How to read this page. Each row below is one policy area, with Sarah Starkweather's mark for it on the right; the key underneath says what each mark means. Open a row for the questions behind that mark, what they answered, and why each answer scored as it did. The control above the list opens all of them at once. At the foot of the page you can print this scorecard or share it as an image.
General
What Sarah Starkweather said
- Not graded GEN-01
If you could change one policy, bylaw, feature, or municipal asset (i.e, facility or infrastructure) in your municipality, what would it be and why?
If I could snap my fingers and change one feature Oak Bay it would be to create a significant supply of accessible multiunit housing geared to seniors. This housing would be close to shops and essential services, be designed to foster connections and community-building, and take a range of forms (including market rate housing, coop housing, and subsidized housing).
This would benefit Oak Bay seniors by allowing them to downsize while staying in their community, and providing greater proximity to neighbours and to their daily errands. It would benefit people hoping to buy a family home in Oak Bay, by freeing up older family homes. It would benefit our existing housing stock, by reducing deferred maintenance. And it would benefit local shops and services, by increasing the nearby customer base.
I think Oak Bay should get serious about housing and have honest conversations about what we give up when we don't provide enough places, or varied enough places, for people to live. - Not graded GEN-02
Your municipality has received $10 million in new annual funding and must spend all of it. How would you allocate it across the following areas? Your answers must total $10 million.
Sarah Starkweather's allocation of ten million dollars Housing $1,500,000 Transit $1,250,000 Walking Infrastructure $750,000 Rolling & Cycling Infrastructure $750,000 Roadway Infrastructure $500,000 Policing $100,000 Fire & Emergency Services $500,000 Parks & Recreation $1,000,000 Arts & Culture $300,000 Climate Action & Environment $1,500,000 Unhoused Resident Services $350,000 Community-Based Clinics $1,500,000
Healthcare access
What Sarah Starkweather said
- Not graded HLT-01
What role should your municipality play in establishing new primary care clinics?
Why we ask this
Ungraded. Mainly curious about how you'd approach expanding healthcare access in your region.
Chose 1 of 4 options - Not graded HLT-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to healthcare in your municipality, feel free to share your thoughts below.
Access to medical care, particularly primary care, is a crisis in Oak Bay. Other municipalities have shown that there are ways for Oak Bay to step up and do something about it. I think we should.
Transit
A- 20% of this topic TRN-01 A
Which fare measures would you actively advocate for at the VRTC? Select all that apply.
Why this grade: Supports each fare measure put forward, covering free travel for under 19s, cheaper fares for seniors, cheaper fares for people on income or disability assistance and a lower cost regional monthly pass. Every option offered is taken up, and no cheaper subset is preferred to the whole.
How this question is graded
A count of ticks, because no option here is cheaper than the others in the way CLI-06's are. Four or more = A. Three = B. Two = C. One = C-. None = F. The rows graded before this rubric was written are not perfectly consistent with it at three and two ticks; they were left as typed and the majority letter was taken. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 4 of 6 options (up to 4 allowed) - 30% of this topic TRN-02 —
Do you support removing general on-street parking (excluding accessible parking spaces) from frequent transit corridors and main arterial streets in your municipality, and reallocating that space to bus lanes, loading zones, and walking and cycling infrastructure?
Why this grade: Marks the question of clearing general parking from busy transit streets as not applicable locally. Answered as not applicable rather than declined, so the row carries no letter and sits outside the transit calculation. Note: Oak Bay presently is served in part by two FTN Routes (Routes 4 and 15 along Henderson Rd), and will be subject to further FTN Routes taking inspiration form from Routes 2 and 5 on Oak Bay Ave only as far as Newport Rd, and Route 7 along Foul Bay Rd. This condition does apply to Oak Bay presently in a limited capacity, and will be expanded in future.
How this question is graded
Yes, across the whole corridor = A. Yes, only during peak hours = B. Kind of, only when a specific project requires it = C. No = F. Peak hours only is a real, testable limit on a yes, so it takes the conditional-yes B. Only when a specific project requires it names no project and commits to nothing in advance, which is the case-by-case answer CLI-08 puts at C. A No is F because the question is about street space, which is infrastructure. Eight of the earlier rows put the case-by-case option at B and nineteen put it at C; the nineteen were followed. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 6 options - 30% of this topic TRN-03 —
Do you support rapid deployment of transit priority measures on frequent transit corridors, even where this requires removing on-street parking or a general-purpose traffic lane?
Why this grade: Marks the question of transit priority on frequent corridors as not applicable locally. Answered as not applicable rather than declined, so the row is left blank and drops out of the transit calculation. Note: Oak Bay presently is served in part by two FTN Routes (Routes 4 and 15 along Henderson Rd), and will be subject to further FTN Routes taking inspiration form from Routes 2 and 5 on Oak Bay Ave only as far as Newport Rd, and Route 7 along Foul Bay Rd. This condition does apply to Oak Bay presently in a limited capacity, and will be expanded in future.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, but not at the cost of a general-purpose travel lane = C-. No = F. The question asks specifically about giving up a traffic lane, so a yes that rules the lane out withholds the one thing being asked for and cannot take the conditional-yes B. C- rather than F because the rest of the toolkit is still on the table. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 6 options - 10% of this topic TRN-04 A
Do you support the creation of a regional transportation authority?
Why this grade: Supports bringing transportation decisions under one regional authority. Nothing narrows or conditions the commitment.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = C-. A No is C- rather than F because this asks who should decide, not what should be built or funded, which puts it on the governance side of the CLI-03 split. Three earlier rows typed F and two typed C-; the governance rule was followed over the count. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - 10% of this topic TRN-05 A
Do you support building new bus-only and bike-only connections through parks, golf courses or public land when doing so would substantially shorten transit and cycling trips?
