Vancouver park commissioners held their first meeting since the mayor announced plans to dismantle the elected board last week.
The now-divided park board passed an urgent motion Monday evening to try to stop Ken Sim's plan.
The motion is directing board staff not to provide any money towards the transition working group and asking for a meeting with the premier and municipal affairs minister where they can advocate to save the board.
Six of the seven commissioners were elected as members of the mayor's ABC party, however, Sim's announcement that he would be asking the province to amend the Vancouver Charter to do away with the country's only independent, elected park board triggered three of them to leave the party and sit as independents.
It passed 4-3 with the support of the three newly independent commissioners and the board's sole Green Party member.
Chair Brennan Bastyovanszky, said the board focuses solely on parks and recreation, and its role is to engage with the community and protect the environment.
"All of the commissioners should reaffirm their vows to office. They made a promise to keep it and to fix it. The board reaffirms its positions as independent and elected," said Bastyovanszky.
"The board directs staff to continue with all of the planning and projects and not to reprioritize any work in light of the mayor's motion."
Bastyovanszky went on to accuse the mayor of not understanding the success of the board and saying that Sim should stick to the promise he made when he was campaigning – which was to fix any issues, not to do away with the board entirely.
Jas Virdi, one of the three ABC commissioners left on the board, countered the motion by saying the board's effectiveness has been diminished, and it's redundant to have both city council and the board making decisions.
"Nothing gets done. I think we need not have two boards making the decision but rather one board making the decision. When council makes the decision, they have skin in the game because they are the ones ultimately funding the motion," said Virdi.
Virdi said he feels "sick" coming to the park board meetings because he says they are wasting taxpayers' money.
Last month, the city's auditor general released the findings of a park board performance audit, noting significant revenue management gaps.
Nearly 30 former park board commissioners dating back to 1972 have signed a letter calling the plan to abolish the board gravely concerning.
The list includes many, who were once bitter rivals and have now come together to save the board.
They argue Sim's plan is illegal and fundamentally undemocratic.
"This move is unprecedented, and without mandate. It has not been part of an election platform and has no mandate from the people of Vancouver. The elected park board is a unique democratic and publicly accountable institution that has served the people of Vancouver for 130 years. It offers the community a chance for direct input on significant land use and recreation issues," the letter says.
"The mayor of Vancouver has no legal nor political right to unilaterally eliminate an independently and democratically elected board. Nor does the B.C. government have any mandate to act on such a unilateral attempt."
CTV News has reached out to Sim's office for comment on the urgent motion and we have yet to hear back.
