It's been a flirtation that's lasted decades. And now, after all that time, we'll finally get an answer.
It all goes down March 22.
That's when the residents of the community of Okanagan Falls will officially respond to the question, "Are you in favour of incorporating Okanagan Falls as a municipality?"
It's not a stretch to say the future of the area and quite likely the future state of its central retail corridor will be heavily impacted by the verdict.
A "yes" vote means a populous chunk of RDOS Area D at the southern tip of Skaha Lake will become the "District Municipality of Okanagan Falls." A local government will be elected, households will take a property tax hit and the area will potentially benefit from numerous niceties not available without incorporation and that tax hike.
A "no" vote means no tax hike…and status quo in OK Falls.
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To cast a ballot in the upcoming referendum, you must be a resident or registered property owner in the proposed municipality (go here to check your address). You must also get yourself to one of two polling places on one of two dates or apply to vote by mail.
Regular voting takes place March 22 between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM at the Okanagan Falls Rec Centre, 1141 Cedar St.
Early voting happens March 12 between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM at the RDOS main office, 101 Martin St. in Penticton.
Pre-registration is not required. If you're a resident, you merely show up on either date with two pieces of ID (one with a signature) and a readiness to declare that you meet the requirements. Non-resident property owners, meanwhile, must present similar ID and complete a Non-Resident Property Elector Registration form.
Option #3 involves sourcing a mail-in ballot package here or by stopping by the RDOS main office in Penticton. More info on this can be found at the RDOS Legislative Services ([email protected]) or by calling 250-492-0237 (toll-free 1-877-610-3737).
No matter the result on March 22, it's likely the biggest day ever in an incorporation saga that's generated myriad twists and turns over the years.
Like a similar referendum that failed in 1989. Like the requests for incorporation studies that were rejected by the provincial government in 2010 and 2012. Indeed, Matt Taylor, the current director of RDOS Area D and the man in the centre of the story for the past half-decade, says he's seen newspaper clippings from as far back as 1974 broaching the subject.
Taylor, who co-founded a citizen's group called the Okanagan Falls Community Association in 2019 to investigate incorporation because he felt OK Falls was "going nowhere," maintains he has one wish above all else – a strong turnout and an informed electorate.
"The bottom line is everyone has to make their own vote," he said. "I want people to vote, to inform themselves. There's tons of information on the RDOS Regional Connections page.
"So vote, vote, vote. Look at the information. Talk to others."
We asked Taylor to give us a brief event timeline once the ballots are tallied on the 22nd of March. And he obliged.
"We'll in all likelihood know the result that evening," he said. "Unless it's down to a couple votes, in which case we'd still know by the end of that week.
"If it's a yes, and once the result is formally confirmed, the province then has to go through its process. The minister needs to receive the information and communicate it to cabinet, and cabinet makes the decision to proceed, which is usually a formality."
At that point, continued Taylor, Okanagan Falls is given a legal identity, in this case the "District Municipality of Okanagan Falls."
"Not a town, not a city," he clarified. "A district municipality."
Then sometime between spring and fall, another election would decide a mayor and four councilors.
"It's during that time frame," he said, "that one staff person would be contracted to start working on getting the bylaws, the protocols and all the policies in place. Many of them will be copied over from the municipal district.
"That council would be in place for approximately a year. They'd also have the responsibility of facilitating the transition of the regional district to the district municipality."
Should the "no" side emerge victorious, the scenario isn’t nearly as complex.
"Basically," said Taylor, "the community remains in Area D and we continue to be governed out of the regional district. So some would say there is no change.
"But this time if the vote is no, we're done. The Province has invested heavily to get us to this decision. They've paid for numerous other studies too (and the referendum itself).
"They may, from what I've been told, return to this matter in 12 to 15 years. But I’m thinking maybe 20."
As for Taylor's personal opinion, he's pro-incorporation. More so now, he says, after seeing the results of the study -- even with the projected property tax increase the move will trigger.
"There's been a lot of focus on the Province's study that demonstrated the average household would see an annual property tax increase of $289," he said.
"But from my perspective, for that you get five people pulling for you instead of one. You get better advocacy, better decisions. And if you don't like them (the elected representatives), you can un-elect them."
Taylor talks about the tangible benefits from a yes vote, such as enhanced access to big-dollar provincial grants, the establishment of local bylaws, and a potentially clearer path to an improved retail corridor.
"The biggest downside I can think of is if taxes go up beyond the $289," he said. "But they'll only go up if mayor and council approve a budget that requires that. And if you don’t like it, you vote them out.
"So I don’t buy that argument."
For more info on the findings of the incorporation study, head to the Okanagan Falls Incorporation Study page at the RDOS Regional Connections site. For more info on the mechanics of the referendum, turn to the Okanagan Falls Incorporation Referendum page.
To check out past PentictonNow articles on OK Falls, turn here, here and here.