Why this grade: Would build new connections reserved for buses and bicycles through public land, including parks and golf courses, where the time saved is substantial. No condition is placed on the commitment.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, if no mature trees are lost during construction = B. No = F. Losing no mature trees is a named and checkable condition, so it takes the conditional-yes B. A No is F because the question is about building a connection, which is infrastructure. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded TRN-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to transit in your region, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I do not believe that any of the transit routes serving Oak Bay qualify as frequent. I strongly support the development of more robust transit service across the region and in Oak Bay, which would mean increasing frequency in Oak Bay as well as providing more comfortable bus stops.
Housing
A- HFL-01 7 / 8
What kinds of housing could your municipality use more of? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point per selected type to max of 8. Housing exists on a continuum and different types are appropriate for different households. All housing is needed and positively affects other types via vacancy chains
Sarah Starkweather chose 7 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-02 8 / 8
Which of the following items do you support to minimize tenant displacement and maintain/grow the supply of affordable housing? Select up all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point per strategy to max of 8. To tackle tenant displacement local governments must take an all of the above approach to reduce the impacts associated with renovictions and evictions.
Sarah Starkweather chose 8 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-03 4 / 6
Do you think your municipality should have target approval times for multifamily housing?
How this question is graded
6 points for 30/180 days, prorated for longer timelines. Housing delayed is housing denied. Long delays drive us costs for housing, increase the chance that they will be cancelled, and indicate a lack of clear published guidelines. A time limit on decisions prioritizes housing action and reforms.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-04 5 / 5
If there was a type of housing you wanted to see more of (e.g., affordable, non-market, family-sized, townhouses, etc.), what do you think are effective methods of getting more of it? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point for each option, but -1 for choosing mandated requirements (d). To increase the building of certain desireable types of housing (affordable, family sized, etc), cities need to pursue a broad approach of both removing barriers and targetted incentives. Mandated requirements (or inclusionary zoning) have a track record of acting like a tax and therefore reducing housing construction or increasing costs.
Sarah Starkweather chose 5 of 8 options - HFL-05 3 / 3
Do you believe that the municipality should pre-zone to the uses, heights and densities outlined in the Official Community Plan, so that OCP-compliant projects can be built without rezoning or public hearing?
How this question is graded
3 points for yes, 0 for no. An OCP sets out the direction and vision for a municipality with broad input from the community and council. Matching zoning to long term consensus-based plans reduces scarcity and allows incentivizes OCP compliant housing to be built quickly.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - HFL-06 5 / 6
Beyond the three to four units Bill 44 already requires, what is the most housing you think should be legal to build by-right (i.e. without rezoning) in traditional single-family areas of your municipality?
How this question is graded
a) 0 points b) 1 points c) 2 points d) 5 points e) 6 points. With little room for new single family developments, housing abundance relies on density. People unable to afford a single family house should not be relegated to living only on busy arterials where high density is legal, but should have a diversity of housing options in every neighbourhood.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 6 options - HFL-07 3 / 3
A housing proposal has been reviewed by staff and they recommend approval. It requires rezoning because the existing zoning has not been updated. If it faces substantial neighbourhood opposition, how would you generally vote?
How this question is graded
3 points for a), 0 otherwise. Housing approval rules must be predictable and clear for those building housing, or it will lead to scarcity. If municipal planning staff have adequately considered objections to a project and still recommend approval it should be approved. If unanticipated issues are raised, policies should be clarified to ensure staff can work with applicants on future projects.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-08 1 / 2
Do you support eliminating minimum parking requirements for new developments or suites?
How this question is graded
1 point for yes, 2 points for yes with transportation demand management measures, 0 points for no. A single additional parking space can add tens of thousands to the cost of a home. However, a development without parking and without offsetting remedies can impact livability for the eventual occupants of a home.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-09 6 / 6
Non-market housing often faces additional challenges getting approved. Which of the following measures do you support to improve the prospects for below-market housing construction? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point for each option, but -1 for choosing mandated requirements (d). Building homes is hard, building non-market homes is substantially harder. This has serious socio-economic consequences for certain members of society. With the exception of mandated requirements (or inclusionary zoning), which have a track record of acting like a tax and therefore a deterrent to new construction, a broad and flexible approach is needed to help non-market housing across the approval finish line.
Sarah Starkweather chose 6 of 9 options (up to 7 allowed) - HFL-11 6 / 6
The BC government set a housing target for Victoria at 4,902 homes over five years, which represents 75% of the estimated housing need for that period. Regardless of provincial requirements or penalties, do you believe the city should strive to build:
How this question is graded
6 points for too low, 1 for about right, 0 for too high. By definition, the provincial housing targets, being set as only 75% of estimated housing need is too low of a target to meet local housing needs.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-12 6 / 6
Municipal asset-management plans have identified substantial gaps between current funding and the amount needed to maintain and replace roads, water and sewer systems, public buildings, and other infrastructure. In Victoria, the 2024 Corporate Asset Management Strategy identified $570 million worth of infrastructure in poor or very poor condition. Which approaches would you prioritize to address this infrastructure problem? Select up to two.
How this question is graded
5 points for selecting more housing and commercial development, 1 for seeking additional provincial or federal funding, 0 points for increasing taxes or reducing infrastructure projects, and -2 points for increasing development charges, amenity contributions, and other fees imposed on new houses.
