Metro Vancouver is considering significant changes to the size and structure of its governing board, which currently has 41 directors and is projected to grow. The move follows a Deloitte report that highlighted the need to streamline the board after massive cost overruns on the North Shore wastewater treatment plant project.
Current Board Size and Growth
The board, composed of elected officials from 23 member jurisdictions, is set to expand to 49 directors next year and 52 by 2031 based on population growth. Vancouver Coun. Lisa Dominato, chair of Metro Vancouver's governance committee, stated that there is consensus on the need to reduce the board's size and slow its growth.
Options Under Consideration
The Deloitte report offered five options, including maintaining the status quo. However, the committee is focusing on three alternatives that would reduce the number of directors to 23, 34, or 36. The current system allocates directors based on population: each jurisdiction gets one director and one vote, with an additional vote per 20,000 residents. Once a jurisdiction reaches five votes (100,000 residents), a second director is added.
Option 1: One Director per Jurisdiction
This would result in 23 directors, one from each member jurisdiction. While simple, the report notes it may not provide sufficient breadth of perspectives. Surrey would lose five directors and Vancouver six, concentrating majority votes among three directors instead of the current 16.
Option 2: Cap at Three Directors per Jurisdiction
Limiting each jurisdiction to a maximum of three directors would slow growth but keep the board at 34 directors. This option could concentrate influence in a single representative per jurisdiction.
Option 3: Increase Population Threshold per Vote
Raising the population threshold for additional votes from 20,000 to 25,000 would reduce the total number of directors to 36. Under this plan, five jurisdictions would have one fewer director, and 12 would have fewer votes.
Next Steps
The governance committee expects to make a formal recommendation to the board by July, with the goal of implementing any changes before the municipal elections in October. Dominato emphasized that doing nothing is not a viable option, given the need for more efficient governance.
