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Local Governance in BC - Excellence Through Collaborative Partnerships

Explore the collaborative partnerships in local governance in British Columbia, presented by Brian Walisser & Gary Paget, MCS. Learn about the key elements, decision-making processes, and intergovernmental collaboration in BC's local government system.

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Local Governance in BC - Excellence Through Collaborative Partnerships

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  1. Moderated by Tom MacDonald Local Government Management Association Local Governance in BC - Excellence Through Collaborative Partnerships

  2. Presented by: Brian Walisser & Gary Paget, MCS Local Governance in British Columbia – Collaborative Partnerships

  3. UBCM MFA 157 municipalities LGMA Citizens 27 regional districts MCS CIVICINFO

  4. Canada in the World Canada

  5. British Columbia in Canada British Columbia

  6. British Columbia • Canada’s western-most province • Total Area: 945,000 km2 • Population: 4,196,000 • GVRD = 51% population • Canada’s 3rd largest metro area • Highest Point: Mt Fairweather, 4,663m • Vancouver Is. = larger than Belgium • 95% uninhabited

  7. Beautiful British Columbia City of Vancouver: Downtown & Westend

  8. Sushwap Lake: Okanagan Valley City of Nelson Pitt Lake: Pitt Meadows Beautiful British Columbia

  9. Beautiful British Columbia Victoria’s Fairmont Empress Hotel

  10. Beautiful British Columbia Tumbler Ridge Town Hall

  11. Protection–police & fire Mostly Local / Regional District Utilities–water, sewer Transportation–local roads Community Services Regulation – property, people Regional & local planning Schools Provincial – Some Local Tax Contribution Hospital capital Rural police / roads Health services Mostly Provincial Redistributive programmes Highways Social welfare Scope of BC Local Government System

  12. Key Elements of BC’s Local Government System • Responsibility – assigning matters to the most suitable stream of government • Financial independence – providing financial and other resources adequate to meet service demands • Democratic decision-making – ensuring good democratic & accountability processes • Intergovernmental collaboration – voluntary partnerships; collective institutions

  13. Responsibility: Multiple Streams • In a complex world, complex organizations are natural, inevitable • Flexible system and multiple streams needed to handle issues at proper scale: • Strong municipalities for local services • Regions “on tap”, not “on top” • Regions built on the concept of “soft” boundaries • Regions able to launch inter-local partnerships

  14. Responsibility: The Balance • Regional Districts • “Borrowed” Powers • 1000’s of partnerships Municipalities • Most people (>85%) • Most $$ spent (>80%) • Broad powers

  15. Finance: Overview BC local governments are: • Highly self-sufficient (especially larger cities) • Highly autonomous…very limited oversight • Subject to relatively few financial restrictions • Beneficiaries of collaborative bodies that perform collective tasks

  16. 9% 4% 56% Other Taxes Transfers RD 19% MUN Fees 31% 81% Share of Total Local Government Spending Sources of Municipal Revenue

  17. Decision-making: Strong Local Democracy • Overall goal is to match citizen demands with their willingness-to-pay • For this to work, citizens need to: • Be empowered and informed • Have influence over (some) proposed decisions • Have confidence in integrity of elected officials

  18. Decision-making: Checks and Balances • Direct provincial oversight reduced…but remains strong over finances • Judicial supervision on procedure • Administrative watchdogs and legislated protections in place (local and provincial) * Note: no powerful tribunal to upset local land use or financial decisions

  19. Intergovernmental Collaboration • A key system attribute • Not a “concession” by Provincial government • Instead is a major design principle • Revealed most clearly by: • Multitude of inter-local partnerships • Collaborating partner bodies

  20. Key Ingredients for “Success” Independent, Autonomous Local Government Units Articulate Local Government Association Commitment To Long-term Solutions Resilience & Continuous Adaptation Capable, Strategic Department (National or Sub-national)

  21. Brian Walisser, Executive Director Brian.Walisser@gov.bc.ca Ministry of Community Services Local Government Policy and Research 6th Floor, 800 Johnson Street Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9T1

  22. UBCM MFA 157 municipalities LGMA Citizens 27 regional districts MCS CIVICINFO

  23. Presented by: Todd Pugh, CivicInfo The Collaborators

  24. Collaborative Organizations • High degree of collaboration between different interests within the system • Relationships developed over time and based on respect each interest has for each other • Practical recognition that there are opportunities to achieve benefits through collaboration

  25. History of Collaboration • Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM): 1905 • Local Government Management Association (LGMA): 1919 • Ministry of Community Services: 1934 • Regional Districts: 1965 • Municipal Finance Authority of BC (MFA-BC): 1970 • British Columbia Assessment (BCA): 1974 • Municipal Insurance Association of BC: 1987 • CivicInfo BC: 1998

