The annual summit meeting between the provincial government, regional districts and municipalities is probably the most important for northern and rural communities.
For one week of the year we have a golden opportunity to catch the ear of the premier and his ministers about the most pressing issues that local governments deal with on a daily basis.
It’s also the one time voices from rural communities are not drowned out by the much louder and much more demanding big cities from the lower mainland. So when it comes to the annual meeting of the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) mayors and councilors from rural B.C. are eagerly awaiting to hear the provincial government’s vision for the year and more importantly, what new financial resources they have to offer local government.
READ MORE: City council and CRD in Whistler this week for UBCM
Unfortunately, the oldest trick in the book is to rename and re-brand innovative programs launched by the previous government and then try to take credit for a ‘bold new vision.’ Much to the disappointment of elected officials from all across rural British Columbia, smoke and mirrors is precisely what municipal affairs and housing minister Selina Robinson delivered this week, with lots of fanfare but very little in the way of new resources. The ‘new’ Rural and Northern Communities fund is a rather thinly veiled attempt to re-brand the existing Rural Dividend Fund launched by the previous government. I know this because I was one of many rural MLAs who fought hard for program funding aimed specifically at economic development in smaller communities (and I even served as the minister overseeing that program). The real news coming from UBCM was delivered by a somber finance minister Carole James who had the unenviable task of telling local governments that the cupboard is bare.
James told municipal leaders that she will not commit to providing a fair share of revenue from cannabis sales and furthermore, local government will have to swallow a bundle of new taxes including the new health care payroll tax. Changing the name of old programs is no excuse for a lack of vision by our minority government in Victoria.
Donna Barnett is the Liberal MLA for the Cariboo-Chilcotin.
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