UPDATE: The District of West Kelowna is moving forward in its quest to reclassify from a district to a city. The Alternate Approval Process has now wrapped up. It required at least 10 per cent of eligible voters to fill out a form in opposition. However, after only 166 elector response forms were turned in, West Kelowna Council is now in a position to seek provincial approval for the reclassification request.
WEST KELOWNA – Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton are all cities and now West Kelowna wants to be one too.
“It’s more of an elevated status when you call yourself a city,” says District of West Kelowna communications supervisor Kirsten Jones.
The council for the 30,000 resident community is hoping to get approval from the provincial government to officially change its name from a district to a city. It believes the name change will help attract more business.
“Calling ourselves a city does mean more outside of B.C. and in the investment community,” says Jones. “Investors would understand City of West Kelowna more than District of West Kelowna.”
Jones also says the change would help eliminate some confusion.
“There has been some confusion with the district in relation to other local governments like regional district or school district,” says Jones.
Some West Kelowna residents fear becoming a city may mean higher taxes but according to Jones that’s not the case.
“Council is very conscious about increasing taxes and they will not because we are a city,” says Jones.
As for the cost of the name change itself, the district says it’s minimal. An alternate approval process is now underway for those who oppose the name change. The process costs about $1,500. The signage, free standing and on vehicles and buildings, would be changed slowly over time.
“Signage, we will just sort of phase out, I mean we don’t need to make the change right away. The logo, we will remove so we don’t anticipate a big cost there at all,” says Jones.
Those who oppose the name change have until May 11 to fill out the alternate approval process form. At least 10 per cent of eligible voter signatures are needed to force the district to hold a referendum or scrap the idea. If all goes according to plan, the District of West Kelowna will officially become a city by this fall.
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