BC Local Government Week

WHEREAS there is growing concern by UBCM members and local government partner associations that a lack of public awareness and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of local government will present the system with serious challenges in the future; AND WHEREAS areas of concern include the following: - Lack of citizen participation in elected and non-elected roles, such as volunteers on committees and commissions - a critical source of input for Councils and Boards; - Voter turnout, which has been declining over the past few years, so that in 2008, of eligible voters in BC, only 26.8 cast ballots down from the 30.7 that cast votes in the 2005 election; - Recruitment of staff for local government, in light of the Local Government Management Association prediction that 14.7 of full-time BC local government employees will retire within the next five years; and - Students graduating from high school with little knowledge of local government, as the curriculum focus is on provincial and federal governments, rendering students unaware of opportunities as either elected or non-elected officials, and other career opportunities; AND WHEREAS a growing concern of local governments in British Columbia is that a lack of public awareness is contributing to challenges in engaging citizens and other stakeholders in helping to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of local governments, as evidenced by the declining voter turnout and the difficulty in some areas of recruiting candidates, staff and volunteers: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities request that the provincial government work with UBCM and other local government partner organizations to proclaim an annual Local Government Week in British Columbia and provide support for activities for this initiative.