There are some changes that are necessary before the next municipal election.
Voters have a year to evaluate Saanich municipal performance. Viewers can fast forward the agenda via our computers with the help of the Saanich website. Unfortunately, we can’t see what goes on in the back rooms. It is like there is an invisible shield that protects the administration. They control the council. They limit the information to the public via in-camera meetings. They redact and limit the scope of reports.
For decades, Saanich taxpayers have been promised action on housing and tax reduction. Some resident victims have been identified by a map that they have violated the environment. This has further reduced the space for housing and driven up the cost with red tape, new bylaws and higher taxes. Wait until you receive your next tax bill that includes CRD water being piped to Hartland Road for wastewater treatment, storm drains, EDPA and invasive species bylaws. Taxpayers will want to change their municipality.
The excuses we hear for not making change is that Saanich does not want to set a precedent and there is only one taxpayer. In a perfect world, someone else would pay for all the changes we would like to see. Perhaps some councillors are concerned that their seat might be changed to the public gallery after the next election.
We can be certain that changes are coming and Saanich will be shaken to its foundation. This won’t happen by anything municipal and it will not rely on votes. It will occur by way of an earthquake and tsunami. Even the administration can not change or prevent the event.
Another powerful force is provincial legislation that will change municipalities by enforcing good governance.
That facts are, that Saanich has built fewer housing units than neighboring municipalities by studying, stalling and rejecting developers. This is a costly administrative error. Interesting how administration has found the time and money to build far more intrusive environmental bylaws. This must change.
When the earthquakes hits, many of us could be living in tents in Saanich parks, as parks are exempt from the EDPA bylaw. It will be the surrounding municipalities that do not want us in their backyards.
Art Bickerton
Saanich