Published: October 14, 2009 2:00 PM
Updated: October 14, 2009 2:50 PM

A provincial government-ordered review of TransLink that aimed to find cuts and efficiencies still hasn't been made public.

And it's not clear area mayors will see the results before they vote Oct. 23 on how to fund TransLink going forward – a critical decision that could see service slashed to work within the current budget or more revenue raised through a series of tax hikes.

B.C.'s Comptroller General was to complete the review of TransLink and BC Ferries by the end of September.

Finance ministry officials say the findings have not yet been tabled to cabinet but are expected soon.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, who chairs the regional mayors' council, says mayors will meet transportation minister Shirley Bond Oct. 19.

"Hopefully at that meeting we'll be addressing the report," she said. "Certainly there will be questions as to what the results were."

The mayors and TransLink are under pressure from Victoria to find a way to pass a plan that allows construction and operation of the Evergreen Line to the Tri-Cities.

TransLink has maintained that it cannot afford to run the new line without a much more ambitious expansion and funding plan than the options before the mayors.

It's expected they'll either choose a $130-million annual funding increase, financed through higher fares and a three-cent gas tax hike, or opt to limit TransLink to its current revenue sources, triggering drastic cuts.

Ultimately, Watts said the region needs a much more intensive plan – approaching $450 million a year – funded by new sources such as road pricing that will have to be okayed by Victoria in order to expand transit services and maintain livability.

She called the meeting with Bond critical.

"We're all at a crossroads here," Watts said. "A lot rides on the meeting between the mayors' council and the minister. We're hopeful we're going to come out of that meeting moving forward."

Some mayors want to directly confront the province by freezing funds and precipitating a transit service crisis.

Bond ordered the review to look for savings, including compensation for the board of directors and executive.

TransLink CEO Tom Prendergast has predicted the review would find only modest savings, not the hundreds of millions of dollars sufficient to radically alter the financial constraints on the transportation authority.

He said Wednesday it would be "helpful" if the report is before the mayors ahead of the vote.

Prendergast said he's optimistic mayors will vote for the $130-million funding stabilization plan.

"But we won't know that until the mayors vote."