A governance survey in which the overwhelming majority of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the job the city is doing isn’t representative of the entire population, said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps.
The review and survey, conducted through an online portal, had 881 respondents — 81 per cent of whom said they were either ‘very dissatisfied (60%) or ‘dissatisfied’ (21%) with the city’s governance, among other findings.
Helps said Wednesday that while she appreciated those who took the survey, she’s taking the results with a “grain of salt.”
“I think it’s a self-selected survey of a few people who wanted to give feedback and we really appreciate their feedback, but I would say the folks that stop me on the street think that we’re doing a pretty good job,” she said. “But there’s always room for improvement. If there were a statistical poll that were done that said 81 per cent of Victorians feel like the city’s governance isn’t very good, I’d be very concerned.”
The review also found a majority of respondents were unhappy with council’s efficiency and felt decisions were made based on personal agendas.
The report, conducted by a third-party consultant, also contained 30 recommendations aimed at improving efficiency and public participation, including the establishment of a code of conduct and appointing an integrity commissioner.
“For me, mostly what’s interesting are the very thoughtful recommendations that the consultant has made based on what other cities are doing well and what we can learn from,” said Helps.
Other recommendations included evaluating council appointments to external boards and committees, reviewing the purpose of weekly Thursday Committee of the Whole meetings and adjusting councillor pay to be in line with similar municipalities.
Helps said she would like to see roles clarified and would like better pay for councillors. She also says the practice of holding both Committee of the Whole and council meetings on the same day should end, similar to what Kelowna does.
“I think we touch things too many times and it takes a long time, and creates sometimes unnecessary churn in the community about things that I think people think are good to go forward,” she said.
The report outlined some of council’s practices that are consistent or leading the way compared to other cities, noting it makes “deliberate efforts” to support equity and inclusion and is committed to reconciliation.
Jeff Lawrence
