‘Room for movement:’ Leger poll shows municipal voters searching for someone to get behind

Complex, weighty issues have pushed their way forward in the lead-up to B.C.’s municipal elections, with a new poll suggesting cost of living and housing affordability are on the minds of many Metro Vancouver voters.

The poll, conducted in late September by Leger, shows that while 51 per cent of people feel their city is on the “wrong track” and 57 per cent want change on their city council, a large number remain undecided about who to vote for, particularly in the suburbs outside Vancouver and Surrey.

“Municipal voters are hard on their leaders,” said Steve Mossop, executive vice-president with Leger.

But he warned that a restless electorate doesn’t always lead to sweeping change. Lack of awareness and low voter turnout mean results often come down to who is best-known. At the same time, expectation for local governments are “off the charts,” he said.

When asked if municipalities should be more or less involved in a series of issues, respondents said they want their city council to address issues like homelessness, poverty, drug use and climate change, as well as what they identify as the top three issues facing cities: Cost of living, housing affordability, and property taxes and spending.

Apart from taxes, voters appear to care less about some of the issues where municipal governments have the most power, such as managing the pace of residential development, the condition of roads and sidewalks, zoning changes and municipal red tape.

Mossop said this has been a common feature of local elections since COVID-19.

Mayors and councils must be sensitive to broader issues and define themselves by their ability to collaborate to address problems that reach beyond city budgets.

“The defining feature of the campaign may therefore be less whether residents want change than which candidates can convince them they can deliver it, while meeting high expectations for what local governments should do,” said a Leger report on the poll results.

In Burnaby, the poll shows incumbent Mike Hurley ahead of other candidates for mayor, with 25 per cent of respondents saying they’re most likely to vote for him, although about half remain undecided. Approval of the mayor is split, with 42 per cent approving and 38 per cent disapproving. But only 36 per cent think the city is moving in the right direction, compared with 48 per cent who think it’s not.

Among decided voters in Richmond, the race for mayor appears close with longtime Mayor Malcolm Brodie not seeking re-election. The poll shows Kash Heed ahead with 13 per cent of people saying they’re most likely to vote for him, followed closely by Alexa Loo with 12 per cent and Rob Howard with 11 per cent. Forty-five per cent are undecided.

Unlike voters in other cities, those polled in Richmond identify “mismanagement of municipal funds and reducing the size and cost of municipal government” among their top three issues, just slightly ahead of housing affordability. More voters feel the city is moving in the wrong direction than the right one, at 49 per cent compared with 39 per cent.