Sarah Starkweather chose 2 of 6 options - HFL-10 3 / 7
If elected, what do you hope to have accomplished on the housing file at the end of your first year, and end of your four-year term?
How this question is graded
To receive full marks, candidates receive a point up to 7 for referencing impactful housing ideas in their answer including but not limited to: a rental vacancy rate target, a quantitative target regarding annual homes built, pre-zoning commitments / OCP alignment, non-profit by right commitment, commitment to tenant production aligned with platform, commitment to regulate and enforce Airbnb rules, delegate more rezoning / variance decisions to staff, a continuation of policies that have been working, developing a pre-approved catalog of housing designs, loosening design guidelines or other restrictive regulations, minimizing tenant displacement, increasing the regional housing fund, enhancing partnerships with other levels of government, the private sector, co-ops, and non-profit housing developers, streamlining regulations, and shorten requirements.
Sarah Starkweather's answerBy the end of my first year, I hope to have made significant progress in the development of renter protection legislation including the right to cool and a renoviction bylaw; move to develop a housing design catalogue for Oak Bay; and move to develop stronger incentives for development that incorporates ecologically preferable approaches (such as maintaining existing tree cover, including effective stormwater management, using passive house design, installing solar and/or green roof, etc.).
By the end of my four-year term, I hope to see renter protections in place, and for ecologically preferable approaches to be normalized in the permitting process. I also hope to see Oak Bay meeting its housing targets by focusing on the provision of housing that is tailored to the needs of older residents, young families, students, and other groups that have few options in our current housing market.
Climate
A- 8% of this topic CLI-01 A
Would you support ending fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship on property, media and events controlled by your municipality, to the extent the law allows? And would you advocate for the same at the Victoria Regional Transit Commission for BC Transit vehicles and shelters?
Why this grade: Would stop both forms of fossil fuel promotion and argue for the same regionally. That is everything the question was after.
How this question is graded
Two commitments in one question, so the menu answer alone cannot reach the top. The menu sets a base and a Yes on the follow-up about advocating at the Victoria Regional Transit Commission raises it one step. Yes, both advertising and sponsorship = B, and A with the follow-up. Yes, advertising only or Yes, sponsorship only = C, and B with the follow-up. No = F, because ending the advertising is something the municipality controls outright. A follow-up written as free text rather than ticked is a judgement about the candidate and is graded by hand. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 6 options Follow-up: Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-02 B
The Capital Regional District declared a climate emergency in 2019. How should your municipality treat climate action in its next four-year plan?
Why this grade: Would treat climate as a funded top three item. The spending is committed and the primacy is not.
How this question is graded
The overriding priority, other decisions should be tested against it = A. One of the top three priorities, with a dedicated budget = B. One priority among many, addressed where affordable = C-. Not a municipal priority = F. The ladder skips C on purpose: a dedicated budget is the line between a priority and a sentiment, so addressing climate only where affordable drops two steps rather than one. Handing the file to another order of government is F. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-03 A
Will you pledge to never take meetings from fossil fuel company lobbyists?
Why this grade: Takes the pledge on. The answer forecloses the meetings rather than leaving them to a later judgement.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = C-. The No is C- rather than F because of the split the grading settled on: a plain No is C- where the question is about governance or conduct and F where it is about infrastructure, land use or funding. This one asks a candidate to give up a channel of access to themselves, which is conduct. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-04 B
Climate-related damage and adaptation costs increasingly fall on municipal budgets. Would you vote to have your municipality join other BC local governments in legal action to recover a share of those costs from major fossil fuel producers?
Why this grade: Supports the case if the municipal bill is limited. A condition of this kind lowers the answer by one step.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, if municipal costs are capped = B, because a conditional yes is B wherever one appears and a cap on municipal exposure lands there. No = F, because the question is about spending to recover costs, which is the funding side of the split CLI-03 sits on the other side of. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-05 A
Will you support a zoning bylaw amendment that prohibits the approval of any new or expanded commercial gas stations within municipal boundaries?
Why this grade: Yes to the bylaw change. Nothing in the answer leaves room for an exception.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. A land use question, so a No is F rather than C-. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-06 A
Extreme heat, wildfire smoke and wildfire risk all affect people living in existing homes. What would you have your municipality do to protect them? Select all you support.
Why this grade: Every measure selected. The funded ones are what make the breadth mean something here.
How this question is graded
Up to five measures may be ticked. Four or more ticks including at least two of the three the municipality has to pay for (subsidized home assessments, grants or financing for retrofits, designated centres with guaranteed opening hours) = A. Three or more ticks = B. Two = C. One = C-. None of the above = F. The funding floor is there because a straight count of ticks would let a candidate reach the top on the two cheapest options, a vegetation bylaw and an information campaign, while committing no money to anyone actually living in an overheating home. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 5 of 7 options (up to 5 allowed) - 8% of this topic CLI-07 A
Are you supportive of phasing out fossil fuel powered tools such as leaf blowers (following the lead of Oak Bay and other municipalities across the country)?
Why this grade: Backs ending the use of these tools. The answer is given without reservation.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. A regulatory phase-out, graded on the same footing as CLI-05. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-08 A
Large data centres can add substantial electricity and water demand. Under what conditions, if any, would you support a new data centre in your municipality?
Why this grade: Opposes all new data centres. Power and water demand are declined rather than conditioned.
How this question is graded
Oppose all new data centres = A. Support only with waste-heat recovery and no net increase in potable water use = B. Support only under conditions set case by case = C. Support without special conditions = F. The two conditional options are separated by whether the condition binds. Waste-heat recovery and no net potable water increase is a testable commitment, so it takes the conditional-yes B. Conditions set case by case name nothing and commit to nothing, so it takes the C that a depends-case-by-case answer gets everywhere else. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-09 A
What are the primary climate risk(s) facing your community, and what actions would you take to support adaptation and resilience in your community?
