2025 Reviews Underway

The Metro Vancouver Board is proceeding with a Governance Review, which will explore Board and Committee structure, compensation (remuneration) for Board and Committee members, and Board decision-making processes​. The Provincial Government is partnering with Metro Vancouver on this review.​​​

At the February 2025 Board Meeting, Metro Vancouver Board Chair Mike Hurley announced that Deloitte Canada has been selected as the independent third party to lead the Governance Review. Deloitte Canada is the largest 100 per cent Canadian owned and operated professional services firm in Canada, with a Global Center for Corporate Governance and Boardroom Programs, specializing in governance and risk consulting. In March, the Deloitte Canada team will work with the Metro Vancouver Board and the executive team to finalize the scope of work for the Governance Review.

As part of their work, Deloitte Canada will also consult with a panel of independent, external experts, including:

• Glen Clark – Canadian retail executive and former BC Premier
• Colin Hansen – former BC Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier
• Martin Thibodeau – Regional President of RBC
• Jennifer Podmore Russell – Chief Development Officer of Nch'ḵaỷ Development Corporation
• Diane Vuong – former CFO and VP of Finance at Vancouver Airport Authority
  

Learn more about Metro Vancouver’s governance

• About Metro Vancouver’s Governance Model
• About Board and Committee Compensation
  
• About Regional Districts i​n BC​
  

News release​​s and statements

• February 28, 2025: Metro Vancouver Selects Deloitte Canada to Undertake Board Governance Revie​w
  
• July 26, 2024: Metro Vancouver Board Moves Forward with Independent Performance Audit, Board Chair Addresses Corporate Spending​
• January 31, 2024: Metro Vancouver Regional District Board Meeting​​​
  

Metro Vancouver has a culture of continuous improvement in which we search for opportunities to innovate and reduce costs through all the work we do. As part of our Services and Cost Efficiencies Review, we’re identifying areas where operational cost savings can be made and assessing the financial and service impacts of these potential revisions. This will guide decisions for our 2026 budget and beyond.

As part of this review, the Board recently voted on whether to continue programs and initiatives delivered through the area of "Other Regional District Services" and is seeking opportunities to reduce costs on these services through the remainder of the budgeting process. The results of those discussions are below.​​​

• Metro Vancouver Completes First Phase of Services and Cost Efficiencies Review​​​
  
• Metro Vancouver Progresses Services and Cost Efficiencies Review​​

​​In the coming months, the Board will review department-by-department potential operational cost savings, including for the Metro Vancouver Water District, Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District, the Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation, and the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Learn more about Metro Vancouver’s services and budgeting process

• Backgrounder on Metro Vancouver’s Services
• About Metro Vancouver’s Budget
• Participate in Public Engagement on the 2026 Budget and 5-Year Financial Plan
• The Board Strategic Plan​​​​​​​
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  What Metro Vancouver board has done to contain costs to residents

  What Metro Vancouver board has done to contain costs to residents

  <div class="ExternalClass27DA9C975638429AA05534E393FACC0D"><p>Over the past five years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro Vancouver has undertaken significant work to reduce financial impacts on residents</p><p> <strong>2021-2022 Financial Levers:</strong> Metro Vancouver used financial leavers during COVID-19 pandemic to minimize rate increases, keeping them to 3.2 % in 2021 and 3.5 % in 2022.</p><p> <strong>2023 Deferrals:</strong> Metro Vancouver identified $650 million in deferrals within our capital program during the Financial Plan Task Force that were integrated into the 2024-2027 financial plan.</p><ul><li>This was made possible by pausing certain projects in response to economic uncertainty.</li></ul><p> <strong>2023 Development Cost Charges (DCCs):</strong> Metro Vancouver increased DCCs, which will ensure growth pays for growth, and which will reduce the tax requisition and utility bill rates for residents.</p><ul><li>By increasing DCCs, we avoid double-digit levy increases going forward</li><li>Metro Vancouver was the last local government in BC to enact a water DCC; in many ways, we are playing catch up on a more equitable distribution of capital costs</li></ul><p> <strong>2023 Task Force 5-year financial plan reductions:</strong> The deferrals combined with the DCC rates reduced our projected rate increases from:</p><ul><li>2024: 14.3% → 12%</li><li>2025: 14.1% → 11%</li><li>2026: 12.4% → 5%</li><li>2027: 12.1% ​​​→ 5%​<br></li></ul><p> <strong>2024 further reductions:</strong> We achieved further reductions in the 2025 budget, getting everything outside of the NSWWTP cost increase down to a 9.9% increase.</p><p> <strong>NSWWTP Cost Sharing:</strong> The Board has spread the costs for the plant across the region at a higher rate than our standard allocation bylaw. Each household in other sewerage districts took on an additional $10 above their already allocated portion. This reduced the impact on North Shore Sewerage Area ratepayers to $590 per year, phased in over ​5 years, instead of $725.</p><ul><li>As it is now, it could be interpreted that the North Shore will be paying $590 for 5 years (instead of 30).​​</li></ul><p> <strong>NSWWTP Amortization:</strong> To further help manage the levy increase, we amortized the costs of the plant over 30 years ​for North Shore Sewerage Area ratepayers​, ​instead of 15.</p><ul><li>The 30 year amortization only applies to the North Shore, everyone else is paying over 15 years.</li></ul>​​<strong>Continuous Improvement</strong> Staff are always looking for ways to deliver services that are more efficient and save on costs. For example: <ul><li>An in-house construction crew for liquid waste infrastructure resulted in a reduction of labor costs of 20% for projects completed in 2024. This will also reduce costs associated with management of assignments, reduce procurement costs, and improve ability to adapt to changing construction scheduling demands and urgent emergency or high-priority projects​<br></li></ul></div>

​​​Board and committee videos, meetings, reports

• February 21, 2025: Special Metro Vancouver Regional District Board Meeting
• January 23, 2025: Special Metro Vancouver Regional District Board Meeting
• January 31, 2025: Metro Vancouver Regional District Board Meeting​​
  

News releases and statements

• February 28, 2025: Metro Vancouver Progresses Services and Cost Efficiencies Review
• ​February 21, 2025: Metro Vancouver Completes First Phase of Services and Cost Efficiencies Review
• ​December 5, 2024: Metro Vancouver to Review Services and Find Cost Efficiencies in Upcoming 2026 Budget