OneCity releases council platform on budget transparency and ranked ballot voting
OneCity published a council platform on 29 September committing to present the city budget line by line and to introduce ranked ballot voting for the mayoral race.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on onecityvancouver.ca.
OneCity published a council platform on 29 September 2026 with two main commitments: presenting the city budget line by line in plain language, and introducing a ranked ballot for the Vancouver mayoral race.
The announcement is published on the party's own website. These are the party's stated plans and have not been independently assessed.
On the budget, the party's platform says OneCity will communicate the city's finances in plain language with line-by-line accountability. "I've sat through ABC trying to budget, and what they passed was a budget that delivered near-zero for road safety, for lifeguards, and for regular Vancouverites who depend on community infrastructure," said OneCity City Councillor Lucy Maloney in the announcement. That assessment of the current council's budget priorities is OneCity's own characterisation.
The platform also says the party will adopt a Public Services Protection Test before any service cuts, contracting out, privatisation, or service reductions. The party says this would ensure public spending delivers value to communities. No independent analysis of this proposal appears in the announcement.
The party says it will recertify the City and Vancouver School Board as living wage employers. It also says it will introduce water meters to lower utility costs for residents, with larger water users such as mansion owners paying more. The announcement does not give a cost estimate for either proposal.
A third plank in the 29 September announcement covers preventative infrastructure maintenance. The party says it will fix and replace old pipes, parks, and pools early through scheduled maintenance to avoid more expensive emergency work and to borrow money at lower cost. No cost breakdown or timeline appears.
On voting reform, the platform says OneCity commits to an instant runoff ranked ballot for mayor and to exploring proportional representation to ensure neighbourhood preferences are reflected in results. The party says it will support a Citizen's Assembly process on electoral reform. Those are the party's own positions on voting systems.
See the OneCity party page for the full platform and related candidate profiles.
Vancouver's municipal election is on 17 October 2026. Advance voting is on 3, 7, 10, and 13 October. Check voting places and advance voting details at /where-to-vote.
Questions this story answers
What does OneCity say about the city budget?
OneCity's 29 September council platform says the party will communicate the city budget in plain language with line-by-line accountability so residents can see what the city spends. The announcement quotes councillor Lucy Maloney saying the budget shows what and who the city cares about. That is the party's own statement, published on its own website.
What is a ranked ballot and what is OneCity proposing?
In a ranked ballot system, voters number their choices in order of preference rather than marking a single choice. OneCity's 29 September announcement says the party commits to an instant runoff ranked ballot for the mayor's race and to exploring proportional representation for other positions. The party says this would make the ballot reflect neighbourhood preferences rather than being decided by the best-funded campaign. These are the party's own claims about how ranked ballots work.
What is the Public Services Protection Test OneCity mentions?
OneCity's 29 September platform says the party will require a Public Services Protection Test before any service cuts, contracting out, privatisation, or service reductions. The party says this would make sure public money delivers value to communities. That is the party's description of what the test would do; no independent assessment of the proposal appears in the announcement.
What does OneCity propose for water meters?
The party's 29 September announcement says OneCity will introduce water meters to lower utility costs for residents and make large users of water, such as mansion owners, pay more for high use. No cost estimate or implementation timeline appears in the announcement. The proposal to use water meters to lower average costs is the party's own claim.
What does OneCity say about living wages?
OneCity's 29 September platform says the party will recertify the City and School Board as living wage employers so the workers who keep the city running can afford to live in Vancouver. The announcement does not give a wage figure or a cost estimate for this commitment. That framing is OneCity's own.
What does shared services mean in the OneCity platform?
OneCity's 29 September announcement says the party will negotiate Shared Services Agreements so key services can be supported by every board, run more efficiently, and available to more residents. The announcement does not name specific services or give a cost figure. This is the party's proposal as stated on its own website.
Who is Lucy Maloney?
Lucy Maloney is a sitting City Councillor running for re-election under the OneCity banner. She is quoted in the 29 September announcement commenting on the city budget. You can read her full profile at /candidates/lucy-maloney on voche.me.
When is the Vancouver election and how do I vote?
Vancouver voters choose a mayor, ten city councillors, seven park board commissioners, and nine school board trustees on 17 October 2026. Advance voting takes place on 3, 7, 10, and 13 October. You can check your specific voting place and all advance voting dates at /where-to-vote.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- OneCity budget and ballot council platform announcementonecityvancouver.ca
- OneCity party page on voche.mevoche.me
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