Alternative Approval Process

About the Alternative Approval Process

For certain matters, local governments are required to obtain approval from eligible electors before a municipal council can proceed with its decision – such as requesting the Province to expand a municipal boundary or to undertake long-term capital borrowing. Local governments can directly engage citizens about a proposed bylaw and obtain the required elector approval through an alternative approval process (AAP). More information about alternate approval processes and capital borrowing is available in the frequently asked questions section on this page.

How an AAP Works

A staff report is provided to City Council that describes the plan for conducting the AAP. It includes key information about the proposed elector approval process and provides staff with an opportunity to plan the process to conduct the potential AAP.
Elector response forms are made available at City Hall and on the City's website. Signed forms received after the deadline has passed cannot be counted. If 10 per cent or more of the total number of eligible electors sign and submit response forms, the City cannot proceed with the proposed matter without first holding an assent vote (i.e. referendum).

Current Alternative Approval Processes

The City is seeking elector assent through an Alternative Approval Process on five (5) bylaws, including:

View information about the bylaws, capital projects, or download elector response forms for each of the proposed bylaws in the links below.

Elector Eligibility
Resident Electors
To sign an elector response form as a resident elector, a person must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be a Canadian citizen.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Live in British Columbia for at least the last six (6) months.
- Live within the City of Prince George.
- Not be otherwise disqualified from voting by the "Local Government Act" or by other law.
Non-Resident Electors
To sign an elector response form as a non-resident property elector, a person must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be a Canadian citizen.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Lived in British Columbia for at least the last six (6) months.
- Have been a registered owner of property within the City of Prince George for at least the last 30 days.
- Not be otherwise disqualified from voting by the "Local Government Act" or by other law.
Note: If a property is owned by more than one individual, only one of them may sign an elector response form. If a property is owned by more than one individual, then the person signing the elector response form declares that they have received the written consent of the majority of the property owners to sign and submit an elector response form.
A person may not sign more than one elector response form in relation to the bylaw.
Alternative Approval Process
1. City of Prince George Equipment Financing Bylaw No. 9607, 2026
2. Stormwater System Renewal Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 9608, 2026
3. CN Centre Building Envelope Renewal Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 9609, 2026
4. Memorial Park Cemetery Expansion Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 9610, 2026
5. Civic Facilities Roof Replacements Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 9611, 2026
At the February 23, 2026 regular council meeting, Council authorized an alternative approval process be used for the purpose of seeking approval of the electors regarding Bylaw No. 9607, Bylaw No. 9608, Bylaw No. 9609, Bylaw No. 9610, and Bylaw No. 99611.
Once authorization has been received from the Inspector of Municipalities to hold the alternative approval process, elector response forms will be available for download from the City's website or pick up from the Service Centre (1st Floor) or Legislative Services Division (5th Floor) at City Hall. To request multiple copies of the form, please provide 24-hours advance notice by email to: cityclerk@princegeorge.ca or by phone to: 250-561-7793.

Elector Response Forms

Completed elector response forms, including both (2) pages, may be returned to the corporate officer as follows:

Address for hand-delivery or mail:	Corporate Officer City of Prince George Legislative Services Division 5^th Floor – 1100 Patricia Blvd Prince George, BC V2L 3V9
Fax:	250-561-0183
Email:	cityclerk@princegeorge.ca

Note:

Elector Response Forms need only be submitted if opposed to the proposed Bylaw
Eligible electors may only submit one elector response form for each proposed Bylaw
Both pages (page 1 and 2) must be submitted with each Elector Response Form for it to be counted.
Elector response forms must be completed in their entirety including the elector's printed name, handwritten signature, and complete residential address.
Regardless of how forms are submitted (email, fax, mail, or hand delivery), forms are not reviewed for completeness until after the deadline has passed. Incomplete forms will not be counted in opposition to the proposed Bylaw.
If submitting a form as a non-resident property elector, the Elector Response Form(s) must be returned with a completed "Non-Resident Property Elector Consent Form". Download the Form.

AAP frequently asked questions

The AAP involves publication of a notice in accordance with section 94 of the Community Charter, which is legislation all local governments in BC must follow. Under the City’s Public Notice Bylaw, a notice is required to be published to the City’s bulletin board at City Hall, on the public notice page on the City’s website, and on the City’s Facebook page. Additional social media posts and advertisements with local media are also utilized periodically.

Debt funding frequently asked questions

The City has access to favourable interest rates through the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA). The MFA, created in 1970, is an independent organization that is directed by its members (elected officials representing every regional district in BC) and provides: long-term, short-term and equipment financing; investment management; and a range of low-cost and flexible financial services. The MFA achieves this by pooling the borrowing and investment needs of its member local governments in BC. This collective structure, along with the requirement that regional districts guarantee the debt obligations of their members, grants the MFA an excellent credit rating (AAA) that enables attractive and sustainable borrowing solutions to contribute to the financial well-being of BC communities. The MFA is a non-profit organization and their rates are structured to only recover their expenses with acquiring the debt funding (e.g. MFA 10-year loan rate is 4.21% where a quick internet search showed a 10-year mortgage rate quoted as a range of 5.24-6.80%).
Utilizing debt financing maintains stability. Stabilizing the tax levy from year-to-year and trying to have the payments for the infrastructure be made by the people who are using the infrastructure. The City relies on debt financing as a necessary component for new infrastructure and for major repair of existing infrastructure. Using long term debt allows the costs of acquiring capital assets to be spread out over their useful lives and to be paid for by their current and future beneficiaries. Without using debt to “smooth” payments out over a number of years, there would be large “spikes” to the tax levy in years where we needed to perform major capital projects.
The Community Charter governs the maximum amount of external debt that the City can incur and the City is well within it. BC municipalities’ financial liabilities (e.g. under leases, partnering, and long-term debt agreements) are subject to liability servicing limits. They also require elector approval if they are:
- a loan guarantee or are of a capital nature; and
- the agreement is for more than five years; or
- for more than five years if an extension were exercised.
A municipality cannot incur a liability that extends beyond the current year if it would cause the municipality’s total annual cost of servicing (e.g. lease payments, partnering capital payments, long-term debt principal and interest payments) to exceed the regulated amount as determined by the Municipal Liabilities Regulation. Exceeding the regulated amount requires prior approval of the Inspector of Municipalities in consultation with the MFA. The regulated amount is based on 25% of a municipality’s controllable revenues such as:
- property taxes - a deduction is made to revenue received from Major Industry tax revenues for municipalities which are heavily dependent on that class;
- payments in lieu of taxes;
- user fees; and
- unconditional grants.
The infrastructure gap has been large since the boom period in the 1950s to the 1980s and the capital inflation we have experienced since 2020 is putting the City even further behind. We are trying to get to where we need to be gradually by adding 1% tax levy to the GIRF every year. This will allow us to fund the reinvestment of our own infrastructure without being overly reliant on debt and reaching our liability limit.