10/6/16 LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AN OVERVIEW OF - PDF document

10/6/16 LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AN OVERVIEW OF GOVERNANCE AND SERVICE DELIVERY Governance Study – Electoral Area C (South Shuswap) Steering Committee Meeting October 13, 2016 GOVERNANCE IN CSRD 1

10/6/16 PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA • Province-wide services: • Regulations and standards • Education • Health care • Service to unincorporated areas: • Roads • Policing • Subdivision approval • Provincial legislation guides local government LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BC • Community Charter • Recognition of municipalities as autonomous order of government with key spheres of jurisdiction • Broad corporate, regulatory, and service powers to address community needs • Local Government Act • Recognition of regional districts as independent, responsible order of government • Many powers within Community Charter apply to regional districts • E.g. authority to determine community needs and provide services to meet these needs 2

10/6/16 REGIONAL DISTRICT GOVERNANCE • A regional district is a federation of municipalities and electoral areas • Governed by Board of Directors • Three Major Roles 1. Local government and service delivery for unincorporated electoral areas 2. Sub-regional services 3. Regional services 3

10/6/16 REGIONAL DISTRICT REPRESENTATION • Board of Directors • Only form of representation for electoral area residents • Public input collected through consultations, committees, and other formats as needed REGIONAL DISTRICT VOTING • Directors’ ability to vote and number of votes depends on situation • Types of voting: • Unweighted corporate vote – matter impacts entire region • Weighted corporate vote – money matters • Weighted stakeholder vote – matters impacting specific jurisdictions 4

10/6/16 REGIONAL DISTRICT FINANCE • Board must adopt five-year financial plan for operating and capital expenditures, as well as revenue sources • Services funded through dedicated service funds • Funding through property taxes, parcel taxes, fees, and charges • Regional district provides ‘tax requisitions’ • Property taxes collected by Province in electoral areas • Property taxes collected by municipalities in incorporated areas ELECTORAL AREA TAXATION & COST RECOVERY • Provincial rural tax • Police tax • Taxes for schools, hospitals, BC Assessment, and Municipal Finance Authority • Taxes for Regional District services • Other applicable parcel taxes and/or user fees 5

10/6/16 EXAMPLES OF CSRD SERVICES MUNICIPAL CLASSIFICATION • Village: 2,500 residents or less • Town: 2,501 to 4,000 residents • Town of Golden • City: over 5,000 residents • City of Revelstoke • City of Salmon Arm • District Municipality: > 800 hectares with population density less than 5 persons/hectare • District of Sicamous 6

10/6/16 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE • Autonomous, responsible, and accountable order of government • Elected municipal council serves as corporate and governing body of municipality • Concurrent regulatory authority with province regarding: • Public health • Natural environment • Wildlife • Building standards • Prohibition of soil deposit or removal ROLES OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT • Strategic plans • Appointing representatives to other boards (e.g. • Financial plans regional district) • Policy setting • Appointing administrative • Decision-making on officials municipal services • Determining internal • Municipal bylaws organization of municipality 7

10/6/16 MUNICIPAL FINANCE • Must prepare five-year financial plan subject to public consultation • Services funded through tax revenue and charges collected by the municipality • Property taxes • Parcel taxes • User fees and charges • Greater budget flexibility than regional districts IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS • Specially incorporated, limited-purpose body • Governed by elected boards of trustees • Provincial policy: • No new improvement districts • Not eligible for senior government grants 8

10/6/16 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS & COMMITTEES • Supplementary policymaking, administration, and service delivery bodies within regional districts or municipalities • Type dependent on need: • Standing Committees • Select Committees • Advisory Bodies • Boards and Commissions • Corporations • Local Community Commissions FIRST NATIONS • Local Government Act enables Treaty First Nation membership on regional district boards • Municipal type service agreements enable First Nation and municipalities/regional districts to enter service-sharing agreements 9