CUPE president visiting Penticton today

JOHN MOORHOUSE Penticton Herald Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The B.C. Assessment Authority should find a smaller Penticton office rather than move its staff to Kelowna, says a union spokesman. The government agency announced last month it will be closing its Penticton and Vernon offices by Dec. 31, 2010. All nine staff members in Penticton and another 13 in Vernon have been offered a position in Kelowna. The move is expected to save taxpayers about $441,000 a year. Kevin McPhail, president of CUPE local 1767, is scheduled to visit Penticton today to meet with affected workers and their families. Staff members have until March to decide whether they want to commute or move to Kelowna.

McPhail also plans to contact city council in a bid to build opposition to the planned closure. He visited with Vernon council on Monday. The union leader said B.C. Assessment should consider other options. B.C. Assessment has operated an office in Penticton for 35 years, most recently in rented office space on Skaha Lake Road. “We recognize, certainly, that the local space that they‘re in right now is too big. They‘ve already lost staff over the years, that have already been pulled away to the Kelowna office through specialization and regionalization,” he said. “But with the remaining staff, perhaps what they didn‘t do was explore the options of finding alternative space that‘s a better size – a better fit for the staff that‘s left.”

McPhail said CUPE was never consulted prior to the announcement and has filed a Freedom of Information request about the existing leases. No response has yet been received. He said the union doesn‘t know what numbers B.C. Assessment based its decision on, describing that as “the most frustrating aspect” of the announcement. McPhail said he remains hopeful the office closure is not yet a done deal and B.C. Assessment may reassess its decision. CUPE says Penticton and Vernon residents have a right to have their assessment needs and questions dealt with locally and if needed, in person. However, management officials say most people who have questions about their property assessment opt to contact the office by phone. During the January 2009 inquiry period, when property owners received their new assessment notice, only 325 people made inquiries in person at the Vernon and Penticton offices.