Osoyoos council considers expansion
By ROY WOOD
Osoyoos residents will have at least one and possibly three places to fill on town council next October as one councillor says he won’t run again and the idea of adding two more seats to the table is up for discussion.
Councillor Mike Campol said in an interview today that he won’t run for council next October. “I kind of need to focus on career at this point,” he said. “In my past position I was self employed so I could sort of make my own schedule.”
Campol, who was elected in 2014, recently became general manager at the new Boston Pizza restaurant in Osoyoos.
Council will discuss the idea expanding its number to six as part of a budget review meeting on Thursday.
“It’s not a done deal,” Mayor Sue McKortoff said today. “It’s just a thought, because we’ve had to deal with some things this year where we’ve had four (members of council) and sometimes three.”
She said council will look at the cost of adding councillors in the context of the entire budget. “If we don’t think we can afford it this year, because we have other items that are higher priority, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
In a report to council, corporate services director Janette Van Vianen says that while the provincial Community Charter prescribes a town’s council to be a mayor and four councillors, council may pass a bylaw to increase the number.
The report indicates that the additional cost to taxpayers for two new councillors would be between $42,000 and $50,000.
Councillors are paid an annual stipend of $16,534 plus benefits of $1,371 and miscellaneous expenses. As well, they are entitled to claim about $3,000 for attending the Union of BC Municipalities conference and upward of $7,000 for going to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
If council wishes to increase its number to six, a bylaw amendment would need to pass by April 2018. Van Vianen’s report suggests: “Council may wish to consider a public consultation before proceeding to increasing the number of councillors.”
Asked whether she thinks a public consultation is appropriate, McKortoff said: “We often like to get public consultation on things.
“We get criticized when we don’t and sometimes when we do, people say, ‘Oh my goodness what a waste of time. Why don’t you get on with it. That’s what you’re hired to do.’”
Campol also suggested that council consider a return to evening meetings. Currently, council meets at 2 pm* on the first and third Monday of each month. The committee of the whole meets the same days at 9 am.
“I’d like to see the meetings go back to evenings,” he said. “It opens things up for the next election (to) people who couldn’t run … if they run their own business or are employed. Otherwise you’re going to end up with just retirees.”
Campol is the only member of the current council to say he won’t seek re-election. Mayor Sue McKortoff confirmed today that she intends to run for a second term. Councillors CJ Rhodes and Jim King said today they are planning to run. Carol Youngberg, a first-term member of council, wasn’t available for comment.
Photos courtesy of Town of Osoyoos
Editor’s note: Under letters patent issued by the BC Government – Osoyoos must have two rural water councillors to help run the water system. If Osoyoos council were to change its structure and add two more regular councillors – that would amount to the largest council table in the Okanagan = 9 seats