Minority Report

Yesterday at the COW meeting the council in a resolution proposed by Coun. Beardsell, seconded by Coun Cunningham and agreed to in an unanimous vote to authorize the Mayor to enter into discussions with three other Mayors to produce a report on the Governance of the Valley. This vote (later ratified at the afternoon Council meeting) has authorize Mayor Wayne Lippert of Vernon to pursuade three other Mayors (Shepard of Kelowna, Kimberley of Penticton and Westside Mayor Rosalind Neis). to produce a report from the viewpoint of the larger Cities in the Valley.

The decision to do this produced a lively discussion and great comments about the motivation of what was seemed to be perceived as a regional district led cabal that would not present a valid all inclusive report if was left up to the three CEO's of the Regional Districts. Despite the fact that the newly elected Westside Mayor was not one of the chosen 12 original Politicians who were to make a final recommendation to the Beloved Leader Ida Chong it was agreed that the report should come from committee members rather than the hired staff who would have some built in bias and 'conflicts of interest.'

The Minority Report to be compiled by Vernon (48.5% of NORD by Pop.) Penticton (41.4% of OKS) and Kelowna (69.2% of COK and Westside 18.8% of COK) would be a vital expression of the larger Cities perception of the Valley wide Governance issue and would probably counter balance the staff report that is expected to be concentrated on preserving the three large bureaucracies of the existing Regional Districts.

While this action may look like a shot across the bow of the Electoral Areas, Committee Chair Hobson and the regional district bureaucracy and their consultant it is best viewed as the necessary added conclusions and observations of a population rich majority who will not necessarily go along with a regional district led final report. It should give the Beloved Leader Ida Chong the necessary information to divide up the spoils in this valley in the 'Heartland of B.C.).

The die is cast, will the 4 Mayors actually issue the 'MINORITY REPORT?'
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NORD letter Feb27.pdf This letter from NORD to Ida Chong Jan 8 and forwarded to the Super Regional Website on Feb. 27 gives the NORD & OKS EA's stance to the Province.

An interesting note that in their secondary preferences of amalgamation (way down their list of preferred outcomes) NONE of the electoral areas wish to join up with VERNON.