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South Okanagan Photos

Government of BC reluctant to change election date in 2014

Local Government Elections – below from a government website

Local government elections in British Columbia are held every three years. This includes elections for mayors, councillors, regional district electoral area directors, and trustees for the Islands Trust. The next local government elections will be held in the fall of 2014. Under current rules, local government elections are held on the third Saturday in November. However, that date would change to the third Saturday in October if the current rules are amended in accordance with the recommendations of the Local Government Election Task Force. The election for school board trustees will also held at the same time.

It would seem the government is reluctant to make this change.

Here is today’s announcement:

The Province is moving ahead with making changes to the rules regarding local government elections, Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, announced today.

The intended changes are the most significant to local elections legislation in nearly two decades and are a reflection of the recommendations of the joint Provincial and Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Local Government Elections Task Force.

Local government election rules apply to municipalities, regional districts, parks boards, the Islands Trust and boards of education.

Local election rules will be modernized in two phases:

  • A white paper outlining government’s intentions will be released in early September and legislation is scheduled to be introduced in Spring 2014 to implement task force recommendations, except expense limits, for the 2014 local elections.
  • Consultation with key stakeholders on expense limits will be undertaken starting in November. This consultation will inform further legislative changes for the 2017 elections.

The rules for next year’s November elections will be consolidated in a proposed new act for campaign finance in local elections.

No where in today’s announcement does it says a change in date is forthcoming. Local government agreed an election a month earlier would allow more snow-birds to vote and be less chilly on the “hustings”.