Voting in Local Government Elections Referenda by Residents Living on Indian Reserve

WHEREAS it is a principle of democracy that governance and taxation are prerequisites to having a right to vote in local government elections and referenda, and that local governments do not have either regulatory or taxation authority over residents living on Indian Reserves in British Columbia; AND WHEREAS it is the Indian Band that has regulatory and taxation authority over residents living on an Indian Reserve in British Columbia, and it is the responsibility of the Indian Band to enfranchise residents living on an Indian Reserve under the Indian Band governance and taxation authority; AND WHEREAS it is financially unfair to allow persons to vote in local government elections, and referenda for services and facilities, if those persons are not also subject to the local government regulation and taxation required to pay for those services and facilities: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request the Province to exclude Indian Reserves from municipal boundaries in recognition of the absence of municipal regulatory and taxing authority on Indian Reserves; and also request the Province to exclude Indian Reserves from regional district electoral boundaries unless the Indian Band joins and participates in the regional district on the same basis as their neighbouring local governments.