Council debate over 'core' civic responsibilities turns testy
A lengthy debate over what city council should or should not be focusing on ate up a big chunk of a council meeting Tuesday, prompted by a notice of motion that called for the city to more effectively outline its core responsibilities.
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Councillors representing the Communities First political party, including Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Terry Wong and Dan McLean, brought forward the motion. It sought for the city to better clarify the responsibilities of the three orders of government and to include a line in its reports to council stating whether or not the report's contents are a municipal, provincial, federal or shared responsibility.
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According to Sharp, the motion was motivated by the city's — and council's — tendency to focus on policies that should typically fall under provincial or federal jurisdiction. She cited last year's single-use items bylaw, a proposal to cancel Canada Day fireworks in 2021 and the declaration of a climate emergency shortly after council took office in 2021 as examples.
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'We talk a lot about responsibility being downloaded and we talk a lot about paying for things that aren't in our mandate,' Sharp said.
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'We need to know what our job is and what it isn't.'
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The proposal generated some finger-pointing and traded barbs between councillors, before it ultimately passed 8-6.
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However, by the end of the discussion, the notice of motion was amended to the point where the movers no longer supported it. All four Communities First colleagues voted against it, alongside councillors Sean Chu and Jennifer Wyness.
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Early into the debate, Ward 14 Coun. Peter Demong asked if the motion was akin to adding another layer of red tape to the city's reporting procedures. He also asked how exactly the city defines its core responsibilities.
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The city's solicitor, Jill Floen, answered that the Municipal Government Act (MGA) outlines what municipalities are legally obligated to perform, but does not define what constitutes a core civic service.
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Everything the city does is either necessary under the MGA, or is something council has deemed desirable, according to Floen. But she added there's no 'clear defined list' of what municipalities are responsible for. That's up to council's discretion, as democratically elected officials, to interpret.
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