Vancouver (Rajeev Sharma): A proposal to reduce the size of Metro Vancouver’s Board of Directors has cleared a key hurdle after the regional district’s Governance Committee endorsed a recommendation to limit the number of directors each municipality can appoint.
The proposal, initiated by Delta Councillor Dylan Kruger, will now be placed before the full Metro Vancouver Board for consideration. If adopted, municipalities would be restricted to appointing a maximum of three directors, while the existing weighted voting system based on population would remain unchanged.
The recommendation is part of a broader governance reform effort launched last year, when Kruger introduced a motion asking staff to explore ways to streamline the Board’s structure as the region continues to expand.
Welcoming the committee’s decision, Kruger said the current approach of increasing board membership alongside population growth is no longer practical. He argued that a leaner board would improve decision-making, enhance accountability and help reduce governance-related expenses.
According to Kruger, modernizing the Board’s composition is one of the most significant reforms Metro Vancouver can undertake to ensure the regional body remains efficient and responsive to residents.
The councillor has been a vocal advocate for governance changes within Metro Vancouver and has previously supported measures aimed at improving transparency and reducing costs. These include ending international travel by directors, eliminating double meeting fees and implementing several recommendations made through Deloitte’s independent governance review.
Kruger said those reforms represented meaningful progress but described restructuring the Board itself as the next major step toward improving regional governance.
The recommendation now awaits discussion and a final vote by the full Metro Vancouver Board. If approved, it would introduce one of the most significant structural changes to the regional district’s governance model in recent years.
Ahead of the vote, Kruger urged board members from across Metro Vancouver to support the proposal, saying residents expect a governance system that is transparent, efficient and financially responsible. He added that limiting board size would strengthen accountability while ensuring the organization is better equipped to serve one of Canada’s fastest-growing metropolitan regions.
