Strathcona Regional District (SRD) staff finally unveiled their proposed revisions to the Grant in Aid policy two months ago. All four regional directors voiced objections. Noba Anderson pointed out the changes would prevent most Cortes Island organizations from applying. Brenda Leigh protested, “This policy interferes with my ability to run my grant program in Area D.” Jim Abram added, “You can’t ask a group that has no money to go out and get an audited statement.” Gerald Whalley suggested the SRD Board refer the proposed Grant in Aid policy to the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) for a recommendation.

A Joint Grant In Aid Areal Function

This occurred late in the morning of May 13th (starting at 1:44:47 in the video above). However the discussion at this virtual EASC meeting immediately took a detour:

“I would like to make a motion that staff bring back a report regarding the creation of an electoral area grant in aid service for those electoral areas that desire to participate,” said Regional Director Gerald Whalley

He explained, “This would be somewhat similar to our contingency funds arrangement, where we would have separate contributions for each electoral area Director that would occur during the budget process. We have regulations in this bylaw to prevent any area director from having expenditures greater than their own contribution. And thirdly, that the regulations would also have some stipulation so that the electoral area surplus at the end of the year is rolled over to the next year, exclusively for that area.”   

Pushed Around By Municipalities

Regional Director Brenda Leigh added: 

“In the Comox Valley, the three electoral areas set up a joint Grant in Aid areal function where they all pool their resources, have meetings and determine who is giving how much to whom.”

“ … I don’t really know what other electoral areas are thinking or doing. We could coordinate the grants being directed by having the four of us sit together and discuss how much and where is it going. I think it would really take a lot of dissension away at the board … Electoral directors feel we are really being pushed around by the municipalities trying to control in the administration … We need to have our own distinct service.”

Cortes Island’s Objection

One of the problems with this proposal is the degree to which Directors Leigh and Whalley have become conduits of gossip from a small group of dissatisfied Cortes Islanders. This has become very blatant since the island’s Regional Director, Noba Anderson, was re-elected in 2018. EASC Chair Jim Abram seems to be involved. The trio do not appear to be capable of treating Cortes matters in a fair manner. 

So Director Anderson opposed Whalley’s motion, “I have spoken against this motion for two reasons. I have found the full board often a fairer place for a lot of these discussions to take place. I want to have these Grant in Aid discussions to remain with the full board. Further, [the motion] delays further the discussion around how to improve the grant in aid process for fairness…” 

She suggested that any proposed electoral area Grant in Aid service not be set up until after discussions around improving the Grant in Aid process conclude. 

The Vote & What it Means

Whalley pointed out that his motion is not meant to be compulsory. Cortes Island does not have to participate. However, the other electoral areas “should have the freedom to do as we would like.”

Directors Leigh, Abram and Whalley voted in favour of the motion to have staff draw up a report about the creation of an electoral area Grant in Aid service. Director Anderson was opposed. The motion carried.  

Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained what this means: “We clearly received some direction to bring back a report for a Grant in Aid service function, but at the same time the board has asked all the committee to give their input to the policy. There has been no input, as Director Anderson pointed out, to this Grant in Aid policy. So I would … [suggest] you defer that discussion until the next meeting.” 

This was done.

After lunch, the Regional Directors joined the rest of the Board for their regular meeting.

Top photo credit: “Control is an option to command” by Frederico Cintra via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)