Mayor initiates Kelowna political shakeup to ‘broaden perspectives’

Despite some saying the timing is odd, a shakeup in Kelowna, B.C.’s, representation at the regional district board was done for the sake of creating a more “diverse experience” for councillors, the mayor says.

Mayor Tom Dyas said in a statement released to media outlets on Friday that the recent replacement of councillors Mohini Singh, Ron Cannan and Gordon Lovegrove on the Central Okanagan Regional District was motivated by the belief that council members should have the opportunity to gain different perspectives by serving on various committees.

They are the same three councillors who voted against a recent 35-per cent pay increase that saw councillors’ pay rise to $58,000 from $43,000.

Replacing that trio will be councillors Luke Stack, Rick Webber and Maxine DeHart. Coun. Loyal Wooldridge, who just stepped down as chairperson of the board, as well as Dyas, and Coun. Charlie Hodge held onto their seats during the shuffle.

While the mayor can make an appointment to a committee, he needs support for regional appointments. When the shuffle came to a vote, only Cannan and Lovegrove opposed the decision. Singh was absent.

“Our role as council demands a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of governance, budgets, bylaws, and the operations of the regional district and neighbouring communities,” Dyas said in the statement.

“Rotating through different committees enables us to achieve this goal effectively.”

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Dyas said there will also be benefits to each of these committees in “having the insights and diverse experiences that each councillor can bring to the table.”

Dyas also said in the statement that council was informed a number of months ago that the committee appointments would be brought forth at the strategic review session on April 29.

While councillors Lovegrove and Cannan have not commented on their seats being passed along, Coun. Mohini Singh said in an interview on Thursday that she was surprised and saddened to learn that her time on the regional board was coming to an end.

Coun. Rick Webber, however, said he has always understood that the mayor intended to shuffle people around committees, though a timeline was not made clear.

“From my perspective, when I first got on council, the mayor asked me what other committees I’d like to be on,” Webber said.

He mentioned tourism, and the mayor asked if he’d like to be on the regional district board. Webber, remembers saying that he wasn’t ready, just yet, though he may be open to the idea in the future.

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“I got the impression a year and a half ago, that he was planning to rotate everyone interested and give them a chance,” Webber said.

Webber was an alternate on the regional district last year and when he had about 15 meetings under his belt, he told the mayor he’d be interested in taking a seat if the opportunity arose. He said he assumed that opportunity may arise when and if Coun. Wooldridge ran in the provincial election.

Webber said that given his relative greenness on council, he wasn’t aware if it was unusual for district board members to be replaced mid-term.

Former mayor Sharon Shepherd, who was in office from 2005 to 2011, said it was.

“Unless someone has decided they cannot attend meetings, that they are ill, or for whatever reason they don’t want to be on the board anymore, I’ve never heard of someone being replaced,” she told Global Okanagan.

She described it as “a huge disruption.”

“I don’t understand the reason why …  maybe that will become clear,” Shepherd said.

“My concern is the three that are being removed also voted against having a wage increase, which seems a bit odd.”