A Nanaimo city councillor wants civic politicians across B.C. to consider returning to three-year terms.
Coun. Diane Brennan will propose a resolution this Monday (Sept. 11) for the upcoming Union of B.C. Municipalities convention that requests the province go back to three-year municipal terms.
In 2013, delegates at the UBCM supported holding elections every four years and government extended the term in time for the last election. The next civic election is October 2018.
Brennan said she thinks some people will hesitate if they are asked to put in eight years, or a second term, and the experience levels of councils across the province will be downgraded. She’s also heard from citizens who are concerned about experience and that they have to wait four years to make a change if they don’t like the direction council is going. Four years is too long, she said.
“There are times when you want to … press the reset button and that can happen with an election and I think people are seriously wanting to see an election sooner than the four years if they feel they are not being heard by the council or that the council has an agenda that’s different than they want to see,” said Brennan.
She also considers a shorter term a better solution than recall because she said council members can be stymied from making any big changes for fear of being recalled so the result could be status quo.
Penticton has a UBCM resolution proposing a recall process for when constituents believe local government elected officials lack public confidence.
Coun. Ian Thorpe said he’d support Brennan’s motion. He’s spoken to people interested in politics and said the idea of making a commitment for four years rather than three seems that much more intimidating.
“It takes a year for somebody as a new councillor to learn the ropes and become comfortable and have some knowledge of the issues, but that still gives you two full years in a term to do your job effectively, hopefully, and I don’t think four years is necessary,” he said, adding he’s looking at it in a way of attracting more people to get involved.
Coun. Jerry Hong, however, said for people like him, younger and with a family, to give up his life for three years, “because it’s not a full time job, you can’t support a family on what a councillor makes and the investment I had to put in to run” the return would deter a lot of people his age or younger and only benefit retirees to run.
Four years is steadier income and commitment, said Hong. And if a councillor isn’t happy with the dynamics of council —he says quit.
The UBCM runs Sept. 25-29 in Vancouver.
- files from Tom Fletcher, Black Press