Isn’t it ironic that Premier Christy Clark is asking municipal governments to function shorthanded for a year-and-a-half so as not to trigger byelections? At the same time she is asking one of her caucus members to step down and allow her to run in a byelection.
Surrey’s Marvin Hunt has offered to take a leave of absence or do both jobs until next January. The premier and Mr. Hunt are defeating the spirit of the byelections rules of the Local Government Act. The honourable move is for him to resign his seat immediately and allow for a democratic process to replace him on city council.
Mr. Hunt and Mayor Dianne Watts have grossly inflated byelection costs of $600,000 to $850,000 as justification for delaying Hunt’s resignation. By cutting out advance polls, reducing the existing voting locations from 52 to 25 (using only secondary schools and town centre facilities), and offering mail-in ballots to care facility residents, the election can be held at a fraction of that cost.
Mayor Watts and council could also seize this opportunity to gauge public opinions in non-binding referenda on the byelection ballot.
Do you wish to review the opportunity for neighbourhood representation prior to the next general election? (A ward system would dramatically reduce the cost of future byelections).
Would you be willing to pay an annual two-per-cent park acquisition levy to fund a third urban forest in an identified ecosystem hub?
Are you in favour of banning union and corporate donations to political candidates and limiting individual donations to $100?
Are you in favour of a second destination casino in Surrey?
Are you in favour of exporting U.S. thermal coal from the Fraser Surrey Docks in North Surrey?
With 13 municipal politicians elected to the legislature just 17 months into their mandate, changes to the Local Government Act and the Community Charter are in order. To avoid byelections in the future maybe the candidate with the next highest number of votes in the last election should be offered the position on an interim basis.
Grant Rice, Surrey