No imminent Metro Vancouver overhaul coming following Deloitte review

Following intense scrutiny in recent years, Metro Vancouver is beginning to set out a path for reforming its board's size and structure.

Metro Vancouver’s 41-person board was described in a Deloitte review last year as large and unwieldy.

That audit prompted 49 recommendations, and now the regional body’s governance committee is starting to grapple with what change should look like.

But what is becoming clear is that any overhaul won’t be coming rapidly.

At Thursday’s Metro Vancouver governance committee meeting, there were suggestions of having further meetings to discuss potential changes, with a general plan of bringing recommendations to the board by June or July.

“(We’re looking at) everything from size of the boards to structure of the boards,” saidgovernance committee chair and Vancouver city Coun. Lisa Dominato during a break in the meeting, when asked what areas could see changes.

“This could be everything from reducing the size of the boards in terms of number of members to looking at more of a utilities model for the sewer and water districts.”

But while the timeline of change remains murky, there’s an acknowledgement from everyone that adjustments are needed.

“This region is growing by 50,000 people a year,” said Delta city Coun. Dylan Kruger, a member of the governance committee.

“We’re going to have a million new residents by 2050. Board size is directly tied to the size of our population. If we don’t change the formula for how we choose directors, we’re going to have fifty, sixty directors in no time. We won’t be a board, we’ll be an assembly, at that point.”

From a wastewater treatment plant’s budget ballooning by $3.5 billion to questions about director compensation, the appetite for a Metro Vancouver overhaul is clear.

But with October’s civic elections looming, it’s unlikely significant changes will happen before then.

“I do feel that there’s a sense of urgency,” said Kruger. “This has to get wrapped up this term as far as I’m concerned. We have to give direction to the province, and then it’s up to the province how quickly they want to expedite changes at the end of the day.”