Email from Sue-Anne Carter, Re: Council Size Increase

Council Size Increase

To Mayor and Council,

For consideration on the topic of an increase to the size of Council from 4-6 plus the Mayor, I would like to offer my perspective for consideration.

I’m curious how many View Royal citizens would be opposed to an increase of Council if they had sat through consecutive council meetings? I’m also curious how many read weekly agendas and follow the issues discussed by Council each meeting at Committee of the Whole or at decision time at Council? Not just the issues they are interested in or affect them directly. I have.

In pre-Covid times, I was sometimes the only person in Council Chambers listening to the debate of issues, spending of funds, listening to Staff report on issues and having Council debate and vote on how our tax dollars are spent or which developments are advanced or which are deemed unsuitable for the greater vision of View Royal.

That is where the rubber hits the road with the difference between 4 and 6 Council members plus the Mayor in View Royal. This Council may look very different in a year at election time as who knows who will run and get elected, but the discussions and voting will sound and feel similar unless the number of voices change.

With 4 on council, the Mayor becomes the tie breaker if there is opposition. Adding 2 more voices at the Council table, at least allows for more robust and varied voices in the discussions that happen, in my opinion, especially on contentious issues. I also will argue it allows for more voices to be heard, not less, as Council will feel they can vote their opinions without feeling unduly influenced by a small voting block.

I think above all else we deserve more voices around the Council table in View Royal to avoid the power struggle that too few voices can bring. I am never a fan of bloating government unnecessarily, but in this instance I think more is better and quantity will lead to better quality developments and discussion for View Royal Council and their decision making capacity at the Council table. Just my thoughtful opinion from someone who has through entire meetings and who was sometimes the only one in the public gallery in Council Chambers (pre-covid).

Do we not deserve the same representation as Sidney - population of 11,672 or North Saanich population of 11, 249, both of which have 6 Councillors and a Mayor representing them?

Please contemplate increasing the size of View Royal’s Council to 6. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration on this subject.

With kind regards,

Sue-Anne Carter 8 Eaton Avenue Victoria BC