Regional District Board Directors

Each regional district in B.C. has a board of directors composed of representatives from electoral (unincorporated) areas, municipalities and Treaty First Nations where applicable.

Board members as a whole or as a smaller sub-groups participating in a service make collective decisions in the best interest of the region or communities within the region.

Eligibility

To be eligible to be a regional district board member a person must be:

• Directly elected as an electoral area director, or
• Elected to a municipal council and be appointed by the council as a regional district director, or
• Part of the governing body of a Treaty First Nation and be appointed as a regional district director

Oath of office

Once elected or appointed to the regional district board, each board member must complete an oath (or solemn affirmation) of office. If a board member fails to complete their oath of office within a specified period of time, they may be disqualified from holding office. The regional district may create its own oath of office or use the one prescribed in the Local Government Elections Regulation.

Board member responsibilities

Regional districts collectively provide hundreds of services throughout B.C. The services they provide are mostly voluntary (for example if requested), which means the board members of a regional district must generally agree on what services will be provided and at what cost. As such, all board members are expected to:

• Consider the well-being and interests of the region, as well as the community they represent, when making decisions
• Participate in board and committee meetings and contribute to decision-making
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the board, such as heading committees
• Follow the rules in legislation, bylaws and board policies

Chair responsibilities

At the first meeting of the regional district board in November every year, the chair and vice-chair of the regional district board are elected by a majority vote of all directors from among those directors.

The board chair is the head and chief executive officer of the regional district. The chair has all the responsibilities of a director plus a number of additional responsibilities. Under the Local Government Act, the chair must:

• See that the law is carried out for the improvement and good governance of the regional district
• Recommend bylaws, resolutions and other measures that may assist in the peace, order and good governance of the regional district
• Communicate information to the board, for example from the chief administrative officer or from meetings attended outside the region
• Chair board meetings, including overseeing their conduct, maintaining order, and knowing the rules of governing meetings
• Establish standing committees and appoint people to those committees
• Direct the management of regional district business and affairs
• Suspend regional district officers and employees if the chair believes this is necessary, subject to confirmation by the board