It is a very exciting time in B.C. politics.

First, the HST has sparked a grassroots political movement not seen here for a generation.

At the same time, with much less fanfare but just as significant, the provincial government is reviewing how we elect our local governments.

The Local Government Elections Task Force is currently reviewing submissions from stakeholders and will recommend potentially sweeping changes to municipal election laws by the end of May.

Changes to the way municipal elections are run in B.C. could have a particularly significant impact in Surrey, the second-largest city in the province, where elections tend to be dominated by big money and incumbent candidates with plenty of name recognition.

Surrey desperately needs a fair and more inclusive electoral process, one that is likely to increase rates of participation, both by candidates and voters. Voting rates continue to hover around 30 percent in Surrey’s local elections, indicating a pretty serious democratic deficit.

There are a few important reforms the task force should consider to improve municipal elections.

Campaign spending limits would minimize the influence of big money and special interests in local politics, and would also allow candidates who are less able to raise mammoth sums of money a real chance to compete with the others. Some form of public financing, such as tax credit status for civic donations as is the case for federal or provincial political contributions, would encourage more small donations by individuals.

Financial audits and the reporting of all contributions between elections for major political campaigns and parties should be required. Together with on-line access to all candidate and party disclosure statements, voters would more easily be able to hold their elected officials accountable.

Switching to two-year terms for elected officials, to the direct election of regional district representatives (such as Metro Vancouver directors), and to an increased oversight role by Elections B.C. are other measures which would strengthen democracy at the local level.

Finally, residents of larger cities like Surrey and Vancouver should be given the choice, by referendum, to switch from the current at-large system to a wards, or mixed-wards, system of neighbourhood representation. Such a shift would allow for more effective geographic representation, a reduction in the influence of big money, and greater accountability for neighbourhood residents.

These suggestions are but a start.

What’s especially exciting is that the process began with task force cochair Bill Bennett, who is also the minister of community and rural development, saying he didn’t believe campaign spending limits were necessary given the “marketplace of ideas”. He has now recently backtracked, saying that obviously some sort of limits are necessary, given a public opinion poll by Mustel showing that nearly 85 percent of British Columbians are in favour of municipal campaign spending limits.

What’s most disappointing, frankly, is the utter lack of participation on the part of local politicians in Surrey.

Vancouver city council has been debating potential reforms for some time now (the debate has centred around requiring disclosure of all council expenses on-line, and setting strict campaign contribution and spending limits, including bans on certain types of contributions), even putting together a submission by the city to the provincial task force.

But Surrey’s council has been silent on the subject of electoral reform.

When wards and other electoral reforms were raised during the 2008 election campaign, Mayor Dianne Watts and her Surrey First team remarked that they thought right before an election was poor timing for such a discussion.

During a provincewide review of municipal election reform would seem a perfect time but still—no discussion.

Surrey council has missed an opportunity to have a real community debate on how civic elections should take place—a discussion that could engage the public and make elections more fair and inclusive.

Soon enough the task force will be done its work. We can only hope Surrey council will then initiate a community-based consultation process about how to make the Surrey 2011 elections more fair and inclusive.

Stephanie Ryan is the president of the Surrey Civic Coalition.