Metro Vancouver board shrinking by 25 percent, capping representatives per municipality
The regional district board approved a plan to reduce its directors from 45 to 34 by capping representation at three directors per member municipality, pending provincial legislation.
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Metro Vancouver Regional District has approved a plan to shrink its board of directors by nearly 25 percent, reducing the number from 45 to 34 beginning in the next term.
The board, comprised of select members of the region's mayors and city councillors, voted to cap representation at a maximum of three directors from each member municipality or jurisdiction. The regional district will continue using its weighted voting system, which gives larger municipalities greater voting power based on population.
The change would preserve every member jurisdiction's seat at the table while reducing overall board membership and improving decision-making efficiency, according to Mike Hurley, chair of the regional district's board and Mayor of Burnaby.
"Metro Vancouver has taken a really thoughtful process for finding strong options for reducing the size of the Board and improving the organization's governance," Hurley said in a statement. "The option that we are putting forward would ensure that all municipalities continue to have proportional representation at the table, but it also reduces Board size and helps with efficiency."
Without a cap, board membership could continue growing as Metro Vancouver's population increases and municipalities gain entitlement to appoint additional directors. Under the new structure, the board is estimated not to return to its current size of 45 directors until after 2050, when the region's population reaches over four million people—up from more than three million today.
The change cannot be implemented by the regional district alone. Metro Vancouver must ask the provincial government to amend either the B.C. Local Government Act or the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act, which governs the regional district's structure. That legislative process will require provincial consultation and could take up to two years.
If approved, the same leaner representation structure would automatically apply to the boards overseeing the regional district's drinking water, sewerage and drainage systems, and regional housing corporation.
The proposal emerged from an independent governance review completed by consulting firm Deloitte in May 2025, which recommended examining the board's size and structure as part of broader efforts to improve accountability and decision-making.
The facts
How many directors will Metro Vancouver's board have after the reduction?
Metro Vancouver Regional District will reduce its board from 45 to 34 directors, a reduction of nearly 25 percent, beginning in the next term.
What is the maximum number of directors each municipality can appoint?
Each member municipality or jurisdiction will be capped at a maximum of three directors on the Metro Vancouver board.
What provincial legislation is needed to implement this change?
Metro Vancouver must ask the provincial government to amend either the B.C. Local Government Act or the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act to implement the restructuring.
When could the provincial legislative process be completed?
The legislative process required for provincial consultation could take up to two years.
