B.C. mayors are asking the province for improvements to public safety and housing.
The BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus – a group of 16 mayors from some of the province’s largest municipalities – on Thursday put forward suggestions for this term’s provincial government.
The suggestions were originally sent to Premier David Eby in a December letter and are being disclosed amid the release of B.C.’s ministerial mandate letters – letters from the province that outline the objectives of each minister in office.
Among the caucus’s thirteen suggestions to ministers:
- Expanding access to detox, sobering and stabilizing beds across B.C.;
- A mandate to BC Housing for more urgent work with municipalities and making them the agency responsible for supportive housing;
- Funding and support for local governments that create community safety plans;
- The creation of a provincial urban downtown safety improvement plan;
- Bail reforms, increased funding for provincial courts and increased efficiency for processing repeat offenders;
- Addressing encampments, mental health, addiction and street disorder via the formation of a committee;
- Exploring cannabis revenue sharing programs with local governments.
Caucus co-chairwoman and Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said in the release they are still waiting for the ministerial mandate letters, explaining the caucus hopes Eby will listen to their advice.
The province issued a release early Thursday about what their pending ministerial mandate letters contain.
This includes growing the economy, strengthening health care, helping families with costs and making communities safer.
Members of the BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus represent over 55 per cent of B.C.’s population and include mayors from Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby, among others.
