Governance Task Force Proposal

Thank you Mayor and Council for providing this time to address you.

I am introducing this motion to establish a temporary Governance Task Force because I believe it is in the best interests of everyone and especially you all—as Council, as leaders of this city, and as stewards of public trust.

The reality is that the gift card scandal and the Olympic Oval forensic audit have damaged confidence in your governance.

Residents are asking:

• If this could go unnoticed for years, can we trust the City’s financial statements?

• Can we trust Council oversight?

  
  

Whether you personally had a role in these issues or not, the public looks to all of you collectively for accountability.

If you do not act decisively, you risk being seen as passive or indifferent at a time when leadership is most needed.

Why Will This Motion Help Council?

The Governance Task Force is not about blame.

It is about protecting Council’s credibility and showing residents you are serious about solutions.

• It demonstrates that Council is proactive, not simply waiting for audit results.

• It gives you a structured process to identify gaps in oversight and transparency before further problems emerge.

• It strengthens Council’s collective position by showing residents you are united in prioritizing accountability.

• It comes at minimal cost to taxpayers, relying on existing staff capacity and volunteer or low-cost governance experts.

In other words: this motion is not a risk to Council—it is a safeguard for Council.

Why a Task Force?

This city already relies on advisory committees on a wide range of issues.

In the year 2000, Richmond even created a Task Force on Drugs and Crime—because Council recognized that when a challenge is serious, visible, and complex, a dedicated Task Force is the right tool.

If drugs and crime merited a task force then, why not governance today—when public trust itself is on the line?

Other municipalities and organizations use governance task forces as a best practice when oversight gaps appear.

They provide:

• Crisis response: a visible commitment to accountability.

• Independent perspective: bringing in outside expertise strengthens credibility.

• Capacity building: giving Council and staff the training to govern more effectively.

• Time-limited focus: ensuring issues are addressed quickly without creating permanent new bureaucracy.

This approach aligns with local government best practices, which emphasize transparency, independence, and clear timelines as essential to restoring trust.

What the Task Force Will Do?

• Review how the City and arms-length entities like the Oval are governed.

• Recommend stronger oversight tools, reporting requirements, and financial controls.

• Deliver interim recommendations in 3 months and final recommendations in 6 months.

• Provide governance training for both Council and senior leadership, so you are better equipped to prevent future failures.

This is a focused, time-limited, and practical step forward.

What Are The Benefits for Council?

By supporting this motion, Council can:

• Reassure the public that you take accountability seriously.

• Regain control of the narrative by leading the change, instead of being seen as reacting under pressure.

• Strengthen your own governance capacity, which improves every decision you make going forward.

This motion is about credibility, leadership, and trust.

By establishing this Governance Task Force now, you show that Council is united, responsible, and committed to doing what’s right for Richmond.

This is not just in the best interests of residents and taxpayers—it is in the best interests of all of you, protecting your reputation and ensuring you have the structures in place to govern with confidence.

If you could create a task force 25 years ago to address drugs and crime, surely you can create one today to address governance—the foundation of everything else you do.

Of course the alternative is to be seen doing nothing and wait for the next headline, which may be much worse than Mayor McCheese!

Thank you.

WATCH City Council Meeting (at 1:19:00) https://www.youtube.com/live/e168kkwH55s?si=-0NWsoYs4jAMbsHO