B.C. government says more oversight coming for dysfunctional municipalities

The ongoing dysfunction in the City of Kamloops has gotten so bad that the B.C. government is considering major changes to the oversight of feuding city councils across the province.

"I've come to the conclusion that this type of behaviour just cannot continue to go on … it is our goal to have something in place before the next election," said Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon, responding to the latest back-and-forth accusations between Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and the rest of city council.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-government-kahlon-municipal-government-dysfucntion-1.7556786

Municipal Madness: Together, let’s CALL IT OUT!

Together, we can persuade municipal government officials to make better decisions, spend our taxpayer dollars wisely, and put people first!

https://municipalwatch.ca/

B.C.'s Mayors Need To Listen To Their Citizens

Leaders have a responsibility to resist their own cynicism and scratch beneath the surface to hear what people -- even those who are opposed -- are saying. What is the core concern driving the speaker? Is it affordability? Safety?

Mayors should ask genuine questions of people, and actually listen to their responses

https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/b-c-s-mayors-need-to-listen-to-their-citizens_b_12259302

The Race to the Bottom, Decisions, and Questions That Need Answers

We make decisions daily that affect ourselves and our families. Some of our political leaders make decisions that can affect an entire municipality. As the number of people affected rises, so does the responsibility to make the best decision, armed with the best information.

https://propertytaxpayer.ca/2025/03/12/the-race-to-the-bottom-decisions-and-questions-that-need-answers/

Inconvenient truths about municipal governance

A commentary by the vice-chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria, a citizens’ advocacy group for municipal taxpayers.

There are inconvenient truths.

To our dismay, there’s no municipal government for Greater Victoria that’s directly responsible to voters.

Instead, there’s a patchwork of 13 neighbourhood municipalities, three electoral areas and the Capital Regional District that delivers 200 or so services region-wide or through a shared-service delivery model.

https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comment-inconvenient-truths-about-municipal-governance-5342033