VANCOUVER — The B.C. government has appointed former Vancouver police chief Jim Chu and ex-Surrey city manager Murray Dinwoodie to TransLink’s board of directors, a move it says will help restore confidence in the transit body.

“They will provide guidance so clearly needed by TransLink,” said Peter Fassbender, minister responsible for TransLink, in a conference call Thursday afternoon after making the announcement.

“Both have extensive experience not just at the civic level, but at the regional, provincial and national levels as well.”

The move comes a month and a half after Metro Vancouver voters rejected a plan to raise $7.5 billion for transit upgrades through a .5 per cent sales tax increase.

The result was widely interpreted as a sign that residents didn’t trust TransLink’s use of money.

Two of the authority’s top managers lost their jobs, and the provincial government recently named Fassbender responsible for TransLink.

Chu served eight years as Vancouver’s police chief before leaving for the private sector in the spring, and Dinwoodie retired from the City of Surrey in 2014.

Fassbender told reporters that it will be the first time provincial representatives will be sitting on the TransLink board despite a provision for provincial seats, which were never filled.

Chu and Dinwoodie will join nine other board members, including Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner.

None of the current board members will step aside to make room for Chu and Dinwoodie.

Fassbender said the two appointments will take effect at the August 27 board meeting, but he couldn’t say how much they will receive in remuneration because it’s usually based on how many meetings they attend.

“I will say that each individual director makes their own decision as to whether or not they accept any remuneration.”

Asked why the province’s two TransLink board seats weren’t previously filled, Fassbender replied there were a lot of dynamics at play, and said: “I’m not going to try to speak to previous minister’s decisions.”

Fassbender was also asked why Chu and Dinwoodie were chosen to represent the province’s interests, when both come from civic backgrounds.

“I felt it was important that the appointees that the government put there were seen to be pragmatic, objective and working in the best interests of the region while understanding the provincial priorities, which both of them do.”

Meanwhile, the NDP’s TransLink critic George Heyman said the appointments don’t address the issue of accountability in the TransLink board because more elected officials are needed.

Heyman also said that Fassbender didn’t address the issue of a potential conflict of interest with Chu, who recently took on a new role as vice-president of special projects and partnerships for the Aquilini Investment Group, which is involved in a number of large development projects.

“Discussions that would happen at the TransLink board about future transit plans can certainly affect land values and development plans. And Mr. Fassbender owes it to the people of Metro Vancouver to say what measures will be in place to insure that any possible conflicts are addressed.”

TransLink chairman Barry Forbes welcomed Chu and Dinwoodie while announcing a “pause” in the search for a new chief executive officer.

bmorton@vancouversun.com

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