Back in June of this year - the Cowichan Valley Regional District Board (CVRD) agreed to propose to the public a region-wide Arts/Culture Service with a maximum budget of $130,000 and a property tax implication of $0.85 per $100,000 assessed property value for the 9 Electoral Areas + 4 Municipalities of the CVRD
Public assent for this Function is being sought via the Alternative Approval Process (counter-petition) with a deadline of Wednesday, November 18th to return AAP forms opposing the initiative. 6,038 voters from both the 9 Electoral Areas + 4 Municipalities would have to submit opposing AAP Forms in order for the CVRD Board to be legally blocked from proceeding unless a referendum is conducted. Details on the proposed CVRD Regional Arts/Culture Service may be viewed here
If the Function is formally established by the end of this year - the CVRD will join other regional districts in BC like the Cariboo Regional District and Comox Valley Regional District in providing local tax dollars to local arts/culture groups.
Meanwhile - also in the CVRD, a very public debate is occurring in regards to a new Staff position that the CVRD Board rejected in budget discussions earlier this year. Former Electoral Area 'C' CVRD Director (1994-2002) and now Cowichan Valley political blogger Richard Hughes writes on this subject here in addition to the local newspaper South Cowichan Echo who also wrote on this subject last month which you can read here (go to Page 2)
There is a long standing rule in local government that a CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) has the discretion on how Staffing is established and is administratively organized for a Regional District/Municipality, but both must fit within the annual approved budget, and should an elected official(s) of a Regional District/Municipality disagree, either on staffing concerns or how their local government is administratively organized - firstly, they should request a private 1-on-1 meeting with the local government CAO and if they are still dissatisfied - then they should bring it up at an In-Camera (closed to the public) Meeting as discussions around local government staffing concerns are traditionally held behind closed doors and then the elected official(s) leave it there and not continue the debate in public...
To continue to do so, in the case of the Cowichan Valley Regional District and in my opinion, does not build the kind of professional relationship that a Board/Council and the CAO needs to have to effectively govern the Regional District or Municipality in the best interests of the constituents of that Regional District/Municipality
~SF
1 comment:
Thanks for this Steven. All Regional Districts operate under similar circumstances and the CVRD CAO Brian Carruthers is well known to many of you from his days at Williams Lake.
He seems to have this Cowichan Board in hand but I sense a change in the wind. His play surrounding his hiring a 'Spin Doctor' aka Communications Officer, after the Board turned him down shows that leopards do not change their spots.
We will keep an eye on him.
Onward
Richard
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