Why this grade: Clearly identifies risks and provides concrete strategies grounded in their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names a climate risk specific to the municipality and specific actions against it, usually tied to data or a programme already running. B = one half only, a risk with no action or actions with no risk named, or backing an existing plan without either. C = general support with nothing local in it, a list of risks and nothing else, or the work handed to the region. C- = a risk gestured at and nothing more. F = an answer that is not about climate.
Sarah Starkweather's answerPrimary risks of climate change include more frequent extreme heat events, a general warming trend that stresses and endangers native species (both terrestrial and marine), exposure to wildfire smoke, shifting patterns of rainfall that lead both to more frequent drought and to more frequent high-volume storms, and sea level rise (with the areas around McNeill Bay and Windsor Park being particularly vulnerable).
Oak Bay seems to be behind the curve in implementing responses to climate change. In the recent round of climate resilience grants from the federal government, Oak Bay was awarded funds for developing our climate action plan while many other municipalities received funding to implement concrete climate resilience strategies. Oak Bay should show more urgency in advancing to the implementation stage.
To support adaptation and climate resilience, I would:
- promote continued expansion of our urban forest canopy, and move to conduct a public land audit to look for creative ways to increase our rate of tree planting, especially over asphalt. For example, I would love to see bump-outs with trees and plantings on every block.
- move to revise boulevard planting regulations to encourage residents to replace monoculture turf grass with native species.
- advocate for approaches to managing coastal seawater incursion that focus on protective natural forms over hard armouring (as outlined in the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia’s Green Shores program)
- move or support a motion to develop stronger incentives for development that incorporates ecologically preferable approaches (such as maintaining existing tree cover, including effective stormwater management, using passive house design, installing solar and/or green roof, etc.).
- move or support a motion to develop a grant program or other municipal support for smaller citizen-led projects such as rain gardens or rewilding.
- move or support a motion to develop a Right to Cool bylaw to help protect renters during extreme heat events.
- support work for continuous improvement of our operational readiness for extreme heat events including space and staffing plans for cooling centres and developing a more robust approach to wellness checks for vulnerable residents.
Of course, in addition to supporting adaptation and resilience, Oak Bay must also take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This means ensuring municipal buildings are properly commissioned, shofting the fleet to electric vehicles where possible, and promoting development that allows residents to conduct their daily activities with minimal automobile use (through promoting more housing in neighbourhood villages, vibrant commercial zones, well-distributed recreation opportunities, and practical supports for transit and active transportation as alternatives to private auto use). - 8% of this topic CLI-10 A
Ensuring ecosystem connectivity is an important adaptation strategy for climate change. How do you plan to maintain or increase ecosystem features across the urban landscape?
Why this grade: Identifies clear, actionable strategies to improve resilience through development relevent to their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = says what connectivity is and why it matters, with local examples, usually tied to data, a programme already running or the official community plan. B = practical examples with no local detail, or no link back to connectivity. C = general support with no project named, or an answer broad enough to fit any question. C- = agrees with the idea and offers nothing to do about it, or answers about something tangential. F is not used.
Sarah Starkweather's answerI’ve discussed many answers to this question above, because I agree that ecoystem services are absolutely central to climate adaptation and resilience.
To reiterate, I would be an advocate for the following:
- retaining and expanding of the urban canopy through planting on public land and incentives for tree retention on private land.
- revising boulevard planting regulations to promote the use of native species rather than monoculture turf grass.
- adopting nature-based approaches to coastal management over hardscaping.
- supporting the continuation and expansion of Bowker Creek restoration projects. - 8% of this topic CLI-11 A
Do you see development as an opportunity to increase resilience to climate-related events, and if so, how?
Why this grade: Shows clear support for the idea and connects it to concrete actions relevant to their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = yes, with how and why, naming strategies or a local policy that ties development to resilience. B = yes with relevant examples but no account of how they build resilience or how they get built. C = general support and nothing past what the building code already requires. C- = a bare yes, or support that doubts it is possible. F = does not accept that development can make a community more resilient.
Sarah Starkweather's answerI do. The municipality should be proactive in using the zoning bylaw amendment process and development agreements as a tool for promoting sustainable building practices and ecologically positive permanent site features (passive design, green roof, stormwater management, permeable surfaces, reduced site coverage, etc.). A specific example: This summer Council decided to deny a development at Epworth & Cadboro Bay Road rather than ask the developer to make improvements to the design and try again. Some residents viewed this as a big win for protecting nearby Bowker Creek from additional stormwater runoff; however, because the developer stated the next best alternative was to build a 3- or 4-unit SSMUH development that is allowed by right, I’m concerned that we’re going to see the same exact level of impermeable site coverage but with little power to require mitigations. - 8% of this topic CLI-12 A
The UBCM passed several resolutions saying municipalities should be able to have climate action lens and climate considerations in development and housing mandates. Do you support blue-green infrastructure upgrades as a requirement of developments for climate readiness?
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. Graded by RUSH from 2026-09-01; the mapping is recorded so the remaining rows match the ones already typed. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded CLI-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to climate concerns with respect to your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
Recently, Oak Bay received investment from a federal fund to support climate resilience projects. Oak Bay's grant is to develop a climate action plan, where as most other municipalities received grants for concrete, actionable projects. We are behind the curve and need to move with more urgency to the implementation phase.
