LATE DISTRIBUTION
FOR COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 24, 1996
2
CITY OF VANCOUVER
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
September 12, 1996
A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held
on Thursday, September 12, 1996, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber,
Third Floor, City Hall, for the purpose of hearing delegations on the
proposed opinion question to electors regarding election systems and
municipal government for the November 16, 1996, general local election.
PRESENT: Mayor Owen
Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Clarke, Hemer,
Ip, Kennedy, Kwan, Price, Puil and
Sullivan
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL: Denise Salmon
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor
Owen in the Chair, for the purpose of hearing delegations on the
proposed opinion question to electors regarding election systems and
municipal government for the November 16, 1996, general local election.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
1. Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996
City Council met to hear from the public on wording for the opinion
question to be submitted to the electors during the local government
election to be held this Fall, regarding the City's existing "at large"
system of electing local government officials. In addition, the City
Clerk recommends factual information be provided to city electors in
preparation for this question. Submitted for consideration was an
alternate question which provides an option of a mixed system for
electing local government officials.
cont'd....
Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996 (cont'd)
Council had before it the following materials, which are on file in
the City Clerk's Office:
- Administrative Report dated September 4, 1996, entitled Election
Systems and Municipal Government: Opinion Question to Electors -
1996 General Local Elections, November 16, 1996;
- Letter dated September 10, 1996, conveying the Park Board's action
at its September 9, 1996, meeting.
The staff report recommended the following:
A. THAT City Council approve the wording of the opinion question
regarding the election of local government, identified as
Option 1 (see below).
B. THAT factual information regarding the options for electing
local government officials identified in the question be
distributed to electors as a section of the City's Election
Information Brochure.
In addition, the following were submitted for consideration:
C. THAT City Council approve the wording of the opinion question
regarding the election of local government officials,
including the third alternative of a mixed system, identified
as Option 2 (see below).
D. THAT separate questions be provided for the election of Park
Commissioners and School Trustees.
The Mayor then called for speakers and a total of 33 speakers
addressed Council over the course of the evening.
The following delegations spoke in favour of Option 1,
Recommendation A (and B where indicated):
Option 1: Are you in favour of changing the existing system of
electing Councillors "at large" to one whereby
Councillors would be elected by wards (neighbourhood
constituencies)?
Yes ( )
No ( )
cont'd....
Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996 (cont'd)
- Mel Lehan (brief filed)
- Doug Friesen
- John McBride, President - South False Creek Residents
Association
- Shane Simpson
- Sean McEwen
- Frances Wasserlein (A & B), Grandview-Woodlands Area
Council
- Boyd Pyper, Tenants Rights Coalition
- Blair Petrie (A & B)
- Merrilee Robson
- Kennedy Stewart
- Laura Stannard (A & B)
- Bob Everton, Grandview-Woodlands Area Council
- Beatrice (Bunny) Parton
- Alan Tapper
- Wallace Oyama
- Barbara Wright, Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Association
- Gaching Kong (A & B), Youth Voices
- Doug Ragan
- Dale Lum (A & B) Environmental Youth Alliance
- Yvonne Grohmuller
- David Gardner (A & B)
- Michael Bomford (concerns with B)
- Ken Lyotier (A & B)
- Donna Morgan (A, B and Consideration D),
Park Commissioner
- Judy Morrison (A & B), Onward
- Ann Corin (A & B), Neighbour To Neighbour
The delegations' points are summarized as follows:
- Option 1 offers a clear, simple, honest choice;
- Reference to neighbourhood constituencies helps familiarize voters
with the issue;
- Option 2 confuses the fundamental issue of electing Councillors "at
large" or by wards;
- a simple majority plus 1 should be recognized;
- staff reports do not provide adequate information on a mixed
system;
cont'd....
Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996 (cont'd)
- Option 1 is clear, concise, accurate and easy to understand;
- it is important to hear from the electorate as to what should be
included in the City's election information brochure;
- possible confusion of non-English voters if Option 2 and
consideration item D are implemented;
- mixed option creates two-tiered system;
- none of the options offer equality for all, however, Option 1 least
objectionable;
- Option 1 offers a clear, definitive choice essential to the ward
system question;
- wards must be based on neighbourhoods, not a strip ward system;
- if wards proceed, an independent boundary commission with
representative from neighbourhoods is suggested;
- no more than ten wards due to costs;
- 2/3 majority or 60% should be required to convert to wards, not
50%;
- question to electors should focus on desire for change from present
system, not on ward or mixed system;
- frustration was expressed on the lack of public forum or public
process;
- favour single question, single answer;
- concern with possible bias in City's Election Information Brochure,
would prefer edited or opinion pieces on both sides of issue;
- consideration item D serves only to make issue more complex.
The following delegations spoke in favour of Option 2:
cont'd....
Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996 (cont'd)
Option 2: Are you in favour of changing the existing system of
electing Councillors "at large"?
Yes ( )
No ( )
If the existing system were to change, which system of
electing Councillors would you prefer?
Ward System ( )
Mixed System ( )
- Prof. Robert Clark (brief filed)
- Andrew Pottinger
- Grayden Hayward
The delegations' points are summarized as follows:
- Option 1 allows only two choices - a disservice to the electorate;
- Option 2 allows the voters to choose from all three systems - "at
large", ward, and mixed;
- Option 2 provides more useful information as to the preference of
voters;
- Option 2 gives the electorate definitive options.
The following Green Party representatives spoke in favour of
Proportional Representation in a mixed system:
- Valerie Jerome
- Dr. F. Bass
- Korky Day
- Stephen Samuel
The following points in favour of Proportional Representation were
made:
- the question is how to make elections more democratic, not the
ward/"at large" issue ;
cont'd....
Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996 (cont'd)
- one-half should be elected by wards and one-half at large, with
ranking of the candidate and a single transferrable ballot (one for
party and one for ward);
- if a party accumulates 10% of the vote it should be allocated 10%
of the seats, 50% of the vote equals 50% of the seats;
- wording is important to encourage participation from the
electorate;
- current "at large" system offers no regional representation, a
mixed system is important to full democracy.
The delegations responded to questions from Council.
MOVED by Cllr. Kwan,
THAT recommendations A and B as contained in the Administrative
Report dated September 4, 1996, and quoted below, be debated this
evening:
A. THAT City Council approve the wording of the opinion question
regarding the election of local government officials,
identified as Option 1 contained on page 4 in the above noted
report.
B. THAT factual information regarding the options for electing
local government officials identified in the question be
distributed to electors as a section of the City's Election
Information Brochure.
- (not put)
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT this matter be deferred to a future meeting of Council.
- CARRIED
(Councillor Kwan opposed)
cont'd....
Election Systems and Municipal Government:
Opinion Question to Electors - 1996 General
Local Elections, November 16, 1996 (cont'd)
MOVED by Cllr. Kwan,
THAT this matter be referred to the October 8, 1996, Council
meeting.
- LOST
(Councillors Bellamy, Chiavario, Clarke, Hemer, Ip, Kennedy,
Price, Puil, Sullivan and the Mayor opposed)
Note from Clerk: Council concluded hearing of delegations. This item
will now be considered as Unfinished Business at the
Regular Council Meeting of September 24, 1996.
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Bellamy
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
* * *
The Special Council adjourned at approximately 9:50 p.m.