Citizens-First City Hall & Public Accountability

Victoria once earned national recognition for public engagement. Yet City Hall’s own 2022 governance review found a serious trust problem: 73% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that public input was considered in Council decision-making. Other findings were similarly troubling, including very low confidence that Council was addressing citizen priorities. The survey was self-selected, but the warning was unmistakable.

Among respondents who had presented to Council, 70% said they were treated respectfully, but only 39% believed their concerns were heard and given consideration.

Victoria also worked with Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue to develop principles for better engagement: involve people early, be clear about how they can influence decisions, report what was heard fairly, and close the loop afterward.

City Hall already knows what good engagement looks like. As Mayor, I will make sure we actually do it, consistently.

As Mayor, I will bring forward a Citizens’ Assembly early in the term. If Council does not fund it, I will pay for it from my salary as Mayor. A well-designed Citizens’ Assembly brings together a broad cross-section of people from across Victoria, gives them reliable information, lets them hear different perspectives and work through difficult trade-offs before making recommendations.

I will ensure City Hall hears from the whole community, not just the loudest voices and best-organized interests. A Citizens’ Assembly gives ordinary Victorians a real opportunity to shape decisions before they are made.

Show People What Changed

A “What We Heard” report is only half the job. For important consultations, we should be able to see: what was genuinely open for decision; what people said; what reached Council; what changed because of that input; and why Council chose differently where it did.

For major consultations, City Hall should publish this response within 60 days.

When we ask people to give us their time and their views, we owe them an honest account of what we did with both.

Council still has to make decisions within legal, financial, safety and practical limits. Those limits should be clear from the start.

In 2024, the City shut off comments on its official social-media channels after problems with abusive and unproductive posts. Abuse should be moderated firmly. A badly functioning public forum should be fixed, not shut down.

City Hall should use clear rules, effective moderation and better-designed ways for residents to engage without expecting people to tolerate harassment or abuse. It should not punish everyone by locking the discussion room.

As Mayor, I will make sure City employees have a meaningful voice in improving the services they deliver. They can see waste, operational problems and opportunities for improvement before senior decision-makers do. Their practical knowledge is an asset City Hall should make better use of to solve problems earlier, spend money better and deliver better service.

A citizens-first City Hall listens to the people it serves and the people who do the work. It decides openly, explains its choices and shows its work.

I respect the work of the Victoria-Saanich Citizens’ Assembly and take its recommendation seriously. Its members devoted thousands of hours to examining how our two municipalities could work better together, and there was overwhelming agreement that the status quo can be improved.

Full amalgamation is a much bigger decision. Important questions about costs, property taxes, service integration, transition and relationships with local First Nations still need clearer answers. I want that work completed and made public before reaching a final conclusion.

In the meantime, I strongly support looking for practical opportunities to integrate services and coordinate decisions where doing so can improve service, reduce duplication or solve regional problems more effectively. We should not have to choose between thirteen separate silos and one enormous municipal government. We should organize services at the level where they work best.

I support a serious, evidence-based discussion about where regional services should be coordinated or integrated, including the question of amalgamation.

These are my current Citizens First policy commitments and the direction I intend to pursue. I want to hear from you. Every policy remains open to new evidence, public input and better ideas. My commitment to listening includes establishing a Citizens’ Assembly to give residents a meaningful role in shaping Victoria’s future.