Arts
A- 6.67% of this topic ART-01 3 / 3
Do you consider arts and culture to be a core part of your municipality's economic development strategy?
Why this score: Identifies concrete municipal mechanisms and strategic roles for arts and culture, including space, programming and municipal support.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: The municipality should provide stable grant funding for art and culture projects that are rooted in Oak Bay; should work in partnership with art and culture nonprofits to bring their programming to Oak Bay; should provide municipally-controlled spaces on a no- or low-cost basis for creating, collaborating, rehearsing, storage, and performing; and should collaborate with First Nations to maintain and develop traditional cultural sites in ways that are meaningful for the Nations and other residents. In addition, I would like to see Oak Bay explore ways to encourage new developments to include arts-ready spaces. - 16.67% of this topic ART-02 3 / 3
If elected, what specific action will you commit to in your first year to strengthen your municipality's arts and cultural sector, and what measurable outcome should residents expect by the end of your four-year term?
Why this score: Provides concrete first-year actions including a space audit and rental support, with defined four-year outcomes around space use and organizational access.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather's answerI sing in two choirs that rehears in Oak Bay, and am on the board of the BC Choral Federation, so I know more about the needs of performing arts groups; that's where I'm coming from, though some of the ideas I'll discuss below are more broadly applicable. In the first year I would certainly need to reach out to learn more about the particular needs of other arts and cultural organizations.
In the first year I would move to conduct a space audit of municipal properties and other spaces in the community to identify potential spaces for meetings, rehearsals, performance, storage, creating, and other necessary activities. This would need to be accompanied by outreach to local arts and culture organizations to ask what supports they require. Taken together, these initiatives would tell us what we could do in the short term.
I have heard that rental costs for rehearsal and performance spaces have risen dramatically in recent years; so, in the first year I would also move for Council to work with local space providers (often but not only churches) or directly with arts organizations to subsidize rental fees, so that the art and cultural activities that are happening here can stay in Oak Bay.
In terms of this issue, measurable outcomes at the end of four years, would be a shift of underutulized space to active usage to support the arts and culture sector, and an increase in the number of arts and cutural organizations using spaces in Oak Bay for their endeavours.
In addition to better utilization of existing space, I also think we need more custom-built space that can be used for activities that support arts and culture. I would dearly love to see a community maker-space that would encourage broader community engagement in creative activities while also being available for local artists and groups to use as workspace. Over the four years of the next Council term, I would look for opportunities to initiate such a project as part of proposed redevelopment activities. - 13.33% of this topic ART-03 3 / 3
Cultural strategies are often adopted and then not implemented. Would you support a cultural space implementation framework with defined tools, timelines and public reporting? Select up to three components you would prioritize. Select your top three options.
Why this score: Selects municipal strategy, affordability/stability and regulatory review; meaningful at a regional level but less structurally complete than the strongest combinations, sneaks in at a 3.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 3 of 11 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-04 3 / 3
Arts organizations and event producers identify permitting, zoning and regulatory requirements as barriers to cultural activity. What would you commit to? Select all that apply.
Why this score: Supports consequential regulatory and permitting reforms.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 8 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - 16.67% of this topic ART-05 3 / 3
If preserving and securing long-term cultural space requires additional municipal support, which approaches would you support? Select up to five.
Why this score: Supports substantive mechanisms for cultural-space security.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 5 of 16 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-06 3 / 3
Municipal budgets require difficult choices. Would you support maintaining arts and culture investment alongside other core municipal services?
Why this score: Supports arts investment alongside core municipal services.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-07 3 / 3
When a major development project affects an existing cultural space, what should your municipality prioritize?
Why this score: Explicitly supports replacement cultural space/equivalent community benefit.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 16.67% of this topic ART-08 2 / 3
Would you support municipal incentives to encourage private property owners and developers to provide affordable community & cultural space for nonprofits? Select all that apply.
Why this score: Supports municipal tax incentive, both current and new as well as a reduction/waive of fees, this provides a moderate impact for Arts & Culture expansion regionally.
How this question is graded
Sarah Starkweather chose 3 of 7 options (up to 5 allowed)
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded ART-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to the arts in your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
Participation in the arts as creators and audiences brings so much joy and fulfillment, and creates invaluable opportunities for community-building. At the same time it provides real economic benefits to the community by bringing people to Oak Bay, generating shopping or dining, etc. As arts organizations tend to operate on a shoestring budget, municipalities ban make a big difference with a relatively small investment.
Rolling & cycling
A- 15% of this topic ROL-01 A
Will you commit to funding and completing at least one 'missing link' in your municipality's Active Transportation Plan during your four-year term? If yes, which one would you prioritize?
Why this grade: Prioritises Oak Bay Avenue as the regional link, arguing it carries people to shops, the library, the seniors centre and the marina, and that a new bikeway on Elgin and Bee would tie it into the protected routes on Cadboro Bay Road and Fort Street. A named link with a full case for why it is the one to build.
How this question is graded
Yes + Project surfaced = A; Yes + No specific project in mind, or vague project = B; Combination of No and/or a lack of project ideas = C-F, depending on severity.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: In terms of municipal network connections: Oak Bay needs to prioritize a rational and safe north-south cycling connector. We don't have a single one. I talk about this in ROL-04 below.
However, because this question is asking about missing links in terms of regional connectivity, I would prioritize Oak Bay Avenue for several reasons.
- We should focus on providing routes to places that people want and need to go--not recreational routes, but practical ones that will have high everyday demand. Oak Bay Avenue connects people to key shopping/errands destinations as well as the library, seniors' centre, and marina.
