Establishment of Commission on Electoral Reform

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MOTION ON NOTICE

The following Motion was submitted by Councillor Cadman for the Council meeting of July 29, 2003:

Establishment of Commission on Electoral Reform

WHEREAS the City of Vancouver is committed to expanding civic democracy;

AND WHEREAS the citizens of Vancouver have voiced strong desire for electoral reform;

AND WHEREAS Council wishes to:

A. change the method of local elections from at large to neighbourhood constituencies under section 138 of the Vancouver Charter, in time for the next general civic election; and

B. establish a Commission on Neighbourhood Constituencies and Local Democracy whose purpose and mandate is to:

1) receive input from Vancouver citizens, neighbourhoods and communities and provide advice to council for the implementation of electoral reform that includes wards for the election of City Councillors, Parks and Recreation Commissioners and GVRD Directors for the overall improvement of the civic democratic process in our city;

2) provide a report to Council no later than May 2004 on the following:

a) The optimum even number of Neighbourhood Constituencies, for the purposes of section 138 of the Vancouver Charter, and proposed boundaries for the constituencies;

b) Any particular measures to adapt the election of the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners to the proposed Neighbourhood Constituencies;

c) Other measures available to City Council under the Vancouver Charter for the improvement of civic democracy; and

d) Other reforms for the improvement of civic democracy that would require amendments to the Vancouver Charter or other statutes in order to be implemented;

3) develop a consultative process, aimed at obtaining the broadest possible consensus for its proposals, and to ensure that every neighbourhood and community in the city has a fair opportunity to be heard and report to council by November 1, 2003, on the public consultation process to be followed, staffing structure and other administrative matters deemed necessary;

4) receive input from the public regarding other reforms for the improvement of civic democracy, and propose such other initiatives and processes as it considers advisable in the furtherance of those reforms.

5) in developing its recommendations the Commission will take the following factors into account:

a. The size of City Council and the Parks Board should improve community access to civic representation while avoiding undue increases in the cost of civic administration;

b. The variation in the number of eligible voters per Neighbourhood Constituency must be within acceptable limits;

c. The boundaries of the Neighbourhood Constituencies should be designed to ensure as much as possible that each of the diverse components of our City sees itself represented on City Council and the Parks Board. To that end, the boundaries should reflect the natural community structure of the city, with due regard to such considerations as:

· community self-identification;
· demographic, socio-economic and ethnic composition;
· community service delivery;
· parks, community centers, and other recreational resources and services;
· commercial and other economic relationships;
· schools.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Manager provide a report to Council that reflects the points above and develop a list of potential and available Commissioners by September 9, 2003.

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