BC Urban Mayors Outline Priorities for Provincial Government

January 16, 2025

VICTORIA, BC – The BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus has outlined their priorities for the provincial government, ahead of the release of the provincial ministerial mandate letters.

In a letter sent to the Premier in December, dubbed the Caucus’s ‘Christmas Wish list,’ the mayors from 16 of the largest municipalities in BC identified a series of directions that the Premier could, and should, give to his new cabinet through their mandate letters. The list, which contains thirteen recommendations, suggests a series of actions that will provide tangible and realistic solutions to tackle some of the biggest challenges local governments face.

“Premier Eby has said that he intends to do things differently this term. And while we have seen some changes, including changes to the municipal affairs portfolio, we are waiting for the release of the ministerial mandate letters to fully assess what these changes mean for local governments, and our ability to deliver on our residents’ priorities,” said Marianne Alto, Mayor of Victoria and Co-Chair of the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus. “The Mayors’ Caucus has put a lot of thought into these recommendations, and we hope that Premier Eby will listen to the advice of local government. We want to work collaboratively with the Premier, and acting on these recommendations would be a positive first step.”

Mandate letters outline the issues, objectives, and actions each minister will work towards during their time in office. While mandate letters are typically written and published when the cabinet is sworn in, mandate letters for the current cabinet have not been released. The BC Cabinet, which was sworn in on November 18, have been given appointment letters in the interim.

“Mandate letters are key for us in local government to understand what we can expect to see from the government over the next few years; they give us a framework to understand what priorities each Minister will act on,” said Ken Popove, Mayor of Chilliwack and Co-Chair of the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus. “The list of Caucus priorities was created with help from urban mayors across BC, and speaks to some of the big challenges that cities face. If the Premier chooses to include these recommendations in his letters, I am confident that local governments and the Province will be in a strong position to deliver the positive results that British Columbians are looking for.”

The list of suggestions was solicited with input from urban mayors across BC, and speaks to a wide range of concerns, from safety, to infrastructure, and more.

The BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus have asked the Premier to direct his ministers to do the following:

• Direct the Minister of Health to engage directly with local governments to assess the need for substance use treatment and supports in each community, to improve local-government involvement in the creation of local-specific mental health supports.
• Direct the Minister of Health to immediately expand access to detox beds, sobering beds, and stabilizing beds in communities across BC.
• Direct the Minister of Health to explore options for provincially-funded recovery communities, and investment in a comprehensive range of recovery programs.
• Direct the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in collaboration with his colleagues, to establish shelter unit minimums for each community in BC.
• Direct the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to establish minimum care and operational standards for sheltering and supportive housing facilities, including their impact on neighbourhoods and neighbours.
• Direct the Minister of Housing to reform BC Housing, including providing BC Housing with a new mandate that directly addresses the need for BC Housing to work more urgently with municipalities, and establishes BC Housing as the agency responsible for sheltering and supportive housing.
• Direct the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Minister of State for Community Safety to create funding and support for local governments that are creating or implementing community safety and wellbeing plans.
• Direct the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Minister of State for Community Safety to create a provincial urban downtown safety improvement plan.
• Direct the Attorney General to act on bail reform, and immediately increase funding for provincial court services, to increase the speed and efficiency in which violent and repeat offenders can be processed through the court system.
• Direct the Minister of Infrastructure to work with colleagues in the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, the Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities, and yourself, to build a municipal infrastructure funding program.
• Direct the Ministers of Health, Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Housing and Municipal Affairs, and Solicitor General to work collaboratively to address poverty, encampments, community wellbeing, food security, the mental health and addictions crisis, and street disorder by establishing a cabinet roundtable, working group, or committee to address these challenges collectively.
• Direct the Minister of Health to expand the PACT/CLCR programs and advance civilian-led mental health response programs throughout BC.
• Direct the Minister of Finance to explore cannabis revenue sharing programs with local governments.

The BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus will continue to monitor the status of the mandate letters, and is optimistic that some, or all, of their recommendations are included.

A backgrounder follows.

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BACKGROUNDER – About the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus

The BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus is an informal, non-partisan group of mayors from 16 of BC’s largest cities – Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Kamloops, Kelowna, Maple Ridge, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Prince George, Richmond, Saanich, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria. Together, they represent over 55 per cent of the province’s total population. The group came together in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then was reconvened following the 2022 municipal elections, to act as a collective voice on critical issues facing their communities and urban British Columbia.

The group’s four priority action areas are:

• Mental Health & Substance Use and Treatment
• Community Safety and Wellness
• Affordable Housing
• Transit and Transportation