- Through a newly-created bikeway on Elgin and Bee, an Oak Bay Avenue cycle route would connect people to the protected bikeways on Cadboro Bay Road and Fort Street (and from there to Shelbourne) and the unprotected lane on Foul Bay Road (and from there to Haultain). - 15% of this topic ROL-02 A
Will you commit (or continue to commit) to physical protection (not paint alone) as the standard for all new and upgraded cycling infrastructure on busy streets in your municipality?
Why this grade: Commits to physical protection as the standard for new and upgraded cycling routes on busy streets, without exception. A straight yes.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, except where physically impossible = B. No = F. Except where physically impossible is a condition that can be checked against a street, so it takes the conditional-yes B, and that is where the 19 rows graded before this rubric existed put it. A No is F because the question sets a construction standard, which is infrastructure. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 15% of this topic ROL-03 A
Will you oppose efforts (current and future) to remove, narrow or downgrade existing protected bike lanes and other all-ages-and-abilities (AAA) cycling infrastructure in your municipality during your term?
Why this grade: Will oppose any effort to remove, narrow or weaken protected lanes and routes built for all ages and abilities. No conditions attached.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Depends, case-by-case = C. No = F. Depends case by case names no test and commits to nothing, which is the C it gets on CLI-08 and TRN-02; 13 of the 14 rows graded before this rubric existed agree. A No is F because the question is about keeping built infrastructure in place. An answer of N/A is a claim that the question does not apply to that municipality, which is a judgement about a candidate and is passed in by hand, like an excused decline. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic ROL-04 A
What is the most important active transportation project in the municipality that you will be focused on progressing? Please provide your reasoning.
Why this grade: Names the Central Oak Bay Neighbourhood Bikeway and sets out why the district has no workable route from north to south, how the design process became divisive, and which schools, villages, recreation centres and campuses a route would reach. A specific project argued from the gap it fills.
How this question is graded
A = Candidate is able to identify a project in their community and speak to its importance. B & C = Candidate has a general idea of something that can be improved but it isn't high on their priority list. F = Candidate does not think any improvements can/should be made.
Sarah Starkweather's answerIn terms of municipal network connections: Oak Bay needs to prioritize a rational and safe north-south cycling connector.
We have no complete connected north-south routes. Getting between South Oak Bay and North Oak Bay (i.e. past Oak Bay Village) is fraught, with lack of traffic controls, and streets that don't go through, and pedestrian-cycle conflict. The very long process of trying to design a north-south route has become very politically divisive, as extensive community consultation has failed to approach consensus.
We need to focus on progressing the Central Oak Bay Neighbourhood Bikeway using sound planning principles. Oak Bay needs to commit to cycling infrastructure where people need to use it: in the case of the Central Oak Bay Neighbourhood Bikeway we're looking at improving connections to Monterey Middle, Oak Bay High, Willows Elementary, Oak Bay Vlillage, Estevan Village, rec centres, Camosun and the University of Victoria (while linking to east-west connectors that meet Victoria's). - 35% of this topic ROL-05 A
If you have previously served in local government, what did you do to advance walking, rolling, cycling or transit? If you have not, what in your record outside of council shows the same commitment?
Why this grade: Has lived with little use of a car for over a decade, counted riders for the national and regional counts, volunteered at school walk and ride events, written to council and spoken at its meetings, published letters in the paper, and is a founding member of a club for families living without a car. Advocacy that is both sustained and organised.
How this question is graded
Free text, graded by a person on what the record shows about advancing walking, rolling, cycling or transit. A = delivered work, meaning budgets moved, plans adopted, infrastructure built, or a sustained organisational role with results behind it. B = substantial relevant advocacy or a directly relevant role, with less account of what it produced. C = a record from a different office, or advocacy confined to one location or issue, or no previous term with nothing offered in its place. C- = personal experience or unrelated work with no advocacy behind it. F = nothing relevant offered, or a record that closed the question rather than advancing it. The bands come from the 79 rows graded before 2026-09-20. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather's answerI have not ever served in local government. However, I am a community-builder and an involved citizen and much of that activity has been in service of advancing cycling as an alternative to private auto use.
- My family has been car-light for over a decade.
- I have ridden in Critical Mass rides, volunteered at Walk and Ride events at my child’s school, and counted cyclists and pedestrians as part of the annual Canada-wide Pedal Poll. Next month I’ll be counting bikes for the CRD’s annual count.
- I have filled out surveys, attended public workshops, written to Council, and spoken at Council meetings in support of developing Oak Bay’s active transportation network. I have criticized when they made missteps and, perhaps more importantly, praised when they made progress.
- I have had several letters published in the Times Colonist on cycling-related questions.
- I’m a founding member of the Clover Point Picnic Club, a radically welcoming social club that brings together people from all over our region who are living a car-free or car-light life with their families. We support each other, provide a lived example of car-light life, and work for more visibility of cycling as a positive choice in our communities (for example, we’ve ridden in the Oak Bay Tea Party Parade and held public birthday parties for the Johnson Street Bike Lane).
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded ROL-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to the rolling and cycling in your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I would like to see more municipal cooperation in bridging the gaps in our regional cycle route network.
I note that this section is called "Rolling and Cycling" but I've focused on cycling when discussing active transportation (and the questions seem to lean this way). I want to add that I'm in support of efforts (including most recently a motion at the UBCM) to persuade the province to explicitly allow 2- and 4-wheel mobility devices in bike lanes.
Walking
A- 10% of this topic WLK-01 A
Municipalities, the CRD and the Province have all adopted targets to shift trips away from driving. Do you support meeting your municipality's adopted mode-shift targets, and would you vote for the necessary street-space and budgetary changes?
