Salt Spring Island Referendum
November 15, 2008
Information Distributed on Salt Spring Island
- Insert in Island Tides Oct. 29
- Slides used in ArtSpring Session Oct. 29
- Message from the CAO, Nov. 12
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the referendum question?
"Are you in favour of increasing the number of locally-elected trustees that sit on the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee from two trustees to four trustees?”
What will the referendum determine?
What is the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee?
What are some examples of land use decisions that the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee makes?
What would happen if there is a ‘NO’ vote?
What would change from the way things are now if there is a ‘YES’ vote?
If voters agree to have four locally elected trustees instead of two, when would the two new positions be filled?
If four Salt Spring trustee positions are created, how will trustees be elected in the term that starts in 2011?
Who can be elected to sit on the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee?
Why hold a referendum?
Will everyone in the Trust Area be able to vote in the referendum or just Salt Spring Islanders?
Why did the Islands Trust Council recommend that the Minister of Community Development increase the size of the SaltSpringIsland Local Trust Committee?
Would the new trustees be members of Trust Council?
Could the new trustees be members of the Executive Committee?
Could all four Salt Spring Island trustees alternate as members of Trust Council?
When and where will the referendum be held?
What if I can’t vote either of those days? Can I use a mail ballot?
Will the results of the referendum be based on a simple majority of votes?
Will the outcome of the referendum be binding?
How can I find out the results of the referendum?
How much would any additional Salt Spring Island local trustees be paid?
What would be the costs to the taxpayer of additional trustees on Salt Spring Island?
How much is this referendum itself costing?
If there is a ‘YES’ vote, how much would the by-election cost?
Should there be a question about an incorporation study at the same time?
What is the Islands Trust?
What is Trust Council?
What is the Islands Trust Executive Committee?
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What will the referendum determine?
The referendum will determine whether voters in the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area want two additional locally elected trustees on the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee for a total of four locally-elected trustees (a ‘YES’ vote), or if they wish to stay with the current two trustee positions (a ‘NO’ vote).
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What is the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee?
In BC, every community has an elected local government body that is responsible for making decisions about land use (such as adopting a zoning bylaw and considering applications to change it). If you live in a municipality, the municipal council makes these decisions. In most rural areas, a regional district board such as the CRD would make decisions about land use. In the Islands Trust Area, there are 12 local trust areas and one island municipality. In the local trust areas decisions about land use are made by a unique form of local government called a ‘local trust committee.’ The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee has all the power and authority that a regional district board would have to make most land use decisions for the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area.
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What are some examples of land use decisions that the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee makes?
A local trust committee is responsible for developing and adopting the Official Community Plan, and for developing a variety of land use regulations. For example, these regulations control which lots would allow commercial businesses or how close a building can be sited to the next lot. A local trust committee works with its island community to develop policies and regulations to suit local needs, which must be consistent with the Islands Trust object and the Islands Trust Policy Statement. When people make applications to change the community’s land use regulations, the local trust committee makes decisions about their proposals. The local trust committee also decides whether to enforce its bylaws. It can also influence other local issues, such as affordable housing, environmental protection and support for local agriculture.
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What would happen if there is a ‘NO’ vote?
The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee would remain a three-member body as it is now, made up of two locally-elected trustees and one member of the Trust Council Executive Committee, who chairs the committee.
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What would change from the way things are now if there is a ‘YES’ vote?
The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee currently has three members - two locally elected trustees and one member of the Trust Council Executive Committee, who chairs the committee. If there is a ‘YES’ vote, the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee would increase in size from a three-member body to a five-member body, with four locally-elected trustees and one member of the Trust Council Executive Committee, who would chair the committee. All five members of the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee would have the same powers and authority to participate in decisions of the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee.
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If voters agree to have four locally elected trustees instead of two, when would the two new positions be filled?
If there is a ‘YES’ vote, then the Islands Trust would ask the Minister of Community Development to make the necessary legislative arrangements to create the two additional trustee positions for the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee. Once those arrangements were made, the Islands Trust would hold a by-election (likely in early 2009) so electors could vote for candidates wishing to fill the two new trustee positions.
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If four Salt Spring trustee positions are created, how will trustees be elected in the term that starts in 2011?
These precise details will be determined by the Ministry of Community Development, which has jurisdiction over local government elections in BC. It is expected that all four would be elected at the same time, and electors would determine which two of the four trustees would sit on Trust Council. More information would be available well before the 2011 local elections.
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Who can be elected to sit on the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee?
The BC Local Government Act indicates who is eligible to be elected to local governments in BC. You can be nominated if you are a Canadian citizen, will be at least 18 years old on election day, have lived in BC for at least six months and have not been disqualified from voting or running for office. More information about who is eligible to be a local government candidate in BC is available from the province at http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/gov_structure/library/local_elections_candidate_guide.pdf
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Why hold a referendum?
In 2007, following considerable public consultation and input, the Islands Trust Council asked the Ministry of Community Development to amend the Islands Trust Act to increase representation on Salt Spring Island. The ministry did not agree to add members to Trust Council, but suggested that electors in the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area should be the ones to decide, by referendum, the size of their Local Trust Committee. In June 2008, Trust Council unanimously agreed with that suggestion.
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Will everyone in the Trust Area be able to vote in the referendum or just Salt Spring Islanders?
