By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star StaffJul 21 2006 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Another high-profile citizen has joined the campaign to review how the North Okanagan is governed. Jim Radford is now on the membership committee of the Society for the Future Governance of the North Okanagan. "I see a need to look at regional politics from an organizational point of view," he said. Radford is widely known locally for his involvement with a number of large resort projects, including Predator Ridge. He is currently vice-president of development with The Rise. He also served on contract as manager of planning, development and engineering for the City of Vernon. Radford said he decided to join the society because of his involvement with regional government in his native South Africa. "There are a number of ideas that worked well there. I believe I can contribute something to the discussion here." According to Radford, his primary concern is that having a number of municipalities and agencies has led to a duplication of service. "There are so many people doing similar jobs and for the size of the community, it doesn't make financial sense." The society is currently seeking 1,000 members to provide $100 each so $100,000 can be raised to hire a consultant for a study. The consultant would review current political and administrative structures in the North Okanagan and whether other options exist. Jack Borden, a society member, admits some people have already provided $100, but he won't say how many members there are at this time. "We're just kicking off the membership campaign now," he said. "Our primary focus for the summer is to sell 1,000 memberships." The goal is to have a consultant in place by this fall, with the process including public input. Besides Borden and Radford, the other society officials are Eric Hornby, Gary Huston, Richard Hamilton and Pat Lett.
Another high-profile citizen has joined the campaign to review how the North Okanagan is governed. Jim Radford is now on the membership committee of the Society for the Future Governance of the North Okanagan. "I see a need to look at regional politics from an organizational point of view," he said. Radford is widely known locally for his involvement with a number of large resort projects, including Predator Ridge. He is currently vice-president of development with The Rise. He also served on contract as manager of planning, development and engineering for the City of Vernon. Radford said he decided to join the society because of his involvement with regional government in his native South Africa. "There are a number of ideas that worked well there. I believe I can contribute something to the discussion here." According to Radford, his primary concern is that having a number of municipalities and agencies has led to a duplication of service. "There are so many people doing similar jobs and for the size of the community, it doesn't make financial sense." The society is currently seeking 1,000 members to provide $100 each so $100,000 can be raised to hire a consultant for a study. The consultant would review current political and administrative structures in the North Okanagan and whether other options exist. Jack Borden, a society member, admits some people have already provided $100, but he won't say how many members there are at this time. "We're just kicking off the membership campaign now," he said. "Our primary focus for the summer is to sell 1,000 memberships." The goal is to have a consultant in place by this fall, with the process including public input. Besides Borden and Radford, the other society officials are Eric Hornby, Gary Huston, Richard Hamilton and Pat Lett.
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