Farm in Olalla Valley. The regional district will appoint four Olalla residents to the available water commission positions.
Image Credit: Anam Cara
October 16, 2014 - 10:30 AM
SOUTH OKANAGAN - The Olalla water commission race has been deemed a ‘non-election’ since no nominations were submitted for the four available positions.
There has been a challenge in retaining elected officials in the Olalla community since 2008, says Christy Malden, chief elections officer for the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen. It has been difficult to get nominations in that district for the commission since the 1999 elections, she says.
There are four elected positions available, but after a deadline extension and still no nominations, the regional district is taking the next required step to appoint Olalla residents to the positions. If the required number of electors with that service area do not accept an appointment, the regional district will consider options, including dissolving the commission and creating an advisory committee, Malden says.
"At this time, an ad hoc advisory committee does exist to provide input on water matters in the Olalla area,” she says. The committee was created after the 2011 election and has been effective since, she says.
As for the general election, the regional districts have enough candidates registered for the general election, including Mark Pendergraft for Osoyoos; George D. Bush for Cawston; Rick Knodel, Joel Malcolm, and Terry Schafer for Oliver; Tom Siddon for Kaleden, and Alan Whitman for Okanagan Falls (same district); Karla Kozakevich for Naramata; Michael Brydon and Ronald Johnson for Penticton; Angelique Wood and Elef Christensen for Hedley; and Bob Coyne, Jamie Frandsen, and Charles Weber for Princeton.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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