How best to govern Saanich? Your turn

Public asked for views on how to enhance decisions

A public engagement program will be conducted to determine how the system of government in Saanich can be enhanced.

“We’re going to have public meetings and two town halls,” said John Schmuck, chairman of the municipality’s governance review citizen advisory committee.

Asked if citizens were anxious to make their views known, he pointed out that in the 2014 municipal election, 88 per voted in favour of a governance review.

The issue is not about amalgamation at this point, although Schmuck expects that the subject to come back to the committee in some way shape or form.

“It’s premature to be focusing on any one thing,” he said.

In the 2014 municipal elections, seven of eight capital region municipalities voted yes to the non-binding question of amalgamation.

In Saanich’s case, the question focused on a governance review and did not include the word amalgamation.

The Saanich review has a budget of $170,000, including $40,000 already spent on a consultant’s report and other expenses in setting up the committee. The next meeting open to the public to attend, but not participate in, is today from 7 to 9 p.m., in the Kirby Room of Saanich Municipal Hall.

Committee members, appointed by Saanich council to conduct an independent review, have been meeting since March.

“Public input and participation is valued and needed,” Mayor Richard Atwell said in a recent statement, so council can hear “the community’s views on how we can further optimize our governance approach and processes.”

Coffee chats, focus groups and community meetings will be held until the end of May with written submissions to saanichgovernancereview@shaw.ca open until May 31.

An online survey will be available March 1 to May 31.

There will be four public meetings: • April 12 — 7-9 p.m., Cedar Hill Golf Course clubhouse • April 22 — 1-3 p.m., Gordon Head Recreation Centre • May 6 at a location to be announced • May 17 — 7-9 p.m., Saanich Commonwealth Place

For more information, go to saanich.ca/governancereview.