An Introduction to Regional
Districts in British Columbia
Municipal Administration Training Institute
August 8, 2011
The Regional District Perspective
Governance & Representation
Regional Districts are unique to B.C.
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Regional Districts, like Municipalities,
get their authority to govern from the
Local Government Act and portions of
the Community Charter
Regional Districts ensure that all
residents of BC have access to an
elected form of local government
Regional Districts Were Enabled
by Provincial Legislation in the
Early 1960‟s
Regional Districts are Corporations
created by Letters Patent (LP) through
Provincial legislation.
For example the Peace River Regional
District (PRRD) LP – October 31, 1967.
Boundaries and names can change but
requires Supplementary Letters Patent
(SLP) approved by Cabinet amending
the LP. (the PRRD has had two SLP
amendments, 1970 & 1987)
Key Principles of the Regional
District System
Principle
Explanation
1.
Federal / Confederal
Part of, not apart from, the municipal
system
2.
Voluntary
Write your own tickets – local
customization
3.
Consensual
Borrowed power
4.
Flexible
Freedom to choose from menu of
services
5.
Fiscal Equivalence
Pay for what you get
6.
Soft Boundaries
Customized service boundaries
Federal / Confederal
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Rural residents have a federal relationship to the region,
wherein rural directors are elected from electoral areas,
and rural residents receive services directly from the
regional district. Municipal residents have a confederal
relationship to the region, wherein residents do not vote
directly for regional directors, which are appointed to the
regional board by municipal councils and regional services
are often provided indirectly via the municipality.
As a federation of municipalities and unincorporated areas,
it is the confederal character which is most important to
understanding regional districts. Each constituent unit is, in
effect, a shareholder and has a seat on the board of
directors. As a consequence, regional districts are not
separate from the municipal system but part of it. The
regional district exists to further the interests of its
members.
Voluntary
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Regional districts are, for the most part,
self-organizing, voluntary organizations
that, in effect, “write their own ticket.”
That is, except for provincially
mandated services, they provide only
the services that their members or
residents agree they should provide.
Consensual
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Regional Districts are, for the most part,
consensual organizations which rely on
“borrowed power”. That is, they can do only
what their municipal members and the public
agree they should do. This is different from
statutory authority or direct power, in that,
regional districts get things done by forging
partnerships and agreements. The Local
Government Act sets out extensive procedures
for obtaining consent of the municipal members
and, in the case of rural areas, elector assent,
whether in the form of referendum, petition or
counter petition
Flexible
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Regional Districts have a high degree of
flexibility to choose which services to provide
and at what scale. As a consequence, every
regional district has a different menu of
services which are delivered at a variety of
scales within boundaries of the regional
district and even across regional districts. The
services chosen in a regional district reflect
the needs in that region and characterize the
diversity of regions across British Columbia.
Fiscal Equivalence
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Regional district legislation requires a close
match between the benefits and costs of
services. The intent is that residents pay for
what they get. In practice, this can mean
that each service provided by a regional
district has a geography and a cost recovery
formula, with all of the costs recovered from
the beneficiaries. To this end, there is a wide
variety of cost recovery mechanisms, and it
is required that each service be accounted
for separately in the budgets and accounts
of the regional district.
Soft Boundaries
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Related to flexibility and fiscal equivalence,
is custom geography for the provision of
services. Every regional district service has a
defined area, or custom boundary which, to
the extent possible, attempts to match the
cost of recovery with the beneficiaries of the
service. In a soft boundary system, it is the
natural, or desired, scope of the service
delivery that determines boundary setting,
rather than jurisdictional or hard boundaries,
such as municipal boundaries.
Mandate and Role of a
Regional District
Regional Districts have three basic roles. They provide a
political and administrative framework for:
 Providing region-wide services such as regional
parks, emergency call answer services such as 9-1-1
and solid waste management.
 Providing inter-municipal or sub-regional services
such as recreation facilities where residents of a
municipality and residents in areas outside the
municipality benefit from the service.
 Acting as the general local government for the
electoral areas and providing local services such as
water/sewer works, fire protection and building
inspection to incorporated communities within the
electoral areas.
