Times Colonist Link : https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comment-victoria-saanich-amalgamation-would-create-a-clean-slate-12577240
Amalgamation Would Create a Clean Slate for New Council Composition
Re: Letter to the Editor July 10/26 “A simple no to amalgamation”
The current issue to be considered in the October 17/26 municipal election is whether to vote yes for further analysis of merging the two municipalities (as highly recommended by the independent Citizens’ Assembly). During this election year it is understandable that voters may worry about the composition of a merged council but the opportunity for amalgamation is much deeper than the petty politics of personality. Be that as it may, the future role of current politicians in our merged city may be an important factor for residents of both municipalities to consider this October.
Some conclusions can be made about what a combined council would look like if a merger took place. Presently, both municipalities have a mayor and 8 councillors. The Community Charter (S. 118(3)) sets the maximum number of councillors (excluding the mayor) at 10. Should the residents eventually be given their democratic opportunity to decide and a majority of the voters in both municipalities voted in favour, a new municipality would be created and a new council would need to be elected (the existing councils would only remain in office until their term expired or a new council was elected, whichever comes first).
The Local Government Act (S. 53) specifies that councillors be elected “at Large” unless a council passes a bylaw which provides that all or some of the councillors be elected on a neighbourhood constituency basis. Thus, initially, the 10 council members of the new (merged) municipal council would have to be elected “at Large” across both former municipalities. To receive the increased number of votes needed for election to the new council successful candidates would have to appeal to voters across the new, much larger, voter base.
Getting elected to a council seat in an amalgamated municipality might lend itself better to some new leadership personalities and require that the current councillors running for the new council would need to work to broaden their base of support across both former municipalities. Also, with the number of council members capped at 10 for an amalgamated municipality (versus current 16), competition for council seats would be more intense. Existing council members running for election in a merged municipality may have a degree of recognition, which may favour some when they are running for re-election, however they would have to win supporters across a much larger voter base.
The likelihood of a majority of current council candidates from one municipality, in effect, taking over control of both would be unlikely, as they would have to appeal to voters in both “former” municipalities. Without sounding like a lesson on civics, this is an important fact to correct on the widely held misinformation. Only the coming election will determine whether resident concerns about current council decisions about land use and tax increases will result in membership turnover of both Saanich and Victoria councillors.
James D Anderson