BC Mayors' Caucus, Cranbrook April 2014

BC MAYORS SEEK ‘A SEAT AT THE TABLE’
 

April 25, 2014

Cranbrook, BC: After two days of meetings in Cranbrook and Kimberley, members of the BC Mayors’ Caucus renewed a call for:

1. The creation of a Premier’s Roundtable with the BC Mayors’ Caucus to discuss public policy changes that affect local government budgets and delivery of services;
2. Elimination of the ad hoc granting process in favour of one that is sustainable, accountable, quantifiable and allows for long term planning by local governments;
3. Review the mandate of the Municipal Auditor General;
4. Develop a roundtable on aging infrastructure that includes federal, provincial and local government participation;
5. Re-affirm the core service delivery of each order of government;
6. If services are devolved to local governments, a sustainable revenue source for those services must be identified;
7. Develop a coordinated approach to how social services are delivered into a community;
8. Call for a full review of ambulance service delivery;
9. Establish flexibility around the federal gas tax and the Build Canada Fund to be goal oriented to the priorities of the specific communities;
10. Update on the status of the 2010 Regional Districts Task Force. 

The mayors expressed particular concern over issues affecting BC communities, and specifically, are seeking a more effective partnership between municipal, provincial and federal governments to better address the challenges facing BC residents. In other business, the mayors affirmed support for the UBCM Strong Fiscal Futures report.

Members of the BC Mayors’ Caucus Steering Committee are:

• Mayor Wayne Stetski of Cranbrook
• Mayor Lori Ackerman of Fort St. John
• Mayor Peter Milobar of Kamloops
• Mayor Shari Green of Prince George
• Mayor Dianne Watts of Surrey
• Mayor Jack Mussallem of Prince Rupert
• Mayor Taylor Bachrach of Smithers
• Mayor Greg Moore of Port Coquitlam
• Mayor Dean Fortin of Victoria
• Mayor John MacDonald of Sayward

The date of the next BC Mayors’ Caucus will take place September 22^nd in Whistler. For more information visit: www.BCMayorsCaucus.ca.