During an open meeting the board directors voted in favour (107-36) of a special governance committee recommendation
Metro Vancouver will seek provincial approval for changes to the size of the Regional District Board that could see its size reduced by nearly 25 per cent in the next term, taking it from 45 directors to 34.
“Metro Vancouver has taken a really thoughtful process for finding strong options for reducing the size of the Board and improving the organization’s governance,” said Mike Hurley, Chair of the Metro Vancouver Boards in a news release. “The option that we are putting forward would ensure that all municipalities continue to have proportional representation at the table, but it also reduces board size and helps with efficiency. We heard clearly through engagement that achieving meaningful change is important.”
During an open portion of a board meeting on Friday, July 24, the board directors voted in favour (107-36) of a special governance committee recommendation to reduce the number of board directors by restricting each municipality to three directors.
This results in Surrey and Vancouver losing three and four directors respectively, although the cities maintain their current population-based weighted voting power at the board.
The recommendation was met with opposition from Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.
“It doesn’t make one ounce of sense,” said Locke, who said she supports a smaller board.
The board voted in favour of capping the number of directors at three per member jurisdiction while maintaining weighted voting. Analysis of this option identified that it could improve decision-making speed, efficiency, and strategic focus while maintaining proportional representation. It was the option most preferred during engagement on the size and structure of the Boards.
Under this model, the size of the Boards would grow more slowly over time, not even reaching the current size by the year 2050. If the change for the Regional District Board is approved by the Province, the size and structure will automatically apply to Metro Vancouver’s water, sewerage and drainage, and housing corporation boards once enacted.
“I’m thankful that directors made the decision to support capping the number of board members that each municipality can appoint,” says Delta Coun. Dylan Kruger, who was part of the special governance committee and was the first Metro director to bring the motion forward. “It’s clear that reform is needed at Metro Vancouver. We need to be more accountable and effective. This allows that work to begin in a real way.”
Since joining the Metro Vancouver board as one of Delta’s two representatives, Kruger has consistently advocated for governance reform, including reducing the size of the board and tightening the scope of its operations.
“Those reforms were important first steps, but modernizing the board itself is the most significant structural change we can make,” said Kruger. “At some point, we have to ask whether adding more directors improves decision-making or simply makes governance more cumbersome and less accountable. Today we said no to growing the size of the government.”