网网址渋ndependent assembly of randomly selected individuals with a mandate to examine an issue over an extended period of time and make a recommendation to the Legislative Assembly.B次元官网网址�
Key issues awaiting resolution include among others the size and composition of the forum. When Duncan and North Cowichan B次元官网网址� two communities significantly smaller than either Victoria or Saanich B次元官网网址� struck a citizensB次元官网网址� assembly, it included 36 members, but Gudgeon suggests it could be 48 in case of Victoria and Saanich.
B次元官网网址淗owever, according to the experts often times more people results in louder voices rather than rational and considered ones,B次元官网网址� she said.
RELATED:
Other issues include access to outside expertise, timelines and participation of First Nations B次元官网网址� in short, plenty of contentious issues, which will perhaps resonate more in Saanich, where voters perhaps heard more concerns about amalgamation than in Victoria, with most concerns centred on the environmental and financial costs of amalgamation.
Several voices including re-elected Couns. Judy Brownoff and Susan Brice, as well councillor-elect Nathalie Chambers have also raised various degrees of concern, if not outright opposition to the concept.
Like us on and follow us on
