A binding referendum that would have cost $50 thousand dollars to find out what the public thinks on a correctional facility inside Penticton has been cancelled.

Penticton council has announced that legal opinion has persuaded it to hold a five day long opinion poll at city hall that could cost only $6000.

That poll June 14 to 28 (Tuesday to Saturday) will be held in council chambers.

A legal opinion stated that a referendum is usually linked to the expenditure of tax payers money and assent is needed. In the prison story – only the public’s opinion is being solicited. A referendum is a binding decision while a poll is just an expression of the public’s wishes.

The referendum scheduled for Saturday June 18th has been cancelled.