Metro Van Mess
Guest: Mike Hurley, mayor of Burnaby
On this edition of Journal: What do we do about Metro Vancouver? It is, after all, a major level of governance – responsible for water, sewers, housing, and more in the regional district. It’s important that it functions well and has the trust of the communities it serves.
But there have been problems like the wastewater project, whose budget skyrocketed from $700 million to $3.6 billion – all on the taxpayer’s tab.
How exactly did that happen? Can Metro Vancouver be trusted to handle future infrastructure any better?
Last year, a Deloitte report stated that Metro Vancouver had basically outgrown its governance structure and must be changed – the Board was too big, expenses too much.
Adding to the confusion and distrust, the Chief Administration Officer, who directly informs and advises the Board, has recently been “ousted” or “resigned,” depending on which headline you believe. This follows the departure of the Chief Financial Officer late last year.
And now Metro Vancouver has become a target in some of our municipal elections. Kash Heed, running for mayor of Richmond, and Daniel Fontaine, running for mayor of New Westminster, have co-written an accountability charter supporting major reforms at the Board.
Obviously, a steady hand is needed. Mike Hurley, the successful mayor of Burnaby, is also Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board. I’m sure he was less than pleased to hear Premier Eby say last year, “The gong show that continues at Metro Van needs to come to an end.”
So, how does Mayor Hurley, who calls himself a change agent, see the current situation?
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