Premier Christy Clark says she is willing to delay a November referendum on TransLink funding if Metro Vancouver mayors need more time to prepare.

The concession, delivered during a media scrum following a mining conference on Monday, comes after Metro Vancouver last week voted to oppose the referendum intended to coincide with the Nov. 14 municipal elections.

Clark, who had campaigned on a promise to hold a referendum on new funding sources for transit in Metro Vancouver, still insists that it makes sense to twin the initiative with the November elections because transit is one of the main issues in local politics, and would not only save costs but could boost voter turnout.

Although the B.C. government said last week it plans to introduce legislation this spring mandating the referendum question, Clark said Monday she is willing to talk about timing.

"I appreciate referenda can be complicated and these have been complicated in other jurisdictions, and sometimes they need a little more time," Clark told reporters. "That's what the mayors have been saying. (Transportation Minister) Todd Stone has been continuing to talk to them about that. So will I."

Mayors have long argued that a referendum on transportation funding is doomed to fail, mainly because the province has yet to come up with a referendum question, and will provoke a number of anti-tax municipal candidates and make it difficult to debate new funding sources for transit expansion. Clark and Stone have also contradicted each other on whether it should be a yes-or-no question.

Richard Walton, chairman of the mayors' council on regional transportation, said he was pleased to hear Clark was considering delaying the referendum, noting if it was held during the civic elections it would "pre-empt discussions" on a road-pricing strategy. Mayors argue it take years to plan a referendum, which must have extensive public consultation and support, yet the civic elections are just 10 months away.

The public also has a lot of anger toward TransLink and doesn't understand what value they would get from road pricing, which could include a vehicle levy, sales tax, tolls on every bridge and tunnel, or charging drivers a fee per kilometre driven. A road pricing policy in Oregon, for instance, took years of public education.

"We're just asking for the right context," said Walton, who is also mayor of North Vancouver District. "We're all trying to get the same message out and get transportation for the region. We simply want to sit around the table and make things work. It's a chance to re-engage and that's positive."

Walton, who spoke with Stone over the weekend, said it appeared the government was trying to regroup on the referendum question. The province was also expected to come out Monday with changes to the TransLink governance structure, which would likely give mayors more control of the transit authority, but that too has likely been delayed.

Stone attempted to downplay the premier's remarks, saying they aren't necessarily different from what he has told Metro mayors in recent conversations. Holding the referendum in conjunction with municipal elections would reduce cost and improve voter turnout, he said.