When the situation calls for it, itB次元官网网址檚 best to give the people the last word.
Elected officials are mandated to make decisions in a manner that reflects the will of their constituents. In a perfect system, councillors and mayors will always take public input into account, especially when moves are made that will have a significant impact on the population. Rarely does a council decision go all the way to a referendum, but when it does, you can be sure that itB次元官网网址檚 for a good reason.
Metchosin council hasnB次元官网网址檛 minced words when it comes to the proposed boundary change between the District, the City of Langford and the Beecher Bay First Nation.
TheyB次元官网网址檝e called it the biggest thing Metchosin has ever done and the well-attended open house hosted by the District late last month was a good measuring stick for how engaged the public is on this issue.
With that in mind, we believe councilB次元官网网址檚 decision to forego a survey process and skip right to a January referendum is worth a tip of the cap. Referendums are expensive, but there is often no better way to truly check the pulse of a community.
As for the proposal, itB次元官网网址檚 clearly not something everyone is excited about. Many residents who live close to MetchosinB次元官网网址檚 boundary with Langford worry that their rural lifestyle will be impacted by the CityB次元官网网址檚 wish to build out a business park on the land currently sitting as a buffer zone between the exploding development in Langford and the quiet rural existence preferred by Metchosinites.
Nonetheless, this still feels like a win for all three communities. Langford gets its business park and Metchosin adds green space to the District B次元官网网址� two of its parcels of land were due to be offered to Beecher Bay anyway under a Treaty agreement with the province.
The biggest winner might be the Beecher Bay First Nation, who will get a third of what could be a lucrative pie in LangfordB次元官网网址檚 business park, which should represent an opportunity for some serious economic prosperity.
As Metchosin Coun. Andy MacKinnon put it, the prosperity of the DistrictB次元官网网址檚 neighbours is important to ensure the prosperity of the District itself.
