(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

Kamloops has urban mining in its sights, Penticton is worried about cyber security and West Kelowna wants better playing fields.

However, Vernon is leading the way this year with an armful of resolutions at next week's annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, held this year in Whistler.

The North Okanagan city wants the provincial RCMP to agree to provide a calendar year’s notice of service changes that raise the cost of local government police contracts by more than 0.5 per cent.

Vernon is also urging the province to prioritize road safety for vulnerable users such as pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchairs and to properly fund a province-wide restorative justice system.

The city also wants the province to defer the new provincial employers health tax for at least a year until January 2020.

With its recent experience with Ajax Mines, Kamloops is sponsoring a resolution that would require local government approval for any mine located within 10 kilometres of its boundaries.

Penticton wants the province to help local governments with information technology security and upgrades, pointing out how much civic business is now done online.

Kelowna did not sponsor any resolutions but is sure to support that of West Kelowna which is asking that development cost charge reserve funds be made available for more uses such as artificial playing fields.

UBCM resolutions are put forth by member municipalities and can either be endorsed by the whole as an official position or rejected during the annual general meeting.

Local politicians can also try to meet with provincial ministers to advance their positions.

This year’s UBCM convention runs September 10 to 14.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2018