Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: August 6, 2003
Author/Local: J. Rogers/7626RTS No. 3561
CC File No. 1103
Meeting Date: September 9, 2003
TO:
Vancouver City Council
FROM:
City Manager
SUBJECT:
Establishment of Commission on Electoral Reform
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve the process to establish and support a Commission on Electoral Reform as proposed in this report; and
B. THAT Council approve an interim budget of $35,000, the source of funds to be 2003 Contingency Reserve, to support the activities of the Commission until the Commission reports to Council on November 1, 2003, with a proposed work plan and budget.
COUNCIL POLICY
On July 29, 2003, Council requested that the City Manager provide a report to Council on September 9, 2003, proposing a process to establish a Commission on Electoral Reform, reflecting the guidelines outlined in the resolution on Establishment of a Commission on Electoral Reform (Appendix A).
PURPOSE
The City Manager seeks Council approval of the process for establishing and supporting a Commission on Electoral Reform and an interim budget.
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on July 29, 2003 Council decided to establish a Commission on Electoral Reform in accordance with the guidelines contained the motion on notice, which it adopted
(Appendix A). A Committee of Council, made up of Councillors Cadman and Louie, will recommend the composition and membership of the Commission to Council. The City Manager was requested to develop a process for establishing and supporting Commission activities.DISCUSSION
In adopting the resolution to establish a Commission on Electoral Reform, Council also adopted a detailed mandate and schedule for the Commission (Appendix A). The Commissions' activities will be grouped into two major phases:
· PHASE 1 - September 10, 2003 - October 31, 2003: Establishing the Commission; Commission develops proposed methodology, work plan, and operating budget; Council considers the proposed plan by November 1, 2003. (Council's regular meeting is scheduled for November 4, 2003.)
· PHASE 2 - November 1, 2003 - May 31, 2004: Commission conducts community consultation and prepares recommendations on electoral reform for Council's consideration.
This report deals only with Phase 1 since it is the mandate of the Commission to consider and recommend how it will proceed in Phase 2. Staff will assist the appointed Commission to prepare those recommendations as it requests. City resources likely required by the Commission to assist in preparing the work plan are the City Clerk, lawyers, planners, Geographic Information System (GIS) specialists, communication professionals and clerical staff.
It is recommended that key City staff, such as the City Clerk (who is also the Chief Electoral Officer) assist the Commission, and that the City's GIS system be used to draw proposed ward boundaries, as it is this system that prepares address-based Voters Lists for elections.
In the absence of a Commission to make decisions about how it will approach its Phase I work, developing a budget is difficult. In addition to the specifics of how it will develop its proposed work plan, the Commission will have to decide to what extent it wishes to use City staff or, in the alternative, contract externally. Should the Commission choose to utilize City staff, Departments will need to consider workloads and to what level existing resources may be allocated.
It is estimated that for Phase 1 the Commission will require a budget of $35,000 to prepare its plan for Phase 2. This cost may be lower depending on how many Commissioners are appointed and to what extent City staff are used and funded from existing budgets. The kinds of activities included in this estimate are:
Orientation meetings
Development of terms of reference, working protocols
Office set up, rentals and supplies
Research and review legal framework and statutes
Research and cost consultation and communication strategies
Research costs for other support services and supplies
Review Vancouver electoral systems and input collected to date
Develop work plan and budget for Phase 2
Validate and amend work plan and budget for Phase 2
Prepare report to Council with Phase 2 proposal by Nov.1, 2003FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The budget for Phase 1 of the Commissions' activities, estimated at $35,000, is to be funded from Contingency Reserve. However, the total budget will depend on the degree to which the Commission wishes to utilize existing City staff, use external resources, and back-filling staff positions. The budget and funding for Phase 2 of the Commission work will be reported to Council in the fall of 2004.
CONCLUSION
It is imperative that the Commission on Electoral reform has the resources required to conduct public consultation processes effectively and make informed recommendations. Phase 1 of the Commissions' work is critical as it will set the scope and extent of the work to be carried out.
- - - - -
Appendix A
Council Resolution 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; and
· schools.THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Manager provide a report to Council that reflects the points above by September 9, 2003; and
FURTHER THAT Council create a bipartisan Committee of Council to recommend the composition and membership of the Commission; and that Councillors Cadman, Louie and either Ladner or Sullivan be appointed to the Committee for the selection of the Commission."
* * * * *