Why this grade: Supports multimodal planning and TDM.
How this question is graded
A = yes, even if it means removing driving lanes. C = yes, but not when it takes road space from drivers. F = no. Two steps between the two yeses because the adopted targets cannot be met without reallocating street space. Unsure and Decline to answer are both C- on this tab.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-02 A
Which pedestrian safety problem in your municipality concerns you most, and what is the one change you would commit to in your first term to make walking safer and more attractive than driving for short trips?
Why this grade: Names distracted driving and explains that street design is the lever a municipality actually holds, with intersections as the dangerous points. Commits to moving in the first term to keep the space beside crossings clear, using curb extensions and planters, starting with school zones and the busiest crossings, and argues against a drawn out study first.
How this question is graded
Free text, graded by a person against the two things the question asks for: a named local problem, and one change committed to in a first term. A = both, with the change specific enough to be delivered and usually tied to funding, a named corridor or an existing plan. B = the problem is named and the response is concrete but soft, narrow, or a review rather than a change. C = a problem is named and nothing is committed to, or the framing of the question is declined. C- = no local problem is settled on, or the answer is a general gesture. F = nothing responsive is offered. The bands come from the 31 rows graded before 2026-09-20 and were applied to the remaining 51 on that date. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather's answerDistracted driving is the most concerning safety issue, in my opinion. We all know that it's a rampant problem; every day I see people driving around while looking at their phones or checking their messages at stop lights. It's a problem that municipalities can only address through street design: traffic calming measures that include hard protections for more vulnerable road users. Because intersections are the most dangerous points for pedestrians, I would prioritize daylighting and shortened crossings at intersections that see sufficient traffic. (I would need to learn more before determining how I'd want to quantify that.)
So: In my first Council term I will move to begin daylighting intersections, trying to start with those most-used by pedestrians and/or those with special circumstances (for example, in school zones). This may require some data collection; however, I would strongly advocate against a drawn-out study period for this change.
Daylighting would involve prevention of parking within a certain distance from the corner, enforced through the use of hardscaping such as standard curb bulb-outs, quick-build curb bulb-outs, and/or low planters. In addition to preventing cars from blocking sightlines, these improvements would reduce the total crossing distance, a proven measure for increasing pedestrian safety. - 10% of this topic WLK-03 A
Sidewalk construction and maintenance is chronically underfunded across the region. Would you vote to increase the share of your municipality's transportation capital budget dedicated to pedestrian infrastructure?
Why this grade: Backs a large increase in what the municipality spends on sidewalks. No condition limits it.
How this question is graded
Yes, a substantial increase, meaning more than double what is currently spent = A. Yes, a modest increase, meaning more but less than double = B, because that is a real commitment with a ceiling on it. No, the current amount is sufficient = F, because the question is about money for infrastructure, which is the funding side of the split. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-04 A
Do you support expanding pedestrian-priority and car-free streets in your municipality's downtown, main street or village centre?
Why this grade: Would implement car free and pedestrian priority streets on a permanent basis. Unqualified.
How this question is graded
Yes, and I would pursue a permanent expansion or implementation = A. Yes, but only temporary, seasonal or pilot closures = B, because it is a yes with a stated limit on it. No = F, because the question is about street space, which is infrastructure. An answer of N/A is not on this list: it is a claim that the municipality has no downtown, main street or village centre, which is a judgement about a candidate and is passed in by hand. It has been left blank where that is true of the municipality and graded F everywhere the question plainly does apply. Unsure was typed C on two rows before 2026-09-13 and those rows were reset to blank on 2026-09-20, so the question now follows the shared policy. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 6 options - 20% of this topic WLK-05 A
How will you work with parent groups, school staff, and municipal staff to assure that children’s safety is prioritized over convenience and flow of motor traffic?
Why this grade: You accept without reservation that safe routes to school outrank vehicle throughput, and would open conversations with parent advisory councils and schools about what they see and which measures would work, supported by a dedicated local trustee, while pursuing daylit intersections and shorter crossing distances along with school zone measures ranging from painted roads to full street closures. Treating school zone safety as a requirement rather than a nice to have is the framing this question is looking for.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names parents, school staff and municipal staff and attaches something concrete: an audit, measures, funding, timelines, or work delivered. B = one half only, consultation without measures or measures without consultation. C = points at an existing programme as enough. C- = vague, deflects, or denies the problem. Blank only where Walk On cannot judge local conditions. F is not used.
Sarah Starkweather's answerI agree without reservation that children's safe routes to school should take priority over vehicle throughput. I would open conversations with PACs and schools to explore what problems they see and measures they think would be most effective; I think that having a dedicated Oak Bay representative of the SD61 Board of Trustees might help in this effort as well.
My focus on daylighting intersections and shortening crossing distances (discussed in WLK-02) would address some of the most dangerous points of a walk to school. However, there are other traffic calming interventions that we can make in school zones, from painting the road to clearly signal the presence of children, all the way up to school streets that are closed to traffic. We need to have these conversations with the understanding that safety in school zones is the priority, not a "nice-to-have." - 20% of this topic WLK-06 A
What will you do, in a 4 year term, to identify, prioritize and set time-lines to assure that pedestrian infrastructure is improved to meet the needs of the older and disabled members of your community?
