Referendum sought for new police building in Summerland

SUSAN McIVER/Special to the Penticton Herald Wednesday, July 28, 2010
SUMMERLAND – A referendum to seek approval to borrow funds for the construction of a new RCMP facility in Summerland will be held on Oct. 2. Council gave first three readings Monday night to the RCMP building referendum bylaw and appointed election officials. Corporate officer Gillian Matthews is the chief election officer and her assistant, Maureen Fugeta, is the deputy chief election officer for the referendum. In late June, council voted to proceed to referendum for elector consent to borrow $3.125 million for the proposed RMCP building and to approve a referendum budget of $30,000. Approval from the provincial government to proceed to referendum was subsequently obtained. The referendum date must be within 80 days of provincial approval.

The Local Government Act requires jurisdictions to advertise for volunteer scrutineers who are both for and against the referendum question. “The legislation allows council to make provision for more than one scrutineer per voting place and staff are recommending two for and two against the question,” Matthews told council. Voting on Oct. 2 will take place at Summerland Secondary School with advance voting on Sept. 15 and 22 at Municipal Hall. “There will be lots of information to come. A website will be opened this week,” said Mayor Janice Perrino. In late spring, council sought elector consent through the alternative approval process which was blocked by a counter-petition. Once an alternative approval process fails, the only way to obtain the required approval for a loan authorization bylaw is through a full referendum