Regional district services facing the budget knife

By Jason Luciw - Kelowna Capital News - June 01, 2008

Wide open spaces will start to form in the Central Okanagan Regional District offices this summer, as a mass exodus of jobs to the new Westside municipality begins. As part of the staff transfer, the regional district board has ordered administration to conduct a review of staff levels, program and service delivery and functionality of the two-storey office building on KLO Road. At this time last year, the regional district directly governed 40,000 people in Westside, North Westside, Joe Rich, Ellison, Lakeshore South, Brent Road and Paradise Valley and 8,000 non-natives living on Westbank First Nation reserves. But, as of Dec. 6, Westside became a municipality and the regional district’s constituent population plummeted to 12,000. Subsequently, by the end of this summer, more than 73 of the regional districts 200 full-time employees will be transferred to Westside. Departments such as planning, bylaw enforcement, engineering and finance will be cut, some by more than half.As part of the review, regional district administration will be required to come up with a plan that could see vacant space rented out to other governments, like the City of Kelowna or provincial ministries.

The study will also focus on the delivery of service in large remaining departments like regional parks. The department has incurred large cost increases in the wake of Westside incorporation. It’s budget increased by $300,000 this year alone, an eight per cent increase. That’s what prompted regional board vice-chairman Graham Reid to call for the review. “It is appropriate that we assess the service levels in regional parks as it is one of the most significant expenses we have,” Reid stated during regional district budget deliberations in March. “We must pay particular attention to whether the money we’re spending is worth it, especially when Westside parks goes alone.” Another position that will fall under the review will be communications coordinator, according to regional district chief administrative officer Wayne d’Easum. That position is currently held by former broadcaster Bruce Smith. “The position will be part of a review of services conducted in the coming year,” d’Easum told the Capital News.Smith was reluctant to talk about his position and the pending review. He did have the option of applying for the role of communications coordinator for the Westside municipality. He would only say that he considered the transfer but opted to stay with the regional district. Meanwhile, the board has asked for the administrative review to be completed in time for its 2009 budget deliberations, which begin this fall.