Regional Districts are not a second tier of
local government superimposed on top of
Municipal Government
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Regional Districts operate independently, along
side, and in cooperation with Municipal
governments
Regional Districts act as a political federation or
partnership between Regional stakeholders
(incorporated and unincorporated jurisdictions)
The “federation” joins together to deliver a wide
range of services
Federation allows for economies of scale and
other efficiencies
Established in part to meet increasing
demands and requirements for
(“municipal-type”) services in rural areas
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27 Regional Districts in BC, covering most of the
land base of BC
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Regional Districts do not exist anywhere else in
North America
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Each Regional District in BC is unique – no two
are alike (given that each region of the Province
is also unique)
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Governance Structure
Board Composition (ward representation)
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Electoral Area Directors represent
unincorporated areas of the Regional District
Municipal Directors represent incorporated
Municipalities within the Regional District
Board Chair and Vice Chair elected annually
by the Board – all members have a right to
vote
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Key: Role of the Board is to set policy and provide
strategic direction
Key: Role of Administration and Staff is to implement
Board Policy
Electoral Area Directors
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Elected to office every three years during
the local government election cycle
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Prescribed rules under the Local Government
Act - local government elections
Elected directly to the Regional Board for
a three year term of office
Electoral Area Directors represent their
electoral area constituents at the Regional
District board table
Municipal Directors
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Elected to municipal council for a three
year term of office during the local
government election cycle
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Prescribed rules under the Local Government
Act
Appointed to the Regional District Board
by their respective Municipal Council
Municipal representation on the Regional
Board is based on population (1 director
per 15,000 population)
Voting at the Board Table
Rules prescribed under the Local Government Act and the PRRD Meetings
Procedures Bylaw. (Different from Municipal Council voting rules)
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Default Rule:
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Majority vote decides
One Director – One Vote
Duty to vote, all Directors must vote
(abstention = vote in the affirmative)
Tie vote defeats the motion
Exceptions:
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Weighted votes based upon voting unit (1 vote per 3,000 pop.) 1
Director can only carry a maximum of 5 weighted votes
 Weighted voting on certain matters, e.g. financial plan, significant
contracts, acquiring or disposing of lands and borrowing
Stakeholder votes:
 Service area participants only can vote
Standing Committees, Select
Committees & Commissions of the Board
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Enabled under the Local Government Act
Standing Committees are appointed by the
Chair and must have at least one member
of the Board included
Select Committee of Directors is
appointed by resolution of the Board
Commissions are established by Bylaw of
the Board
Meeting Procedures
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Regional District Board
meetings are run under
meeting procedure
rules adopted by each
RD. For the Peace
River Regional District,
Meeting Procedure
Bylaw 1633 dictates
procedure
Service Delivery
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How and why are
services delivered
by a Regional
District?
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Some services are imposed
through legislation, e.g. Solid
Waste Management & Rural
Emergency Management
Services are typically delivered
through consensus of member
jurisdictions or members of the
electorate who wish to
participate in a service
Establishing a Service
Step 1
Raise the
Idea
•Ice Arena
Step 2
Study the
Feasibility
•Design, Cost,
Funding sources
Step 3
Public
Consultation
•Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Step 4
Step 5
Develop a
Service
Public
Establishment Consent
Bylaw
•Referendum
•3 readings
•Consent
•Adoption
•Alternative
Approval Process
•Consent on
behalf of electors
Consensus is Achieved By:
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Voting in a referendum
Alternative Approval Process
 Elector signs a Petition
 Elector signs a „Counter Petition‟
Getting the consent of the appropriate
electoral area director on behalf of
constituents
Getting the consent of the appropriate
municipal council on behalf of
constituents
Service Delivery:
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Only those properties within a service area
are taxed for the service
Services are delivered in any combination
to electoral areas &/or member
municipalities
BC Surveyor of Taxes collects Regional
District taxes in Electoral Areas
Member Municipalities collect Regional