  26. Reasons for Collaboration • Intergovernmental Relations: • Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) • Ministry of Community Services (MCS) • Management Capacity Building: • Local Government Management Association (LGMA) • Collaborative Helper Organizations • Municipal Finance Authority of BC (MFA-BC) • British Columbia Assessment (BCA) • Municipal Insurance Association (MIA) • CivicInfo BC

  27. Dimensions of Collaboration • Collaboration within the local government sector • Local government to local government • BCA, MFA, MIA, CivicInfo • Collaboration between the local government sector and others • Provincial, Federal, First Nations, Private Sector, International • MCS, UBCM, LGMA

  28. Intergovernmental Relations • Union of British Columbia Municipalities • Represents local government interests to the provincial and federal governments • Represents all 184 BC local governments - large and small - and facilitates inter-governmental cooperation • 100% membership for 26 consecutive years, membership is voluntary • History of collaborative policy development with the provincial government

  29. Management Capacity Building • Local Government Management Association • Promotes professional development and leadership excellence in local government • Cooperation with educational institutions • Job posting service • Newsletter

  30. Collaborative Helper Organizations • CivicInfo BC • Comprehensive website for local government information • Co-operative partnership between 9 associations and 180 local governments • Library of sample documents - bylaws and policies • Job postings, event listings, news stories, directories

  31. Collaborative Helper Organizations • Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia • Owned by local governments • Credit union or co-operative to pool borrowing needs and provide low-cost financial services • Pools risk to achieve high credit rating • All local governments including smallest enjoy low-cost borrowing

  32. Collaborative Helper Organizations • The Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia • Non-profit liability insurance cooperative • Maintains liability coverage needed for local government financial security • Stabilizes liability insurance costs • Provides risk management education

  33. Collaborative Helper Organizations • British Columbia Assessment • Province-wide assessment of land and improvements for local government taxation purposes • Independent from local governments • Consistent valuations regardless of location

  34. Case Studies:The What and Why of Collaboration • Topics • Intergovernmental Relations: UBCM • Collaborative Organizations: Pooled Borrowing through the Municipal Finance Authority • Management Capacity Building: Local Government Management Association

  35. Todd Pugh, Executive Director tpugh@civicinfo.bc.ca CivicInfo BC 737 Fort Street Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8W 2V1

  36. UBCM MFA 157 municipalities LGMA Citizens 27 regional districts MCS CIVICINFO

  37. Presented by: Richard Taylor, UBCM Case Study #1:Intergovernmental Collaboration

  38. Provincial Legislation Regulation Mandates Proposals Issues Local A Changed Relationship

  39. Joint policy development and implementation A Changed Relationship • From issues to policy development and legislation • By provincial and local governments

  40. Intergovernmental Collaboration and the Community Charter • Recognition as an order of government • Acceptance of inter-dependence and value of horizontal relations • Principles of municipal-provincial relations: • Mutual respect • Notice and consultation • Resolution of differences • Specific tools: • Consultation requirements • Consultation agreements • Dispute resolution

  41. Intergovernmental Collaboration: Operationalizing the Principles • Developing Consultation Agreements: Concurrent regulatory authority • Reconciling provincial and local interests: Resorts Approval Harmonization • Providing advice: Regulatory Best Practices

  42. New Intergovernmental Collaborations • With provincial government in program delivery • With First Nations • With federal government on • Cooperation agreements: • 2-way (local-provincial) • 3-way (federal-provincial-local) • New Deal for Cities and Communities: • first major tripartite agreement • delivered by UBCM

  43. Intergovernmental Collaborations • Why we did it • What have been the results

  44. Intergovernmental Collaborations:Key Lessons Learned • Have a shared vision • Embrace incrementally • Don’t need to be a big organization to be successful • UBCM couldn’t do alone • Accept that it doesn’t always work

  45. Key Ingredients for “Success” • UBCM’s 100% membership • Low level of fiscal dependency (members and UBCM) • Provincial government support • Internal consensus • Policy based, non-partisan organization • Diversity is natural not artificial

  46. Richard Taylor, Executive Director rtaylor@civicnet.bc.ca Union of British Columbia Municipalities 60-10551 Shellbridge Way Richmond, British Columbia Canada V6X 2W9

  47. UBCM MFA 157 municipalities LGMA Citizens 27 regional districts MCS CIVICINFO

  48. Presented by: Steve Berna, MFA-BC Case Study #2:Pooled Borrowing

  49. MFA-BC Clients • All 184 local governments: • Municipalities are both owners and clients • 1-share per local government = 1 vote = system-wide equality • Guarantee each others’ debt • Receive the same interest rate on debt regardless of size • Smallest: Population 238 • Largest: Population 2.2 million

  50. MFA-BC Credit Ratings • Proper financial controls can lead to: • MFA-BC *Aaa *AA+ • Province of BC Aa+ AA+ • Canadian Banks Aa- AA- Moody’s Standard & Poor’s * All 184 local governments receive these credit ratings regardless of size

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