Okanagan Falls residents will vote on whether to become its own small municipality or remain the status quo and be governed by the RDOS board of directors.
Image Credit: Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative
January 22, 2025 - 7:00 PM
Voting day is only eight weeks away for residents of Okanagan Falls to determine their future.
Adult residents over age 18 who live in Okanagan Falls will determine whether to community of roughly 3,500 residents will become its own municipality or continue the status quo and operate under the leadership of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) at a referendum vote now officially set for Saturday, March 22.
It's expected the RDOS board would ratify the staff recommendation to hold the referendum vote on March 22 at Thursday's regular meeting.
The Okanagan Falls Incorporation Study Committee held its final meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
At that meeting, the committee received a draft version of the Okanagan Falls Incorporation Study Report and considered the matter of an incorporation referendum.
Based on the discussion at the meeting, the committee made the following unanimous-supported recommendation to the RDOS Board of Directors:
"Based on the results of the Okanagan Falls Incorporation Study and the work of the Okanagan Falls Incorporation Study Committee, the Regional District of Okanagan- Similkameen Board of Directors recommend to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs that a referendum be held on the incorporation of Okanagan Falls."
At the December 19, 2024 board of directors meeting, the board endorsed the recommendation.
On January 17, 2025, administration received the signed order of the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, which provides the authority to conduct a vote on the Incorporation of Okanagan Falls.
The Minister has ordered that:
- A vote be taken to determine whether the electors of the area of Okanagan Falls are in favour of the proposed incorporation as a new municipality
- The vote will be taken on Saturday March 22, 2025
- The vote will be conducted in accordance with the Local Government Act and the RDOS Election Procedure Bylaw No. 2798
- The area of the proposed incorporation includes the community of Okanagan Falls, as shown on the map entitled “Proposed Municipality of Okanagan Falls” RDOS Map Reference No. RDOS-07-04, attached to the Order
- The question on the ballot will be: “Are you in favour of incorporating Okanagan Falls as a municipality?”
Mail ballots will be available to all eligible electors, with applications being made available in the coming weeks.
Advance voting will take place at the RDOS office (101 Martin Street) on Wednesday March 12.
Regular voting day will take place at the Okanagan Falls School Gymnasium.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on each of those days.
Unofficial results will be released approximately one hour after the close of polls.
Official results will be declared within the following week.
It is expected that the assent vote will cost approximately $10,000, which will be funded through a grant from the provincial government.
— This article was originally published by the Penticton Herald
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