City of Vancouver tells court initiative exceeds local authority under Growth Management Act

Deborah Wexelblatt, counsel for the City of Vancouver, told the court the initiative "exceeds the limited scope of local initiative power by interfering with the city's ability to carry out the mandates of the Growth Management Act and related transportation policies." She argued the superior court correctly found the initiative invalid and urged deference to the city's charter-based procedures. Wexelblatt told the panel the city is a charter city and the charter controls how initiatives are processed.

Wexelblatt emphasized that decisions about specific transportation projects—such as removing a lane or adding a bike lane—require traffic engineers and specialized study, and therefore are administrative acts not subject to citizen initiatives under the precedents the city cited. She said the city followed its charter process, that the city attorney's advisory role is contemplated by charter provisions (cited in the transcript as Section 1,003 and related sections), and that requiring the city to put a measure it deems invalid on the ballot would waste taxpayer money.