People who are eligible to vote in Salt Spring Island local government elections will be eligible to vote in the referendum. Information about who can vote in local government elections in BC is available from the province at http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/gov_structure/Elections/
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Why did the Islands Trust Council recommend that the Minister of Community Development increase the size of the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee?
With a population of approximately 10,000 people, enlarging the size of the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee would provide greater diversity of viewpoints and better representation of the electorate. Trust Council’s assessment is that enlarging the size of the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee would be a positive change for Salt Spring Island and for the Islands Trust.
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Would the new trustees be members of Trust Council?
No. When the ministry responded to Trust Council’s request to increase representation from Salt Spring Island, it indicated that only two of the four trustees from Salt Spring would be able to vote at Trust Council meetings. In September the Islands Trust Council amended its policies and bylaws to maximize the participation of any additional trustees from Salt Spring Island. The amended policies would allow for the additional trustees to sit as members of Council committees and to participate in discussions at Trust Council although they would not be able to vote.
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Could the new trustees be members of the Executive Committee?
No. Only members of Trust Council may be elected to the Executive Committee. In accordance with the ministry’s direction, additional trustees would not be members of Trust Council and therefore could not serve on the Executive Committee.
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Could all four Salt Spring Island trustees alternate as members of Trust Council?
No. Only two trustees would be elected by constituents to be members of Trust Council. If there is a ‘YES’ vote in November 2008, the two trustees who are elected in November would be members of Trust Council and those elected in the following by-election would be welcome to attend Council, but not as voting members.
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When and where will the referendum be held?
At the same time as local elections on general voting day, which is Saturday, November 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and at advance polls on Wednesday, November 5 and 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at regular polling stations. More information on locations will be available on the Islands Trust web site at: www.islandstrust.bc.ca, the CRD web site at crd.bc.ca at or call the CRD toll-free:1-800-663-4425, local 3129. Locations will also be advertised in the Gulf Islands Driftwood.
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What if I can’t vote on any of those days? Can I use a mail ballot?
No. Mail ballots are not available for local elections or for the referendum.
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Will the results of the referendum be based on a simple majority of votes?
Yes.
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Will the outcome of the referendum be binding?
The Islands Trust has already requested that two additional trustee positions be created. It is understood that the Minister will create the additional trustee positions if the majority of the electorate vote ‘YES’ to the proposal.
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How can I find out the results of the referendum?
The results will be posted on the Islands Trust web site at: www.islandstrust.bc.ca as soon as they are available. Polls close at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 15 and results should be available shortly after that.
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How much would any additional Salt Spring Island local trustees be paid?
As of October 2008, Salt Spring Island trustees will receive an annual honorarium of $12,752 each. In September, Trust Council amended its trustee remuneration bylaw to pay all Salt Spring Island trustees the same amount, provided they attend Trust Council meetings.
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What would be the costs to the taxpayer of additional trustees on Salt Spring Island?
Taxpayers throughout the Trust Area would contribute to the costs of the two additional trustees, which amount to about $33,000 annually to cover honoraria, travel, and supplies for both trustees. This amount is already in the Islands Trust’s approved 2008-2009 budget. The amount represents about 35 cents per $100,000 assessment or about $1.65 a year (or 25 cents on Bowen Island) for an individual property owner with a house assessed at $450,000.
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How much is this referendum itself costing?
Because the referendum will be held at the same time as local government elections, additional costs are minimal. The referendum would make use of the same polling stations and elections staff who administer the elections. Some additional advertising will be required to notify the public about the referendum and provide information about it and there will be printing costs for the actual ballots. The additional costs are expected to be well within the amounts budgeted for local elections across the Islands Trust Area not including Bowen Island Municipality).
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If there is a ‘YES’ vote, how much would the by-election cost?
A by-election for Salt Spring Island is estimated to cost about $12,000. The Minister of Community Development has agreed to contribute towards the cost.
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Should there be a question about an incorporation study at the same time?
No. The provincial government has the authority regarding placing referendum questions on the ballot. The Ministry of Community Development itself proposed and agreed to have a specific question only about increasing the size of the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee in response to the request from the Islands Trust to increase the number of trustees from Salt Spring. The two current trustees and CRD director were all elected in 2005 on a mandate of strengthening the Islands Trust, and not to support incorporation. The elected officials have honoured that mandate, which was supported by the majority of voters.
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What is the Islands Trust?
The trust is a unique federation of local governments, including Bowen Island Municipality, created to plan land use, and regulate development in the trust area. They do this with regard for a special provincial mandate “to preserve and protect the trust area and its unique amenities and environment for the benefit of the residents of the trust area and of the province generally, in cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, other persons and organizations and the Government of British Columbia.”
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What is Trust Council?
Currently, the Islands Trust Council has 26 members, with two elected trustees from each of 13 island areas designated by the Islands Trust Act. Trust Council does not make local land use decisions, but it does make decisions about broader Islands Trust matters, including budget, policy and inter-government liaison. It also has broad responsibilities to uphold the Islands Trust’s mandate. It meets four times a year in various locations within the trust area. All meetings are open to the public.
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What is the Islands Trust Executive Committee?
The Executive Committee, made up of a chair and three vice chairs, is elected by and from the 26 trustees who voters have elected to Trust Council. It guides day-to-day operations and cooperative relations with other levels of government. It also reviews the land use bylaws of local trust committees and island municipalities to ensure that they are consistent with the Islands Trust’s object and Policy Statement.
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