Cooperation? | Mysite

INTER-MUNICIPAL RELATIONSHIPS

Inter-Municipal Relationships

Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich

To the best of my knowledge, Mayor Price chose NOT to participate in the long-existing tricameral meetings between Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich for a period of almost 2 years!

There certainly does not seem to be much that the 3 mayors agreed on over the past 4 years, and very little evidence of any tri-Council participation on new initiatives.

It always seems to me that WE (the people of the Saanich Peninsula) would be MUCH BETTER SERVED and have a more significant 'voice' if the 3 actually got along on a personal level. Not going to happen with Steve in the Sidney seat!

Price also seems to have had a very rocky relationship with North Saanich (Mayor Alice Finall) in particular. Maybe this was due in part to his having written a clearly ignorant and arrogant letter to North Saanich attempting to influence the scope and nature of the Sandown development project while promoting Gateway, and then compounded the gaffe by publishing the gist of that missive in his letter to the Times Columnist (July 2016)? He continues to 'lay the blame for their poor relationship on soon-to-be-Ex-Mayor Finall (as per his comments at the ALL Candidates meeting). I don't exactly love Alice, but I'd take her over Steve ANY DAY!!! May Steve also be 'soon-to-be-EX-Mayor' as well! He COULD make it simple and 'stand- down', but I'd bet he won't.

As documented on Councillor Wainwright's website, Sidney’s relationship with North Saanich reached an all-time low during the term of Price's Mayorship. Wainwright states that this lack of communication is evidenced by some serious shortcomings:

There was no coordination of traffic issues associated with Gateway and Sandown. The Councils never even met to discuss this. Sandown is not making any traffic improvements. Gateway is, but they won’t be making improvements to handle the additional traffic from Sandown.
The Community Safety Building was delayed for months because of North Saanich’s concerns about the Mary Winspear lands. The delays were responsible for about $50K in legal fees and increases in construction costs. Again, the Councils never met to discuss this.
The library. According to the regional library’s standards our current library is too small and they were willing to pay for expansion. The Councils couldn’t agree on what should happen. They never met to try to work this out. North Saanich decided they should have their own library. As a result the current library is only being renovated. Now, the new North Saanich library is on hold and our communities fall from the top of the priority list because they’re already renovating the current branch.

Other South-Island municipalities

Status Unknown

REFERENDUM ON INTER-MUNICIPAL COOPERATION, INTEGRATION and/or AMALGAMATION

In Nov 2014, the 'PEOPLE' of the Peninsula who participated in the Referendum VOTED 67% IN FAVOUR OF TAKING ACTION to undertake meaningful studies as to the costs and impacts, and/or savings and benefits, which could result from CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE, ranging from ' staff cooperation', through 'integrated services' to 'potential amalgamation'.

Whils't the open referendum question covered relationships in the whole South Island, the OBVIOUS INTENT of the majority of voters living on the Peninsula was TO INSTRUCT the Councils of Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich to take a pro-active role in pushing this initiative forward, regardless of their PERSONAL biases.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS ? BASICALLY, NOTHING !!

In particular, WHAT HAS SIDNEY DONE ? BASICALLY, NOTHING !!

The only reference to any action that I can find on this specific topic indicates that Mayor Price 'wrote a letter to Minister Fassbender', purportedly asking for Provincial assistance with funding. Then the Minister responsible 'changed', and the issue was never followed up.

Mayor Price has been quoted as saying “As you know, study after study has shown that amalgamation increases costs and reduces the level of service and local autonomy, which is not what our residents have asked for.” WHERE DOES HE GET THESE 'FACTOIDS'? NO REFERENCES. JUST HIS OPINION! AND HE IS, AS USUAL, WRONG! Even if he WAS right, WE ASKED FOR A STUDY, not his personal opinion.

At a recent Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce meeting the 3 Mayors reportedly "had no strong position on amalgamation and looked to the province for more direction". Windsor (Central Saanich) said the province did the Capital Integrated Services and Governance Initiative study (CISGI; which was focused on more efficient service delivery only; emergency services, for example, rather than combining entire municipalities), and that with other NDP priorities, amalgamation studies did not seem to be a provincial priority.

Somehow, the 3 Mayors all seem OBLIVIOUS to the current 'citizens committee' initiative between Saanich and Victoria, which may well lead to a Province-funded amalgamation study, just NOT FOR US!

How come our Mayors, Councils AND Town Staff fail to understand that WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE GIVEN THEM THEIR DIRECTION, AND THEY ARE IGNORING IT!

THAT IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH! Don't ask the Province, TELL THEM!

WHEN 67% OF THE VOTERS CLEARLY 'ASK FOR ACTION', IT IS HARD TO ACCEPT THAT THE 3 COUNCILS OF THE DAY IGNORED THAT CITIZEN'S REQUEST OVER A TERM OF 4 YEARS!!