Saanich councillor to replace Vic Derman on CRD board
Saanich Coun. Dean Murdock has been appointed to the Capital Regional District board to replace Coun. Vic Derman, who died suddenly last month.
Murdock, who has been a Saanich councillor since 2008 and served as an alternate CRD director and a Saanich Regional Water Supply commissioner, said he is familiar with a number of the issues at the CRD table.
“I understand the processes and the issues. It will be a bit of a learning curve to catch up on some of the stuff that is coming to the board quickly, but in terms of settling into the role. I’ll just be looking to live up to the high standards that Vic has set,” he said.
Municipalities’ representation on the CRD board is determined by population. Each local government has one director position for every 25,000 people, or portion thereof. The directors also sit as members of the Capital Regional Hospital District Board.
Saanich, the region’s most populous municipality, has five directors. Victoria has four and Langford has two. All other municipalities and electoral areas have one director each.
Most municipalities choose to send their mayor to the CRD as a director. Victoria and Saanich each send the mayor and also use a type of double-direct election system whereby voters, when voting for councillors, can also choose council candidates wanting to serve on the CRD board.
Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell and councillors Susan Brice, Judy Brownoff and Colin Plant are Saanich’s other CRD directors.
Murdock, who placed fifth among Saanich council candidates who stood for the CRD in the 2014 municipal election, was appointed to fill the vacancy Monday by Saanich council. Derman died March 17. He was 72. Derman served on Saanich council from 2002 until his death. He was appointed to the 24-member CRD board in 2005 and served there until his death. Derman was a staunch advocate of environmental issues and sustainability.
Before his time in elected office, Derman was a teacher within the Greater Victoria school district and a founding director of The Land Conservancy of B.C.