Unification Study Looks To Be Stalled

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Tuesday, 14 January 2014 12:30
It appears a study looking into unification of Greater Vernon's governance is dead following Coldstream's unanimous rejection of the idea. It's believed the proposal needs at least two local governments to support it to move ahead. Coldstream Mayor Jim Garlick says his council felt there was no benefits to his community to move ahead with a review.The directors for RDNO's electoral areas B and C have also rejected the need for a study. Area B's Bob Fleming (BX Swan Lake) says a review in 2008 showed the majority of their residents (76%) didn't want a change. "My reaction to it, then as now, is, I believe our residents are satisfied with the form of governance they have, and that they would not be interested in pursuing that," says Fleming. Area C director Mike Macnabb (BX Silver Star) also won't back a study. "It would task (municipal) staff to find out the information to work with the ministry, and the reality is, eventually we're going to come to the same concensus, so I don't support going ahead with the idea of a study," Macnabb tells Kiss FM. A majority of Vernon council appears to favour the study but their council put off a vote on the issue until January 27th. No one seems to know who has the final say on the Greater Vernon Governance Society's request for a study, but it could be Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster, who has so far, not returned a call for comment from Kiss FM News. The society collected 3,160 names in support of a petition last fall which asked the question: "Do you support a review by local and provincial authorities to develop a plan to combine our regional governments into a single entity, for the purpose of more efficient use of our local tax dollars?" 2,052 of the names were from Vernon residents, 816 from Coldstream, and 291 from Areas B and C.