A resolution asking the British Columbia government to provide dedicated funding for small, rural and remote communities has passed at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention — by the slimmest possible margin.
CBC reported the resolution, known as RR9b and put forward by the Village of Tahsis on Vancouver Island, squeaked through at the convention in Victoria, which ran in late September. The wording also asks the province to engage with all local governments on the issues.
The push reflects a familiar pressure on small communities: downloading of responsibilities, tight tax bases and the cost of infrastructure that larger cities can spread across far more residents.
A passed UBCM resolution does not bind the province, but it puts the request formally in front of the government in Victoria. For Vancouver Island's smallest communities, the vote is a signal that the issue now has province-wide backing.
