Skip to content

Think for yourself

ONCE again, West Vancouver's influential Citizens for Good Government electors group is preparing to draw up its list of favourites for the November municipal election. Once again, that list will no doubt affect the outcome.

ONCE again, West Vancouver's influential Citizens for Good Government electors group is preparing to draw up its list of favourites for the November municipal election.

Once again, that list will no doubt affect the outcome.

While many see the organization's actions as a useful service, others see the closed-door interview process it engages in as an affront to democracy. The critics' objections are reasonable, but perhaps voters in general are more at fault.

Turnout at the provincial and federal ballot box has been disappointing for many years. At the municipal level, it's abysmal. Recent elections have seen participation in many of B.C.'s communities sink below 20 per cent. West Vancouver, while better than the average, is really no exception.

The problem, at its core, is that municipal elections can seem boring. A parade of little-known individuals making endless presentations about parochial issues is not a pulse-pounding prospect for many potential voters. It is tempting, come election time, to rely on the judgment of a handful of fellow citizens in making a choice.

But municipal councils, which have a significant impact on the day-to-day lives of residents, are an important institution. They should reflect the preferences of the many, not the preferences of the few, amplified.

The WVCGG can't be faulted for speaking to candidates and publishing its opinions, but those who follow their recommendations blindly can. A parroted opinion is not an informed opinion. Voters should do their own work.