Should Salt Spring Island Become a Municipality? An Overview

This question was examined by the Salt Spring Island Local Government Restructure Committee (SSILGRC). The committee's mandate was to direct a study, funded by the Province, that would provide islanders with all the information they will need to make an informed decision on incorporation, if this issue is taken to referendum. More about this later.

A little history
Salt Spring Island was actually incorporated once before, way back in 1873, although the municipality was dissolved only ten years later.

In the 1960s, the island became part of the regional district system, which was set up to provide services and planning to entire regions of the province. Salt Spring became part of the Capital Regional District (the CRD).

In 1974, the provincial government recognized the unique character of the Gulf Islands, and land use and planning services were transferred from the seven regional districts that surrounded the gulf to the Islands Trust, with the mandate "to preserve and protect" the unique amenities of the area. Salt Spring thus receives services (health, building inspection, animal control, etc.) from the CRD, and land use and planning from the Islands Trust. Responsibility for roads rests with the Ministry of Transportation and Highways.

In the 1980s, growth on Salt Spring, and changes to provincial tax rules, made incorporation of the island (and, at one point, of the village of Ganges) a practical and affordable proposition. Although three studies have been undertaken since 1980, none was conclusive enough to lead to a referendum.

The latest study, in 1993, suggested that a municipal form of government, if implemented with great caution, could be less expensive than the island's "rural" government status. It recommended the creation of a special island municipality that would take into account the role of the Islands Trust. Such a municipality would require new provincial legislation. The response from the government was to refuse special municipal status. Instead, the province suggested that the municipality's Letters Patent (the document issued by Cabinet to create a municipality) could include recognition of the special qualities that islanders wanted to protect.

A number of important things have happened since the completion of the 1993 study. Salt Spring has a new OCP and a new Land Use Bylaw (LUB), municipal grants from the province have decreased significantly, the provincial government has signed a protocol agreement with the Islands Trust that sets out the framework for municipalities within the Trust area (see the section on "Salt Spring and the Islands Trust" that follows) and Bowen Island residents have voted to form the first island municipality within the Islands Trust.

Who sits on the Restructure Committee?
The committee is chaired by David Wood. Community members include Wayne Fraser, Marc Holmes, Richard Kerr, Peter Lake, Gundy McLeod, Judy Norget (Vice Chair), Bob Rush, Chris Schmah, Rod Scotvold, and Bob Watson. The two Islands Trust trustees and the CRD director serve as ex-officio members on the committee. In addition, a number of other community members with specific knowledge or expertise sit on subcommittees that look at specific issues. These subcommittees include agriculture, finance, letters patent, roads, and services.

How was this committee chosen?
In the fall of 1998, the three locally elected representatives placed advertisements in the local papers asking for volunteers to sit on a committee to look at the possibility of Salt Spring incorporating as a municipality. Of the approximately twenty-five persons responding, the two trustees and the CRD director invited twelve to sit on the committee.

What are the committee's responsibilities?
As noted above, the primary job of this committee was to conduct a study that will provide residents with all the information they will need to make an informed decision regarding incorporation, and to present study findings to residents for debate and discussion. The committee is also responsible for negotiating an incorporation package with the Province.

The committee is also responsible for recommending the way in which representation on the Trust would be determined.

One of the most important committee responsibilities is recommending to the provincial government that a referendum regarding incorporation either be held or not held. It is the province that makes the final decision on this matter, not the committee.

It is not the committee's job to come out either for or against incorporation.

Who conducted the study?
The committee has hired consultant Tom Reid of Sussex Consultants to undertake the study based on the committee's stated terms of reference. Tom has a great deal of experience with studies such as this and came highly recommended. He was the consultant associated with the Bowen Island study.

What does the study tell us?
The study is a technical analysis of the potential impacts--including costs--if the current rural form of government were to change to a municipal form. As much as possible, it will be an "apples-to-apples" comparison.

What can't the study tell us?
The study cannot tell us the costs (and therefore tax ramifications) of any facilities or services that we don't already have. As it is obviously impossible to predict what decisions a future council might make, the study cannot predict the costs to the taxpayer of their decisions. If, for example, a future council decided that every road on Salt Spring should be improved to city standards, our taxes would inevitably increase significantly.

The study also cannot deal with "cost of growth" issues: water supply and quantity, for example, would be just as challenging to current government or a future municipality.

What services would be affected by incorporation?
Most CRD services would become the responsibility of a new municipality. Policing would become a local cost (partially subsidized by the Province). Roads would become a local responsibility, although with the Province's agreement main roads between ferry terminals could remain the Province's responsibility.

What services would not be affected by incorporation?
None of the following services would be affected by incorporation: schools, the hospital, property assessment, private utilities (including water), postal and other federal services, and region-wide services of the CRD (e.g., regional parks).

What geographical area will be included in the study?
The boundary for the purposes of the study will be the same as CRD electoral area F, which includes all of Salt Spring, the islands within Ganges Harbour, and Russell and Idol islands.

How can I contact the committee?
It's easy to communicate your concerns and questions to the committee. Either send an e-mail to study@saltspring.com or mail your comments/concerns to SSI Local Government Restructure Committee, Box 417, Ganges PO, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2W1.

Where else can I find answers to my questions?
Try looking in the three sections that follow. You can also look through the many charts and statistical information included on this site. If you can't find the answers to your questions, send your queries to the committee.

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