2025

Whereas the difficulty faced by local governments in responding to rapidly increasing policing costs combined with limited mechanisms to generate revenue is putting significant pressure on local budgets and creating challenges for local governments to adequately address other mandated responsibilities; And whereas the RCMP contract policing model, which includes Police Service Agreements negotiated by provincial and federal orders of government, leaves local governments with very minimal control over policing decisions: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government,

Whereas the Province of BC continues to face devastating wildfire events year after year and the risk of these events continues to climb, while the Province spends hundreds of millions of dollars on wildfire suppression, yet the amount dedicated to local governments for wildfire prevention via the Community Resilience Investment Grant is exponentially smaller; And whereas In April 2024, the Premiers Expert Task Force on Emergencies called the FireSmart program a success story but recommended building capacity to expedite wildfire risk reduction projects and streamline administrative requir

Whereas the Province of British Columbia, through BC Housing, has made significant investments in supportive housing and shelter services, yet many smaller and rural communities continue to face challenges in accessing these resources; And whereas ensuring that individuals experiencing homelessness can access housing and supports within their home communities promotes stability and well-being; And whereas a more equitable distribution ofsupportive housing and shelter services would ensure that all communities urban, rural and regional have access to supportive housing and shelter servic

Whereas in the fall of 2023, the BC government passed Bill 44: Housing Statutes Residential Development Amendment Act, 2023, which amends the Local Government Act to support the supply of significantly more homes, faster, in British Columbia; And whereas the provincial requirement to allow small-scale, multi-unit housing has a significant impact on existing municipal and regional district infrastructure: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the government of British Columbia to provide consistent funding to municipalities and regional districts to manage the infrastructure costs resulti

Whereas the Accessible BC Act reflects the provincial governments commitment to fostering a society where individuals with disabilities can participate fully and equally; And whereas the implementation of the Act is contingent upon the availability of resources to support local governments in meeting the outlined requirements; And whereas solutions which support accessibility require the involvement of all stakeholders, including local governments, community organizations and the Province working together to achieve key objectives, a unified approach is necessary to effectively address th

Whereas the BC Public Health Act Regulations include Regulated Activity Regulation 1612011, which addresses public sanitary facilities and toilets, and these regulations have been put in place to ensure public places contain, and the public has access to, adequate sanitary facilities; And whereas more and more public toilets are being shut indefinitely, if not permanently, for many reasons including vandalism, drug use, and cost of maintenance; And whereas in many areas, there are no longer public toilets available, and the current Act no longer results in access in many places: Therefor

Whereas the Sewerage System Regulation, under the Public Health Act, does not require an environmental impact study for sewerage systems including septic systems that receive a flow of less than 22,700 litres per day 5,000 Imperial gallons; And whereas there is no requirement for provincial review of the cumulative effect of multiple systems on a parcel of land or their location relative to water sources that may be present, as part of the onsite sewerage system permitting process: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request, that as part of the onsite sewerage system permit approval proce

Whereas the Province of British Columbia abdicated their obligation to improvement districts through their ill-planned and failing Improvement District Governance: Policy Statement 2006 policy filled with idyllic and unrealistic objectives driven by discriminatory and segregated protocols; And whereas the acceptance of defeat by improvement districts has failed as pride and independence has won over which has led to most, if not all, improvement districts being in desperation and beyond the point of no return when they seek conversion, making assets and capital improvement conversions cos

Whereas the Province has enacted a significant volume of legislative and regulatory amendments affecting the authority of local governments, and these changes span across multiple, diverse topics and require specialized knowledge to implement locally; And whereas many British Columbia local governments are small organizations with a lean staff and fixed capacity, and local governments have not received permanent core funding to increase capacity for ongoing demands of new legislation, and multiple changes province-wide limits the availability of qualified consultants to create temporary c

Whereas the current infrastructure and capital project funding model in Canada is outdated and unsustainable, as outlined in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities report Making Canadas Growth a Success: The case for a Municipal Growth Framework, leaving local governments with limited options to pay for growth-related infrastructure which is critical for local governments to meet their housing needs; And whereas British Columbia is the only province in Canada requiring elector approval to allow local governments to borrow money for necessary infrastructure-related projects: Therefore