British Columbians could soon be sending their mayors and councillors to city hall for four years instead of three, if a task force into municipal political reforms gets its way.
Among 31 recommendations in a report released Monday by a joint government and Union of B.C. Municipalities task force is to extend local government terms to four years, from the current three.
Community and Rural Development Minister Bill Bennett said the recommendations require approval from the BC Liberal cabinet and caucus members.
If that approval is given the term changes could be in effect for the fall 2011 municipal elections across the province, he said.
Bennett said opponents of the extension believe that longer political terms deter people from seeking office, but he disagreed.
"There's no statistical evidence at all that going to three years discouraged people from seeking election," he said. "We are reasonably confident that this is going to be a positive thing."
Bennett said longer terms give mayors and council more time to plan projects and explore the needs of their communities.
Opposition New Democrat community critic Scott Fraser, a former mayor of Tofino, on Vancouver Island, welcomed extended municipal terms.
But he was upset the task force didn't move to place limits on political donations in municipal politics.
Fraser said the task force should have closed loopholes that leave the perception that large campaign donations play a role in B.C. municipal politics.
"They failed to do that by failing to put in caps on donor contributions," he said.
Bennett noted that while the task force did not limit donations, it did recommend tighter election financing rules, similar to those in provincial elections.
Other recommendations include: expense limits on local election campaign participants, registration and disclosure by third party advertisers, sponsorship information on all election advertising, and making campaign finance disclosure statements available earlier and in an electronically searchable form.
Bennett said the task force recommended putting Elections BC in charge of enforcement of local campaign finance rules.
The task force also recommended against a suggestion to give businesses a separate vote in municipal elections.
The report said there was no way to ensure fairness among businesses and there is no business vote in provincial or federal elections.
UBCM spokeswoman Barbara Steele said giving businesses a vote does not answer electoral reform questions and it is a concept "not supported by the rest of the free world."
