A commentary by the vice-chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria, a non-partisan citizens advocacy group for municipal taxpayers.
The alternative approval process for the Capital Regional District to authorize the borrowing of $85 million for land assembly, housing and land banking service leaves much to be desired.
If 10 per cent or 33,000 municipal voters are in opposition by Feb. 5, the borrowing question goes to a formal referendum.
While residents decide whether the borrowing is a good idea — affordable housing is a critical need right now — we wonder if residents can express their opinion and be heard.
This AAP option, which sounds remarkably like negative-billing, allows the local government to borrow money and is expedient, perhaps too expedient. There are advantages, but it’s not perfect.
Of concern, there are reports of people voting and not receiving a confirmation receipt after sending in the elector response form. So, how many other votes are flying around cyberspace? Why do you have to phone or email to find out if it actually arrived and is counted? Does this alone invalidate the entire process?
Remarkably, a receipt is a matter of courtesy and is not a statutory requirement, according to the 48-page Alternative Approval Process: A Guide for Local Governments (2023).
Voters of course can call or email the CRD to find out if they got the form, not very reassuring and an unnecessary task given today’s technology. Order a pair of earmuffs from Amazon and you will get a confirmation in a minute-and-a-half and you can track the delivery.
While the AAP process may be considered a “gauging of public opinion,” it may indirectly result in approving the expenditure of tens of millions of dollars.
This AAP is one of the largest the CRD has conducted in recent years. An $85-million approval will add up to closer to $163 million when today’s loan interest is calculated over 30 years.
This AAP does not have the same requirements for confirming identity and eligibility as a municipal election or referendum. It relies just on self-reporting — no need to bring an identification or look the scrutineer in the eye as you put it in the ballot box — and a signature declaration.
While the CRD has access to the provincial voters lists to confirm names and addresses, not all residents are on the voters list, particularly if they have moved to the region since the last election in 2020.
While not considered a normal vote — call it a counter-petition if you are partial to bureaucratic semantics — there must be careful consideration and broad consensus on borrowing $85 million.
Taxpayers are well aware of the consequences of taking on too much debt, particularly after interest rates have skyrocketed the last several years.
It’s incumbent on local politicians to do everything they can to make the public aware and encourage the vote especially among seniors.
Maybe there could be information sessions so the public can ask questions?
As of 2022, there were 1,877 rental units in the Capital Region Housing Corporation, a number funding is meant to increase. Given the limited local tax base, some ratepayers question why municipalities are even involved in affordable housing in the first place.
It must be made more simple for residents to express their view.
Taxpayers are out of luck if they didn’t hear about this vote when it was announced Jan. 3. Despite the initial media coverage, residents may still be unaware of the vote against the loan or the deadline of Feb. 5.
To the credit of the CRD following our complaint, it’s now easier to find the background material and form on the website.
But folks are not likely to bother finding a pen, an envelope and stamp, then trundle off to a postal box. Nor are they likely to drop the form off in person in the middle of the winter. That said, neither is specifically mentioned as an option.
If they are internet savvy, taxpayers will have fun with a PDF form that’s not fillable, unnecessary since it’s readily accessible technology.
You must download the form, fill in the blanks, sign it, scan it, and return it via email. Not everyone has a scanner or access to one, and knows how to do it. And why isn’t faxing an option?
Residents are eager to make a difference and become involved in local government, but it must be less cumbersome and easier for them to participate.
Since the AAP process has started, provincial regulations make it impossible to make changes or to extend the deadline for submitting forms.
Next time the CRD must do better.
It sounds like a regional government, does its best to look like a regional government, but the CRD is not accountable to the taxpayers in the way B.C.’s 161 municipalities are through municipal elections.
Even though this counter-petition is expedient, convenient and inexpensive for an entire region, it must be carefully conducted in order to properly gauge public opinion.
Running into difficulties makes voters skeptical and question the entire process.
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