File - - Proposed provincial transit legislation : Summary

The Director of Finance, formerly known as Comptroller, is responsible for the control and supervision of all the financial affairs of the City. This function includes the supervision of the operating divisions, management of the City's short-term investments, and control of the City's debt. Between 1886-1912, the Treasurer was the chief financial officer of the City and thus handled these responsibilities. In 1912, the Comptroller, who had previously controlled the accounting function, replaced the Treasurer as the head of the Finance Department. In addition to the Comptroller's accounting duties, he was also made custodian of all titles, bonds and securities and was placed in charge of the renting and leasing of all properties. These increased powers were incorporated into the City Charter in 1921, with the Comptroller's main function defined as the general control over the collection of City revenue and all other fiscal matters. In 1953, the authority of the Comptroller was further increased as he was named the Chief Financial Officer of the City and was responsible for all the financial affairs of the City and was to act as Council's advisor on all financial matters. In 1965, the title of Comptroller was replaced with the title Director of Finance. The Director currently controls all the financial functions of the City, subject to the authority of the City Manager and Council and acts as their main advisor on all financial matters.

Since its foundation, Engineering Services (or, as it was referred to until 1995, the Engineering Department) has been the largest department in the City administration, providing many of the City's mandated functions for developing and maintaining the City's infrastructure of roads and bridges, waterworks, sewers and sanitation.

The Vancouver Incorporation Act required the appointment of an engineer, and the City did so under Bylaw #1 (1886). Despite technological changes, the department has remained remarkably consistent in functional responsibilities: over the years, the Engineering Department/Engineering Services has been responsible for the construction and maintenance of streets, lanes, sewers, water works, and bridges, as well as for traffic management, sanitation, garbage collection, and parking. With the rapid growth of the city, the Department’s role changed from a supervisory role (overseeing and inspecting the work of contractors) to having full-scale operations divisions.

The City Engineer first reported to the Board of Works (1886-1956), then to the Board of Administration (1956-1974), and subsequently to the City Manager (1974-).

There were a few instances of major reorganization in the history of the Engineering Department. Following a departmental review by external consultants in 1954, the department underwent a major restructuring of its organizational framework. Formerly, divisions had been based on the type of operation each performed. The review called for three basic divisions. One major division was for administration and design and the other for operations. Each of these divisions would oversee the different functions as they related to design or operation. A third division for traffic management continued to exist in the same fashion as before the rearrangement. This structure remained in place for only a few years.
Another major reorganization occurred in 1966 when the Electrical Department was incorporated as a division within the Engineering Department (impetus for this change came from the formation of the Permits and Licenses Department which took over inspection activities while Engineering took over engineering and works aspects.)

The following individuals have served as City Engineer (from 1995, the City Engineer was also referred to as “General Manager” of the then renamed Engineering Services):
• John P. Lawson, 1886-1890;
• Henry B. Warren, 1890-1891;
• Thomas H. Tracy, 1891-1905;
• William A. Clement, 1905-1911;
• Frederick L. Fellowes, 1911-1924;
• Charles Brakenridge, 1924-1946;
• Charles A. Battershill, 1946-1949;
• John C. Oliver, 1949-1956;
• Randolph M. Martin, 1956-1971;
• Gordon H. Lawson, 1971-1974;
• William H. Curtis, 1974-1991;
• David Rudberg, 1991-[2004]
• Tom Timm, [2004]–2010
• Peter Judd 2010–2015

Functions, occupations and activities:

The broad range of functions of the Department has included:

1. Streets and bridges design and maintenance, including snow/ice removal and sanding;
2. Sewerage and drainage planning and maintenance,
3. Water supply and distribution,
4. Refuse collection and disposal,
5. Transportation planning and traffic management, including accommodating for special events,
6. Street lighting and utilities,
7. Inspection responsibilities (until the creation of the Permits and Licenses Department),
8. City planning responsibilities (under the direction of the Town Planning Commission) until the creation of the Planning Department in 1954,
9. Street Decoration (in conjunction with the Street Decoration Committee) since 1954.