The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has established an approval process to ensure RDOS residents support borrowing funds to upgrade antiquated 911 emergency call system infrastructure.

At its April 18 meeting, the Regional Board voted to approve the Alternative Approval Process to ensure voter support for the $1.64 million capital project.

“Before the Regional District can adopt a loan authorization bylaw to borrow the $1.64 million required to complete the upgrade, it must receive the approval of the Province and its electors,” explained Christy Malden, Deputy Corporate Officer.

“Under the Province’s Community Charter, the Regional District has two avenues to get that approval — through a referendum or through an alternative approval process. The alternative approval process is a significantly less expensive method of obtaining elector assent.”

With the alternative approval process, if 10% of the electors in the Service Area are opposed to the proposed funding of a capital upgrade to the Regional District’s 911 Emergency Call Service, the Board would be required to achieve public consent through a referendum.

The Regional District will first seek provincial approval of the bylaw through the Inspector of Municipalities. Once that is obtained, the alternative approval process then requires a notification period, whereby citizens will be informed via advertisements in local newspapers and the Regional District website on the timeline and process for registering opposition to the bylaw.

Once the notification period is completed, eligible electors will have a 30-day opportunity to submit their response forms in person or by mail to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. Voters who support the funding bylaw do not have to submit a response form.

The Regional District has approximately 68,640 eligible voters — Canadian citizens at least 18 years of age who have lived in the region for at least 30 days and British Columbia for six months and RDOS property owners who meet the same requirements but live elsewhere in British Columbia. For the funding proposal to be sent to referendum, 6,864 voters would have to return response forms.

The alternative approval process is consistent with the Regional District’s commitment to transparency, improving stakeholder experience and fiscal responsibility.