Metro Vancouver Board Resists Reforms, Seeks Public Input

0:00It's March 27th. Welcome in. This is Vancouver News today, where local news meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. Metro Vancouver's regional board, with 41 members, is resisting major overhauls to its structure despite calls for a form. An independent review labeled it too large and cumbersome for effective decisions, but directors voted down bold ideas and called for more public. Input instead. Last May, consultants from Deloitte laid out options after scandals raised the accountability flags. The board already cut committees and tweaked pay rules, yet the push to shrink its size has stalled without agreement. Board members mostly agree against expanding further. Some push for one rep per municipality with votes weighted by a population size, while others defend a diverse mix of mayors and counselors landing on. A modest drop to around 34 or 36 seats. At a recent committee meeting, no clear winner emerged, highlighting the tough debate. Now, they're set to green light a public engagement plan through July, aiming for a solid

1:02proposal to send to the provincial government. With local elections coming up this October, pressure is on to wrap things up soon. Officials insist the deliver pace ensures a fix that sticks for better regional oversight ahead.