New group hopes to shake up municipal politics

By JOE FRIES Friday, August 8, 2008
Citing a host of complaints about the school board and Penticton city council, members of a new residents association formerly announced their intentions Thursday, and now hope to shake up the local political scene. Three veteran politicians – Dave Perry, Tom Siddon and Tom Johnston – are fronting the Okanagan-Skaha Residents Association‘s steering committee. Similar to taxpayers groups in other cities that advocate for citizens, this new organization will also endorse a slate of candidates for the school board and city council in the November municipal election. Seeking a fresh crop of young, freethinking leaders, the former politicians said they would take on a mentorship role for the up-and-comers, rather than run for office themselves, although they are reserving the option to do so. Candidates will be interviewed by members of the association, which will be incorporated as a society and sell memberships, to decide who wins the group‘s endorsement.

Perry, a former Penticton mayor, said the new group is an “outgrowth” of the Penticton League of Sensible Electors (PLEASE) that has been fighting against the demolition of the north gym and auditorium at Penticton Secondary School. However, Siddon noted the association would have a much broader platform with a focus on the environment, sustainability, healthy living and fiscal responsibility. The former federal cabinet minister said his “commitment for the next two or three months” though, will be to see the entire Okanagan-Skaha School District‘s board of trustees replaced, a group he said demonstrated a lack of accountability to taxpayers during the demolition debate, and simply took orders from bureaucrats. Larry Little, chair of the school board, fired back when reached by telephone. “The bottom line is we‘re elected to look after the well-being of our students, period.” As for the suggestion that trustees take orders from administrators, “I‘ve been doing this for 15 years and I have yet to have the superintendent or the secretary-treasurer tell me what to do,” Little responded.

The residents association also took shots at city hall. Johnston said municipal politicians, too, are taking direction from administrators, not the other way around as they were elected to do, and he reserved his most pointed jabs for Mayor Jake Kimberley. “Penticton‘s a joke with that kind of leader,” he said, owing to “the disrespectful manner in which the mayor treats people.”
Kimberley did not return a call for comment Thursday. Johnston said his association would also push for a full investigation of the cost of the South Okanagan Events Centre, which he alleged the city has understated by “millions.” Coun. Rory McIvor said that notion, along with the suggestion that council is taking orders from administration, is “nonsense.” “They‘re blowing smoke, quite frankly.” He added that budding politicians ought to avoid groups such as the Okanagan-Skaha Residents Association, because they hamper independent thought. “I tend to look at council candidates or school board candidates as individuals,” said McIvor. “I‘m not interested in the candidate that‘s having his or her strings pulled in the background. That‘s not democracy, that‘s manipulation.”