As Saanich councillors prepare to meet their Victorian counterparts in what could be a historic meeting, residents of Saanich and Victoria could find the following question on their election ballots in October.

B次元官网网址淎re you in favour of 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�

Mayor Richard Atwell said he drafted the ballot question with City of Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps. Their respective councils will discuss it when they meet for a joint committee-of-the-whole meeting Tuesday, June 26 in the boardroom of the Capital Regional District.

B次元官网网址淲e have put this forward to get the discussion going,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎s a question, itB次元官网网址檚 clear and concise and it is easy to understand.B次元官网网址�

The question will not ask residents to decide whether they favour amalgamation, but rather whether they favour pushing ahead with the creation of a forum that would consider issues around amalgamation in additional detail.

Atwell said the question had undergone one revision before appearing in the report that the meeting will consider. Naturally, it is not certain at this stage that the question will survive in its current form.

B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 predict what will happen at the meeting with 18 councillors,B次元官网网址� said Atwell.

The report detailing the question also recommends the development dissemination of educational information about the non-binding referendum as an B次元官网网址渋nclusive election expense.B次元官网网址� The cost and substance of this educational information remain unknown. The two communities also plan to inform the province that they will hold a referendum.

Reaction to the question appears positive.

B次元官网网址淚n answer to your question we are satisfied with the proposed wording,B次元官网网址� said Shellie Gudgeon, who chairs Amalgamation Yes. B次元官网网址淲e are looking forward to the joint meeting where I know there will be a robust discussion.B次元官网网址�

, when council meeting as committee-of-the-whole passed a resolution that calls on the province to establish a citizensB次元官网网址� assembly on B次元官网网址渁malgamation with interested municipalities.B次元官网网址� Council ratified that decision on Jan. 8, 2018.

On Jan. 11, VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 council reciprocated and passed the same motion. So far though, Victoria remains the only community that has responded to SaanichB次元官网网址檚 overture.

This process continued in April 2018 when both Saanich and Victoria agreed to hold a joint meeting for the purpose of placing a question on the ballot for the Oct. 20 general municipal election.

But the process has also faced questions from inside and outside of council. . It was also Plant,

Coun. Judy Brownoff has also questioned the legitimacy of the process. motion has B次元官网网址渇ailedB次元官网网址� because the provincial government has yet to B次元官网网址渆stablish and fundB次元官网网址� a citizensB次元官网网址� assembly on amalgamation with interested municipalities.

According to the report for TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 meeting, Saanich and Victoria would call on Victoria to B次元官网网址渃o-fundB次元官网网址� a citizensB次元官网网址� assembly, language that runs counter to the Jan. 8 motion.

It is not clear how much a citizensB次元官网网址� assembly looking into the amalgamation of Saanich and Victoria would cost. Critics have pointed out that Saanich (114,148) and Victoria (85,792) have a combined population (199,940) that is roughly six times higher than the populations of North Cowichan (29,676) and Duncan (4,944) combined (34,620). So the Duncan-North Cowichan process offers some, but not complete guidance, about the costs of a future citizensB次元官网网址� assembly.

Brownoff also publicly wondered whether Saanich residents truly care about the issue of amalgamation.

Should both councils agree to place some version of the proposed amalgamation question on the ballot, Saanich residents would find themselves on a path that could lead to the first referendum on amalgamation since Dec. 7, 1962, when 55 per cent voted against amalgamation.

While residents of the Mount Tolmie area, Cadboro Bay and Gordon Head favoured amalgamation, residents of western and northern Saanich B次元官网网址渟trongly opposedB次元官网网址� it, according to local author Ross Crockford, who has compiled in the Greater Victoria area.

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