Legislated by the Community Charter, an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is a form of approval that allows electors to voice whether they are against a local government proposal. Local governments can use this process as an alternative to an Assent Vote.
An AAP is often used for long-term borrowing bylaws, which allow the local government to proceed with debt financing for a capital project.
An AAP saves the costs, time and resources of an Assent Vote and provides eligible electors at least 30 days to voice their opposition.
If you are in favour of adoption of the bylaw , no action is required.
If you are an eligible elector and you are opposed to adoption of the bylaw you will need to complete and submit an Alternative Approval Process Elector Response Form before the deadline
If 10% of eligible electors complete and submit the form, Council must either abandon the bylaw or put it to an Assent Vote (referendum) to obtain approval.
If less than 10% of eligible voters complete and submit the response form, Council can proceed with bylaw adoption.
The District of Squamish runs AAPs annually to seek community approval for long-term borrowing costs.
Borrowing is a valuable and effective financial tool that helps to spread the cost of large projects over the project’s lifetime, so that a project is paid for by current and future taxpayers.
Borrowing is used in addition to grants, cash from reserves, Development Cost Charges and property taxes.
Any individual who qualifies as a resident elector or non-resident property elector within the area affected by the subject matter of the AAP can participate. AAPs are often District-wide, but can also be limited to a small area of town.
Council directs staff to proceed with approval through an AAP. After that, staff brings a report to Council at an open meeting. That report includes a proposed AAP notice date, deadline, estimated number of electors, and proposed elector response form.
Council must approve these by resolution, and following that, the response forms are made available to the electors.
AAP notices are published in the newspaper at least twice, and the deadline for receipt of the response forms is at least 30 days after the second notice. Depending on the subject matter of the AAP, there may be additional notices and public communications.
Once the AAP starts, the forms are available at Municipal Hall and on the District website.
Completed forms must be delivered to the Corporate Officer by the deadline.. Accurate, unaltered copies of the elector forms may be accepted.
The Corporate Officer receives and dates all completed AAP elector response formsare andholds them in confidence until the AAP deadline has passed.
Once the deadline has passed, the responses are validated, and staff reports to Councilon the total number of valid responses received. If the total is at least 10% of the estimated number of electors, Council cannot adopt the bylaw unless it is approved by through an Assent Vote.
For more information, please contact the Corporate Officer at 604.815.5023 or 604.815.5006 or by email to [email protected].