<div><strong>Can you lobby for the development industry while voting in City Council on decisions affecting it?</strong>
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<div>This is a question few would have ever thought would need answering—until now.
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<div>A formal request for recusal was submitted at the municipal level, but we were advised that there is no internal process available in Port Moody to resolve the issue.
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<div>Over 760 residents have signed a public petition calling for clarity, and we want the BC Supreme Court to weigh in on this important question of municipal governance:
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<div>How do conflict-of-interest rules under the BC Community Charter apply when a Council member holds a government relations role in the development industry while simultaneously voting on development applications?
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<div><strong>Funding the Legal Application</strong>
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<div>We are a group of Port Moody citizens seeking to raise $15,000 to cover the legal costs required to prepare and file a legal application with the BC Supreme Court.
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<div>Our goal is not to make accusations, but to obtain a clear, independent, binding interpretation of the law regarding this question. This would need to come through the courts, which means we require legal funding.
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<div>We are committed to:
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<li>Using the funds exclusively for legal fees
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<li>Full transparency on usage of all funds
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<li>Regular updates to supporters
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<li>Returning any unused funds where possible
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<div><strong>What This Application Would Do</strong>
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<div>If filed, the application would ask the BC Supreme Court to clarify how conflict-of-interest provisions apply to Council participation in development application decisions under the BC Community Charter.
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<div>The ruling could:
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<li>Clarify how conflict-of-interest rules are interpreted in BC municipalities
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<li>Provide binding guidance for councils across the province
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<li>Strengthen consistency in local government decision-making
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<li>Improve public confidence in the development approval process
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<div><strong>Why This Matters</strong>
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<div>Development applications shape how communities grow.
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<div>They determine housing, neighbourhood design, infrastructure, traffic, zoning, and long-term planning decisions that affect everyone in the city.
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<div>If you believe, as we do, that these decisions are always made in the public interest, under transparent and clearly defined rules, please consider supporting this legal application.
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<div>Please donate, share, and help bring clarity to BC development and ethics rules.
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Help Fund Port Moody Conflict of Interest Court Challenge

Still $11,520 to go. Help us build momentum.