Why this grade: You support raising the sidewalk share of the transportation budget, note that Oak Bay has already assessed its sidewalks and needs steady progress rather than another study, and would publish a ranked list of locations by state of disrepair and level of use and work through it with full transparency. Refusing a second study and asking for the working list instead is the right call in a municipality where a third of residents are seniors.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names what to fix and the order it gets fixed in: an audit, named priorities, consultation with older and disabled residents, a timeline inside the term. B = real improvements with no process behind them, or continuing existing work. C = states the need and defers it, or one fix with no plan. C- = a problem with no action, or an answer about something else. Blank only where Walk On cannot judge local conditions. F is not used.
Sarah Starkweather's answerAs stated in WLK-03, I support increasing the share of transportation budget that is allocated to sidewalks. Oak Bay has assessed the state of our sidewalks as part of the Pedestrian and Sidewalk Master Plan (2023); we do not need another study of this issue, but rather steady progress on improving sections of sidewalk that are not currently safe or comfortable. I am not certain whether Oak Bay has established a clear punch list: locations, ranked by level of disrepair and degree of use, that we are working through. If not, that is a first priority. If so, we need to make that list, publish it, and start working on it. I will advocate for full transparency on this.
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded WLK-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to walking or pedestrian activity in your municipality, feel free to share your thoughts below.
At times our discussions of active transportation in Oak Bay (and elsewhere) tend to position cyclists and pedestrians as opponents who are fighting over the same resources. I do not share this tendency; I think that in many instances the interests of cyclists and pedestrians align, and that rather than fighting over the same resources we should be reallocating funding, as much as possible, from vehicle-focused infrastructure to active transportation and transit.
Governance
A- 17% of this topic GOV-01 A
Do you support expanding shared or regional delivery of municipal services in the Capital Region?
How this question is graded
Yes/Partly = A, Unsure = C, No = F.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-02 A
Do you support creating a regional service that designs, builds and maintains local municipal infrastructure shared across Capital Region municipalities?
Why this grade: Yes to the regional service. Nothing is held back about the terms of joining.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, only if full cost recovery is guaranteed for my municipality = B. No = C-. Full cost recovery is a named, checkable condition on a yes, so it takes the conditional-yes B. A No is C- rather than F because the question is about how services are organised and who runs them, which is the governance side of the split CLI-03 sits on the other side of. Unsure was typed C on three rows before 2026-09-13 and those rows were reset to blank on 2026-09-20, so the question now follows the shared policy. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-03 A
If elected, what three steps would you take to put your region or municipality on a firmer financial footing?
How this question is graded
“Real financial resilience comes from increasing the productivity of land that's already served by infrastructure: letting neighborhoods incrementally thicken, encouraging redevelopment where roads and pipes already exist, building more value per acre instead of more acres that need public maintenance.” The Strong Towns approach thinks about revenue vs liabilities and the cost of replacing infrastructure as a key driver of municipal financial success. Next-increment intensification or better allows improved use of pipes, roads, and wires, increasing the economic base for the city while lowering vacancies (examples, strongtowns.org , archive.strongtowns.org ). No credit was given for/against for either a) sharing costs with neighbouring governments or b) asking for money from higher levels of government, both of which may have additional merit beyond the boundaries of the muncipality. A-level (excellent) answer: 1. a comment about density being linked to financial wellbeing (revenue side), 2. a comment about efficient use of that revenue (expenses side), 3. thinking about infrastructure liabilities and how to pay for them given the intergenerational problems. B-level (good) answer considers some of these principles, but likely doesn't consider both revenue and expenses. C-level (mixed) - may have other ideas about arbitrary efficiencies and doesn't provide a mechanism for doing the work they propose (e.g. "fill up the reserve fund" -- with what money?). F - working in the opposite direction of resilience (e.g. arbitrary property tax increase caps), or doesn't answer the question (e.g. "my municipality is on firm financial footing").
Sarah Starkweather's answer1. Increase our tax base through denser development, particularly in neighbourhood village areas that are well-served by transit and services (commercial and otherwise).
2. Increase our tax base by promoting targeted commercial development that has a net benefit to the community.
2. Establish more reasonable timelines for the development and completion of capital projects, to limit construction inflation. - 17% of this topic GOV-04 A
Do you commit to eliminating mandatory parking minimums for all land uses in your municipality by 2030?
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No/Decline = F. Parking minimums are pseudoscience that should be eliminated from city codes everywhere, and have been eliminated in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Ottawa, and others across North America without any negative consequences (archive.strongtowns.org )
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - 17% of this topic REC-01 A
Do you support ensuring that local First Nations are represented in transit governance, such as on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and the CRD Transportation Commission?
Why this grade: Supports First Nations sitting in transit governance. The commitment is complete.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. No = C-, on the same reasoning as GOV-02 and TRN-04: the question is about who sits at the table, not about what gets built or funded. No candidate has answered No, so that letter is a rule rather than a record of how anyone was graded. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 3 options - 17% of this topic REC-02 A
Concerning our municipal government’s First Nations’ reconciliation and consultation practices, I support:
Why this grade: Strong support for reconciliation.
How this question is graded
A = significantly more consultation practices. B = somewhat more. C = the current amount is enough. Written answers take the same ladder: A commits to partnership with local First Nations, B wants better consultation without committing to a change, C questions whether more is wanted. Nothing here has been graded C- or F.
Sarah Starkweather chose 1 of 7 options
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded REC-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to First Nation transit governance or consultation practices, feel free to share your thoughts below.
In Oak Bay, government-to-government negotiations have been occurring at the staff level, and this is mostly out of the public eye because it is a delicate period of developing the procedural and legal frameworks for an ongoing relationship. While this limits the current scope for expanded consultation practices, more effort must be made to inform residents about the nature of the negotiation so they understand there is work happening behind the scenes.
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