Election time, oh boy! We get to listen to all the candidates’ views, or at least what they want to tell you about their ideas — in short, crafted talking points.
There has got to be more than ideological multi-media statements. How can we decide who would be the best choice?
To me, one of the best ways to determine who might get my vote is to find out more about the individual. Simple things like do they work hard, do they show up on time, what successes can they demonstrate. Any organization only wants the best.
Once we get a handle on who might be qualified for the job (putting your name on a ballot doesn’t make you qualified), then we must examine the job and what is required.
The list of action items following the election is long and packed with potential for heated debate. It is important to elect those that can enter these debates with sound knowledge and clear, responsible questions.
For positions at the Capital Regional District table we need strong voices for our limited regional governance. Those that dismiss or refuse to participate in the discussions will suffer unintended consequences.
Bet we all wish we had supported and built an LRT system to the West Shore communities back in 2011. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could play from the same playbook and prove to larger partners how important it is to invest with us? Maybe a regional transportation plan that is implemented under strict timelines?
Victoria is undergoing one of the most interesting elections I have seen since 1983, when Geoff Young first got elected. The past four to eight years have been some of the most progressive in Victoria’s history. The council that was voted in eight years ago set to work and enabled a new direction for the capital city. We are growing up, finally.
Now we are going to see a rather exciting change, with a council potentially being entirely new. To me that means Victoria council will be learning on the job. I hope they take time. Even so, there will much to do in a growing vibrant city like Victoria, starting with finding a solution to the missing middle housing.
Saanich is a different matter, perhaps the most important election in the region. After 2018, there were four rookie councillors and a reasonably new, but experienced, chief administrative officer. Everyone needed time to get to know each other and learn the rules.
But as they gained experience, the council gained confidence in what they were trying to accomplish. It was very exciting to watch.
We started to see some results from all of the years spent in the perpetual planning process. Plans have no value if they are not acted upon.
Saanich has a lot of plans. Plans have a shelf life if they are not carried out. If they are implemented in a timely manner, they can result in steps toward building a stronger community.
The incumbent mayor and council have in the majority done a good job both in the housing and transportation files. The new housing approvals have grown, we now have expanded options for housing and the active transportation plan is seeing results.
However, as the largest municipal government in the CRD, Saanich should be a leader in how to do growth sustainably and responsibly. We should also be a leader in process. Unfortunately, evidence shows we are not. There are many known examples of how cumbersome and slow the planning process is in Saanich. Fixing that must be job one.
Taxpayers in Saanich got a jolt when taxes went up six per cent. With our growth at three per cent, we have both a cost and a revenue problem. Saanich must increase their tax base just to keep up with the status quo.
The next Saanich council will have the task to find opportunities for growth in all forms of revenue, from property developments to supporting the business community and the resulting employment growth. They will have to develop a relationship with the professionals that make up the powerful workforce of Saanich.
Of course, we all know the permanent choice for a chief administrative officer is where this relationship begins.
I suggest that any new council must continue the work of bringing the culture of the Saanich bureaucracy into this century.
Until very recently, you could not submit your documents for any development digitally. Oh yes, we win awards for environmental standards, but cannot make a simple basic change that has significant multiplier impacts.
After living in Saanich for 34 years, I have participated in so many planning processes that I have lost count. My community had an action plan that has sat on a shelf for 15 years and no action.
Saanich voters have a clear choice. Support and continue the work the current council has achieved, with the understanding that this is just planting seeds for change that must be nurtured.
Or develop another plan, again.
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