Re: Greater Victoria amalgamation? Not likely (News, May 29)
Former Saanich mayor Hugh Curtis, in his stated opposition to some form of municipal amalgamation, fails to offer any reasons why this effort shouldn’t proceed other than that’s how we’ve always done things and previous initiatives have failed and so will this one.
He ought to have considered what’s not happening under the current form of regional governance: the CRD does not have the tools to engage in major planning decisions.
We do not have an elected body to undertake major regional infrastructure projects. This region does not have a unified and practical system to co-ordinate business regulations, emergency services and regional decision making.
Perhaps Mr. Curtis’s biggest failure is that he assumes that there is an amalgamation model on the table to discuss. He suggests one or two.
What Amalgamation Yes is suggesting is a process whereby a successful vote in 2014 will trigger an extensive examination of all the issues.
Mr. Curtis is apparently satisfied with the status quo. A lot of people we talk to are not. Let’s allow democracy to work.
Susan Jones, chair,
Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society