Whereas constituents may believe local government elected officials are in breach of integrity andor eroding public confidence; And whereas the recently extended term of office for local government elected officials in British Columbia negatively affects the ability of the local electorate to vote for change in their local government: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia amend legislation to include a recall process for local government elected officials.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing The Province recognizes that democratic and accountable local governments depend on elected officials, such as mayors and councillors, who have the legal authority and responsibility to make decisions on behalf of their communities. Local government elections provide the fundamental democratic framework around which elected officials are ultimately held accountable for their decisions and actions. The Province supports local governments taking more responsibility for the ethical and responsible conduct of elected local representatives. Although there is no specific legislative authority to recall local elected officials from office once elected, there are a variety of tools to support the responsible conduct of local government elected officials. For example, legislation sets out ethical conduct and conflict of interest rules. If elected officials are found to have contravened certain requirements, they may be disqualified from holding office. The Working Group on Responsible Conducta collaborative initiative between staff at UBCM, the Local Government Management Association LGMA and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housinghas been undertaking extensive research and policy work to advance understanding of a wide range of issues related to responsible conduct and to analyze potential approaches to further the responsible conduct of elected officials. The Working Group prepared a Policy Report that was endorsed by members at the 2017 UBCM Convention. The Policy Report proposes a number of recommendations for further work aimed at strengthening the responsible conduct of local elected officials, in changing development of foundational principles of responsible conduct. Recall of local government elected officials was not specifically recommended by the Working Group. The Working Group will continue to work collaboratively on the recommendations to support and strengthen responsible conduct.