District taxes within municipalities
Services may also be delivered via contract
with third parties
Regional Districts Deliver Some
Regional Services Because of
Efficiencies & Economies of Scale
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Solid Waste Management
Economic Development
Enhanced 911 Emergency Call Service
Regional Parks
Weed Control
Regional Districts Deliver Other
Services on a More Localized Level
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These are typically direct benefit services
like sewer, water, fire protection, dog
control or community facility operations
delivered to the electoral areas
In electoral areas, Regional Districts are
mandated to provide land use planning,
i.e., official community plans and zoning
Discretionary Local
Service Examples:
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Fire protection
Heritage Conservation
Sewer and/or Water
Building Inspection
Airports
Flood Control
Recreation facilities
Street Lighting
Cultural Facilities
Garbage Collection
Animal Control
Libraries, +++++
Regional Districts Deliver Different
Services to Different Partners Within
the Federation
Any Combination Works
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Municipal Partners
Municipal and Electoral Area Partners
Electoral Area Partners
Provincial and/or Federal Partnerships
Public – Private Partners
User Pay Principle
Regional District Financing
Key differences between Regional
Districts and Municipalities are
 Taxpayers only pay for RD services they receive
 Each RD service has an individual service
budget
 Funds can not be transferred between budgets
 Taxpayers are taxed on the basis of property
assessments, land & improvements or just
improvements depending on the service
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Taxpayers within a service area are taxed at the
same rate
Regional Districts do not have direct taxation
authority in Electoral Areas - Provincial Surveyor
of Taxes does
Municipalities are “requisitioned” (invoiced)
annually by the Regional District for regional
services their residents participate in
Financial Plan (Budget)
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Mandated under the Local Government Act
Like Municipalities – 5 year financial plan is
required (Operational and Capital Plan)
Public consultation is required to ensure
transparency and accountability to the taxpayers
Borrowing
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Municipal Finance Authority – The MFA credit ratings
are amongst the highest in Canada and are rated by
Standard & Poor's, AAA; Moody's Investor Services,
Aaa; and Fitch Ratings, AAA.
Regional Districts can borrow money at lower rates
than the private sector
The RD borrows on behalf of Municipalities
Loan Authorization Bylaws – Both M & RD Bylaws
require assent of the electorate by:
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Alternative Approval Process (Counter Petition)
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Referendum
Regional Hospital District
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Hospital Districts function under the
authority of the Hospital District Act
Main Purpose
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to grant aid for the establishment,
acquisition, reconstruction, enlargement,
operation and maintenance of hospitals
and hospital facilities.
generally this is at a 60% - 40% split
between the Province and the Hospital
District
RD Governance Structure
PRRD Board of Directors
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Governed by a 12 Member Board of Directors
4 Electoral Area Directors representing the
unincorporated areas within the geographic
boundaries of the PRRD
8 Municipal Directors representing the 7 Member
Municipalities in the Region
Corporate Structure
Peace River Regional District
Peace River Regional District
&
Peace River Regional Hospital District
Board of Directors
Chief Administrative Officer
Deputy CAO
Responsibilities
Chief Financial
Officer
Executive
Assistant
General Manager of
Environmental
Services
General Manager of
Development Service
Corporate Officer
Manager of
Community Services
Assistant Treasurer
Manager of
Communication
Manager of
Solid Waste
Services
Manager of
Invasive Plant
Program
Assistant Manager of
Development Services
(Term Position)
Building
Inspector
Corporate Services
Coordinator
GIS
Coordinator
Bylaw
Enforcement
Community Services
Coordinator
Solid Waste
Coordinator
Field Services
Working Foreman
Planners
Finance Clerk
Receptionist
DC/FSJ
Legislative/Information
Services Secretary
GIS
Technologist
GIS
Technician
System
Technician
Field Staff
Regional District
Strengths
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Provides a forum for regional issues
Can be an avenue for Urban-Rural
cooperation
Can provide a cost efficient solution for
broader services
Ability to customize solutions
Publicly accountable
Regional District
Weaknesses
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Difficult at times to balance regional vs.
local representation
RD decision making structure can be
complicated
Municipal appointments are perceived
to not be elected
Urban – Rural balance is lopsided for
some RDs
Regional District
Future Challenges
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Recognition as an equal partner local
government not just service/funding
partner
Unity at the Board table (Urban-Rural)
Revenue sources
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS