Tom Dyas will officially be sworn in as Kelowna’s mayor on Monday, but he’s already getting familiar with the work ahead.
“We are, right now, just going through an orientation all this week, prior to the inaugural event on Monday,” said Dyas, the city’s mayor-elect.
“Getting up to date with regards to some of the past council decisions, the ones that we will have to deal with in the upcoming months and also procedures and protocols and proper processes.”
Dyas came out on top in Kelowna’s polls during B.C.’s civic elections on Oct. 15. He had more than double the votes of his next-closest opponent, Colin Basran, who was seeking a third term as the city’s mayor.
Dyas says an appetite for change played a role in the election.
“They are looking for a change and I think that was evident in what happened with respect to the election, and the way the people expressed their votes and how they came forward with those votes,” Dyas told Global News.
The mayor-elect says he has his work cut out for him, as residents want to see action on a number of issues, including crime, homelessness, housing affordability and traffic gridlock.
“Homelessness is the big issue, I think,” said Kelowna resident Inge Seiger.
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Her husband also added that infrastructure needs to be addressed.
“The infrastructure here and our highways are the total worst,” said John Seiger.
Other Kelowna residents told Global News that safety is a big concern.
“Crime is a big thing,” said Paul Brown.
Others, meanwhile, cited housing affordability as an issue that needs immediate attention.
“Build some homes for the middle class,” said Roberta Salo. “A little bit cheaper.”
The issues expressed by residents were at the forefront of Dyas’ campaign and ones he’s ready to tackle.
“It seems those are the items that are key to most individuals around the council table,” said Dyas. “So it makes it a lot easier moving forward with knowing what our priorities are.”
Crime has been among the major concerns for city residents. While Dyas said he knows there aren’t easy fixes, he added that addressing it will be a priority. priorities.
He also stated that establishing what the first steps will be in reducing criminal activity will be key.
“Then at that point in time, I’ll be able to say to you ‘These are exactly what our next steps are, and these are what we’re going to work on over the next six months to a year,'” Dyas said.
The incoming mayor said one change that Kelowna residents will notice with him at the helm is what he calls improved communication and engagement with the community.
“One of the things that they will notice is a big difference with regards to the openness of communication. My door will always be open,” he said.
“The ability of that communication, that open-door policy, I believe they’ll notice a difference on that right away.”
Dyas, along with the rest of city council, will be sworn in on Monday.
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