http://www.dailycourier.ca/
The Greater Vernon Services Commission is on the chopping block but other than saving a few bucks the average taxpayer likely won’t see much of a change in local government. At Wednesday night’s marathon Regional District of the North Okanagan board meeting, directors voted to strip the commission of its power. A review is now underway to determine how the district will govern Greater Vernon’s water and parks systems. “The average person probably wouldn’t notice any difference,” said regional director and Vernon councillor Pat Cochrane. The board made its decision after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, more than 4.5 hours after the meeting began. 
Some of the meeting was spent in camera as they discussed staff issues. Cochrane, the lone director who voted against the bylaw, said he wanted the board to initiate a review before axing the commission. He said the district will 
still have to determine some way to govern Greater Vernon’s water and parks and that whichever they choose must reflect the needs of Vernon taxpayers. “For the citizens of Vernon we need to make sure we’re acting in their best interest,” he said. “Hopefully, the regional district respects that as the major partner we need to be somewhat in control of our own destiny.” District chief administrator Brian Reardon said the district will decide how to govern Vernon’s water as part of a service review. He said it could be done through a sub-committee or by the district board itself. “There is no requirement for the establishment of a committee really at all,” he said. Reardon said that the board is still discussing behind closed doors, whether or not any staff will be fired as part of the commission’s cancellation. What is clear is that should Greater Vernon Services survive in committee form, the members will see their pay cut in half. Currently, politicians sitting on the commission receive an indemnity of $1,438 (the chairman receives $5,660) plus an additional $127 per meeting they attend. If a member attended all 17 meetings last year they would have pocketed at least $3,597. As members of a Greater Vernon committee, however, the member politicians would not receive an indemnity and would receive just $96 per meeting or $1,632 for perfect attendance.
The Greater Vernon Services Commission is on the chopping block but other than saving a few bucks the average taxpayer likely won’t see much of a change in local government. At Wednesday night’s marathon Regional District of the North Okanagan board meeting, directors voted to strip the commission of its power. A review is now underway to determine how the district will govern Greater Vernon’s water and parks systems. “The average person probably wouldn’t notice any difference,” said regional director and Vernon councillor Pat Cochrane. The board made its decision after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, more than 4.5 hours after the meeting began. 
Some of the meeting was spent in camera as they discussed staff issues. Cochrane, the lone director who voted against the bylaw, said he wanted the board to initiate a review before axing the commission. He said the district will 
still have to determine some way to govern Greater Vernon’s water and parks and that whichever they choose must reflect the needs of Vernon taxpayers. “For the citizens of Vernon we need to make sure we’re acting in their best interest,” he said. “Hopefully, the regional district respects that as the major partner we need to be somewhat in control of our own destiny.” District chief administrator Brian Reardon said the district will decide how to govern Vernon’s water as part of a service review. He said it could be done through a sub-committee or by the district board itself. “There is no requirement for the establishment of a committee really at all,” he said. Reardon said that the board is still discussing behind closed doors, whether or not any staff will be fired as part of the commission’s cancellation. What is clear is that should Greater Vernon Services survive in committee form, the members will see their pay cut in half. Currently, politicians sitting on the commission receive an indemnity of $1,438 (the chairman receives $5,660) plus an additional $127 per meeting they attend. If a member attended all 17 meetings last year they would have pocketed at least $3,597. As members of a Greater Vernon committee, however, the member politicians would not receive an indemnity and would receive just $96 per meeting or $1,632 for perfect attendance.
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