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(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian announced that he would not run for mayor again earlier this month, but if B.C. hadn't changed election rules, he might have done so again.

Christian, now in his late-60s, has held various elected offices for the past 20 years, but he considers the four-year term to be too much of a commitment to run again.

"If it was two years, I definitely would (run again)," Christian said, recalling the term cycle B.C. municipalities used before elections were extended to every three years. In 2018, elections were extended once again to every four years.

Christian will have served as mayor for five years when voters head back to the polls this fall.

His apprehension to commit to another four years don't seem to be a concern for several other elected officials in both Kamloops and Kelowna.

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City councillors in Kelowna and Kamloops say the four-year term allows for better governance because they can focus on long-term planning, and hasn't played a large role in considering whether to run for elected office.

Kelowna City councillor Ryan Donn said rather than deciding whether a four-year commitment to the job is appropriate for him or his young family, councillor salaries are going to determine whether or not someone would put their name on the ballot.

"I would argue that lower pay makes it more accessible for more affluent people in the community," Donn said, adding that single mothers or people who work in certain employment sectors may not have the flexibility to make the sacrifices needed for time in city hall.

Donn said Kelowna's council has historically seen people who are older elected in civic elections, and it's typically people that are more affluent and have the flexibility to sacrifice their time to make decisions for the City. But in the last decade or so, he said the average age on council has dropped by "a generation," bringing different perspectives to city hall.

"The problem we have in Kamloops is being mayor is a full-time job, but for everyone else who sits on council, the assumption is you continue... to do your other employment," Thompson Rivers University associate political science professor Dr. Terry Kading said.

This part-time and full-time divide applies to most smaller municipalities in B.C. Larger cities like those in the Lower Mainland compensate councillors for full-time work.

"I think the problem is once you move to a four-year term, if you want to be effective at it, it can be quite onerous," Dr. Kading said. "I think it's a real deterrent to attracting younger individuals on city council. If the position can't compensate you for your income and time losses, it tends to favour an older generation."

He added that increased compensation, either through salary or other benefits, could encourage a "broader cross section" of the population to get engaged with civic issues and politics.

Councillors in Kelowna and Kamloops earn just under $40,000 per year with the option to pay into a benefits package. Mayors in each city, however, earn roughly $100,000 per year and have 50% of premiums covered in each city's benefit package, which include health, dental and life insurance coverage.

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The City of Kelowna changed that policy at last night's meeting, voting to cover the City's mayor and its councillors equally, and potentially cost taxpayers $50,000 per year.

A report to Kelowna council from staff suggests that the change would fairly compensate all elected officials for their time and "reduce barriers to those considering running for office."

The report does not propose a salary increase for Kelowna politicians, but that is regularly adjusted with inflation under City bylaws.

While a mayor would spend 40 hours per week working on city-related issues, a councillor doesn't have those same obligations. Instead, the minimum work required of them is to show up for regular meetings, which could be several hours a week. Beyond that is up to the individual.

"When we talk about reducing barriers, we have to acknowledge that most of us come from relative privilege. Folks that don't have flexible employers or aren't entrepreneurs or are retired... can't participate in this process," Kelowna councillor Loyal Wooldridge said at the March 14 meeting. "I've spoken to some young professionals that can't work at their job and be on council because of conflict."

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Councillor Dale Bass of Kamloops doesn't think it's appropriate to increase salaries to encourage more people into civic elections, but she would like to see a maternity and paternity leave policy adopted to make city politics more accessible.

Typically there are limits to how many council meetings can be skipped in a year, but with the availability of virtual attendance, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, it's much easier to do public work from home.

Coun. Sadie Hunter, also of Kamloops, suggested a change to council meeting times could make local politics more accessible. In Kamloops, for example, council meetings are usually at 1:30 p.m., sometimes with meetings closed to the public in the morning. She said if those were pushed to the evening, it could allow people with other employment responsibilities to make the sacrifice.

At least one Kelowna councillor is concerned about the four-year term. Charlie Hodge figures the four-year term is the right move for B.C. municipalities, but it is a consideration for him deciding whether he chooses to run again.

“Three years is one thing, four years is another,” Hodge said. “That extra year is a bit of a grind. I think it’s the way to go but it’s a year longer of being a punching bag.”

Although his health has deteriorated since his return to Kelowna city hall in 2018, tough issues like addressing homelessness are the ones taking a toll on Hodge these days.

Voters are set to elect their next mayor and set of councillors in B.C. this Fall, with candidates scheduled to officially come forward in July.

The Kamloops election appears to be off to an early start, however, with Christian's announcement to step down. So far three people in Kamloops have come forward to announce their intentions to run for mayor, with one of them a sitting councillor.

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