West Kelowna - Questionnaire | Kelowna Citizens Safety Committee

Dear Candidate,

The Kelowna Citizens Safety Association has prepared a Municipal Candidate Accountability Questionnaire to help residents understand where candidates stand on issues that directly affect our communities.

The questionnaire addresses public participation, local decision-making, affordability, housing, public safety, environmental protection, transparency and accountability. Candidates are invited to provide clear Yes or No answers so residents can easily compare their positions before voting.

All responses will be published as submitted. Candidates who do not respond will also be identified.

We encourage every candidate to participate and give residents the information they need to make an informed choice.

WEST KELOWNA CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

2026 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate Name*

Date*

1. PROPERTY TAXES - Would you support reducing or postponing municipal spending on non-essential projects if doing so would avoid a property-tax increase?*

Yes

2. THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD - Would you support giving residents up to five minutes to speak on Council agenda items, as well as monthly public forums (1-3 hours) where people can raise broader community concerns?*

Yes

3. THE OATH - Would you support adopting a Community Oath of Office, in addition to the statutory oath, stating that Councillors will listen to residents, encourage real participation in local decisions, build public trust, and stay accountable to the people who elected them?*

Yes

4. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS - Will you uphold the constitutional rights and freedoms of residents, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and ensure City policies, bylaws and enforcement respect those rights?*

Yes

5. INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY - Would you support publishing Councillors' votes and positions on the City's website for residents to easily find?*

Yes

6. DENSITY AND BILL 44 - Will you advocate for changes to Bill 44 to restore public hearings and public participation in major development decisions, and give West Kelowna City Council more say over how it grows, rather than simply meeting provincial housing targets?*

Yes

7. DEVELOPMENT AND OCP - Will you support reviewing and, where legally permitted, amending the Official Community Plan and zoning to better reflect neighbourhood character, infrastructure capacity and priorities residents care about?*

Yes

8. ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE HABITAT - Will you protect West Kelowna's remaining environmentally sensitive areas, including wetlands, watersheds, floodplains, and important bird and wildlife habitat, from inappropriate development?*

Yes

9. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY - Would you support the municipality taking a more active role in creating or facilitating accessible and affordable housing?*

Yes

10. SENIORS AND VULNERABLE RESIDENTS - Will you support measures to increase genuinely affordable housing for our seniors, people with disabilities and lower-income residents, including more subsidized housing and affordable units within new multi-unit developments?*

Yes

11. HOMELESSNESS AND CRIME - Will you support a coordinated approach to homelessness, addiction, mental health, public disorder, and crime, with clear goals and public reporting so residents can see the real results?*

Yes

12. FISCAL SPENDING AND RESPONSIBILITY - Would you support independent scrutiny of major City spending, capital projects, and significant transactions, including forensic audits and full public disclosure?*

Yes

13. GROWTH BEFORE INFRASTRUCTURE - Would you vote against approving significant new development in an area if the City cannot demonstrate that infrastructure can adequately support that growth?*

Yes

14. WILDFIRE RESILIENCE - Would you support stronger wildfire preparedness and resilience, such as obtaining our own water bomber plane for the Okanagan?*

Yes

15. PARTICULATE TRAILS - Would you support independent testing of particulate trails, which are increasingly observed in the skies over West Kelowna, to determine their composition, source, and potential impacts on human health, animals, agriculture, and the environment?*

Yes

16. AERIAL PESTICIDE SPRAYING - Will you oppose the aerial spraying of pesticides, such as bacterial BTK spray, over our residential communities and support the use of effective alternatives?*

Yes

17. WATER SECURITY - Will you ensure future development does not compromise West Kelowna's water supply, agricultural needs or long-term water security?*

Yes

18. AI DATA CENTRES - Do you support AI data centers in West Kelowna?*

Yes

19. MUNICIPAL DECISIONS & OUTSIDE INFLUENCE - Will you support ending the use of policy goals from foreign or international entities, including the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, to guide municipal plans and decisions, and require council to justify its priorities to the residents it represents?*

Yes

20. NICOLA WIND PROJECT - Will you advocate for full public consultation and independent assessment of the proposed Nicola Wind Project, including its effects on wildfire risk, watersheds, wildlife, roads, transmission corridors, recreation, nearby residents and eventual decommissioning?

Yes

Thank you for your time and your stepping up to serve!

kelownaCSA@proton.me