The mayors of the Okanagan's four biggest cities deny they're trying to bypass the valley governance report. Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and Westside's elected reps have announced plans for a formal collaboration to deal with issues affecting the entire valley. Speaking at the SILGA convention in Vernon, Westside mayor Rosalind Neis says the partnership is not about the governance issue She tells KISS FM, "They've done their work. They had a lot of work put into that and that was started before the District of Westside was even incorporated, so this is just a way of the four municipalities working together on initiatives that are common to all of us." Vernon mayor Wayne Lippert also denies it's an attempt to over-ride the valley governance study that's currently before the province. "By no means. This isn't a governance issue. This is the four communities getting together to formally agree to work together and share ideas and best practices." The governance study, which was compiled from input over a six month period, has been criticized by the mayors for not giving enough consideration to the needs of the larger municipalities.
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Vernon is local politician central
Vernon has been hosting more than a hundred municipal politicians the past few days. It's for the annual convention of the Southern Interior Local Government Association. Mayor Wayne Lippert says the focus has not just been on meetings but showing the delegates the local attractions. "It gives them a chance to network and do some business but it's also good to get people in here, showcase the area, and show them what we've got."NDP leader Carole James spoke to the delegates on Friday morning, while Community Services Minister Ida Chong was on hand in the afternoon.
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